《The Survival of the Third-rate Villain》 Chapter 1 1 - Disowned "I will never forgive you..."Said a handsome young man. His cold, threatening voice, along with his dagger-like, glaring black eyes, gave me shivers. Chills ran down my spine. There are a few people in the area, watching the same scene as I am... I can hear murmurs everywhere. I don't even know what is happening. I don't know who this young man is. So I don't understand... "...?" Why is he looking at me with such hatred? "What?" I asked him in confusion. "..." But I didn't get a reply. He just kept glaring at me like an idiot. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Then after a few moments... "You just wait... I'll make you regret it in our next sparring session." The young man in front of me declared that with a tone that made it sound like he was ready to beat me up right then and there. '???' His words only made me more confused than I already was. Sparring session? Make me regret it? Me? 'What the fuck did I do?' I seriously had no idea. As a matter of fact, I don't even know why I'm here at this moment. So just to make the glaring young man in front of me leave... "Sure, whatever." I just said that and shrugged my shoulders. The whispering around intensified. The young man clicked his tongue in anger... And after that, he left. "..." I stared at his back for a few seconds. Then I turned my back at him and went the other way, Ignoring all the peering eyes on me... And as I walked away from the scene, unspoken questions lingered in my head. 'Where am I?' I don't know where I am. 'How did I get here?' Nor do I know how I got here. It looks like I'm in a large facility, with an interior resembling that of an old mansion. The people around are wearing similar outfits, so it must be a uniform. And I don't know how or why, but I'm also wearing the same thing as them. Anyway... 'What the fuck was that just now?' I literally have no idea what just happened there. I'm still embarrassed and confused. 'I swear these weirdos are everywhere.' I thought as I frown from annoyance and embarrassment. ***** ... After walking for a while and getting out of the facility... I searched for a place to sit on. I found a bench not far away. There aren't a lot of people around. So I decided to settle there for now... I sat down. "Haaaa..." And let out a heavy sigh... Now... It's time to arrange my thoughts. 'First, I need to recall what happened before I got here.' That's what I decided, so thinking back... "I was just playing a game called 'Brave Hearts' like usual. I had a few beers... or maybe a lot..." "Anyway, I started feeling dizzy and ended up slamming my head into the monitor pretty hard..." And because of that, I blacked out. And the next thing I knew... "I was standing in front of that angry young man, who's glaring at me like an idiot." "...?" Even after recalling what happened beforehand, I'm still confused. There's still no explanation why I'm here and how I got here. "What the hell?" I grumbled. "Hmm?" But then, I remember a dream after passing out. It's nothing unusual. Just the whole-ass intro of Brave Hearts when you're starting a new save file. And after that dream... "Yeah..." I just opened my eyes and that young man is already in front of me... 'Now that I think about it, he looks kinda familiar too...' I thought. But before I could even think of where I know him or finish arranging my thoughts... "Hmm?" Tap- tap- tap- I saw 3 formally dressed men approaching me, they look like butlers I see in historical manwhas. On the left chest area of their black jackets, I could see a griffin crest embroidered in golden thread. And not too long, they reached where I am... As I was sitting down, they stood in front of me and looked down on me. The man in the middle took out a rolled paper and opened it up. Then he read its content out loud... "Raye Alvah, second son of the Duke Gorgon Alvah..." Loud enough that the few people around us looked in our direction. Also, my name is not Raye Alvah. I don't know why they're looking at me like that. "For bringing multiple shame on the family name, and smearing its reputation..." 'Hmm? What family?' I think they're mistaking me for someone else. But nevertheless, the guy in the middle continued... "You are hereby being disowned by the family in the order of the patriarch, Duke Gorgon Alvah!" 'Huh?' That name sounds similar. "At this very moment, you are removed from the family registry and shall no longer be considered a member of the Alvah Family." Finally, after saying that, the man in the middle stopped talking and handed me the paper. Then with contempt in his eyes. "These are the last considerations given to you by the patriarch, be grateful." He said those words as the two men with him handed me a bag each. "Then, we'll take our leave." Then after that, they just left... Leaving me no say to the matter. "Did you hear that?" "Wow, this'll be shocking news..." "I should tell this to everyone as soon as possible." Whispers around me started circulating. All eyes are looking at me. Feeling their gazes made me uncomfortable. So I stood up, and quickly left the area. Tap- tap- tap- I don't know where I'm going... Tap- tap- tap- I just want to be alone. I need time to think! My encounter with those men... It gave me an idea about my situation right now. 'It's very unlikely... I think it's impossible¡­' But there's a chance... That I'm inside the game, Brave Hearts! And the worst thing of all is... "I'm the ruffian son of Duke Gorgon Alvah..." "A third-rate villain who just became a punching bag for the protagonist!" Chapter 2 2 - The Exiled Scumbag Sitting alone in a meadow...I looked at the paper in my hand, the one handed to me by one of the butler-looking men earlier. The letter was filled with formal language... But basically, it said that I was being exiled from the family for the embarrassment I brought upon its name. After reading the letter, a frown formed on my face. Not because of what it said... But because it wasn't written in English. I had never seen these characters before... But somehow, I could read and understand them perfectly. "Fuck." I cursed. This just made my speculation earlier to be more likely true. Wanting answer... I stood up and looked around, spotting a small pond not far away. I marched toward it, and when I reached it. I looked down at my reflection in the water... And what greeted me... Is a young man that has striking blue eyes, sharp and intense, standing out against his white hair that fell casually around his face. He was handsome, exuding an air of both arrogance and elegance... I recognized this face, it's one of the early third-rate villains from the game Brave Hearts. The one who entangles the protagonist with the Alvah Family... Raye Alvah. And currently, for some unexplained reason... I'm in control of this body! "..." Now, I can be sure. "I'm really inside of the game..." The Brave Hearts. ... *** The Brave Hearts, it's an RPG that took place in a magic and swords medieval world, where you play as a genius commoner boy who gets into an academy called Zion Academy through a scholarship. You decide what course you will enter. Whether it's a swordsmanship course, magic course, summoner course, or something else from multiple choices. And along with the other main characters, you are supposed to get stronger as the story progresses. And ultimately free the world from the terror of demons. ... "That's the main objective in the game..." For the main protagonist that is. 'I'm no protagonist, I'm just a third-rate villain in the story. I hold very little significance in the game.' I'm Raye Alvah. Leader of the delinquents in the academy, I do nothing but sabotage the main characters and cheat. And at the start of the 2nd semester of the 1st year, I will be beaten by the protagonist one-sidedly. Later on, I'll be deemed a no-good scumbag and expelled from the academy. And after that, I will make no more appearances in the story. 'Oh...' I was wrong, later in the game, Raye Alvah was briefly shown, being beat up in the slums for stealing a bread. And the main characters just ignored him... That scene was added to satisfy the players who got annoyed with him early in the game. 'I also got satisfaction from that cutscene, I even laughed a little.' But now... "That's my fate." No way in hell! "I won't just let that be." That's the fate of the scumbag Raye. 'But I'm not him!' "I didn't do anything wrong. I don't deserve that." I won't suffer because of that scumbag's life choices. "I will survive and see this through to the end." I declared with resolute tone. ... *** I liked how Brave Hearts lets you choose your course at the beginning, so I cleared it multiple times, picking different courses each time I started a new file. I remembered the story progression really well. So if I play my cards right... "I can take advantage of it." After calming down and assessing the situation, I realized it wasn't so bad that I possessed a third-rate villain's body instead of one of the main or cheat characters. At least I have no obligation to clear the game's events and scenarios. In short, I'm free to do whatever I want, as long as I don't mess up the flow of the story. Sure, I got exiled from the family, but looking on the bright side, now I don't have any obligations to them either! Besides, that family is bound to fall anyway, since they're one of the protagonist's enemies. And one more good thing is... "I'm currently a student at the famous Zion Academy!" It's the most prestigious academy in the entire Rakon Empire! Anyone who graduates from it is guaranteed to live a prosperous life. So, I've decided, my goal from now on... "Is to graduate and have a more comfortable life than before." Though, my first problem is that tuition is ridiculously expensive! And now that I'm exiled from the Alvah Dukedom, no one's gonna pay it for me! So the only way for me to continue studying at this academy is... "A scholarship." Yes, I need to somehow raise my grades and skills enough to secure one. And if that's my only way... 'I need to see how far away I am from my goal.' So with that in mind... "Status." I mumbled that word. And a bluish window, like something from a game, appeared in front of me... It's not a special skill, this is a function of a ring artifact all students receive upon enrollment. It lets us keep track of our own progress. Anyway, that's that. 'It's time to check my stats...' ===== Name: Raye Alvah Age: 18 Year Level: 1 Race: Human Stamina: 4 S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Intellect: 3 Mana: 2 Strength: 3 Speed: 4 Talent: 8 Luck: 7 Overall Grade: F- ===== "Oh..." My excitement quickly died down after seeing my stats. Why? Because they're weaker than those of an average person! The protagonist starts with stats three times higher than these! And a farmer at least has 6 stamina points! I know my character is a lazy scumbag, but isn't this way too low?! "The biggest number I see is my age..." I grumbled. But there's nothing I can really do about it, is there? So knowing that... "Haaah..." I just sighed in resignation. ... After a few moments, I calmed down and fully accepted my situation. Also, after experimenting with the ring artifact, I learned that... The second semester will start soon. And I'm in my first year. In other words... "The protagonist will beat me up soon, and after that, I'll be saying bye-bye to this academy." Just my luck... I laid down on the grass and closed my eyes, I'm pretty exhausted with all of this... I remembered when I find myself here. The young man in front of me when I opened my eyes earlier. A handsome young man with fierce black eyes and tousled dark hair, exuding intensity and strength... "He was the protagonist, huh." I whispered to myself. I thought, long and hard, all by myself. "..." And after a few moments... "I've decided." I opened my eyes and sat up. "I'll take care of myself, nothing else." I said those words and resolute myself. 'I should do what I must to survive and attain my goal.' I thought to myself. Then I turned to the two bags the butler-looking men had given me earlier... "What the hell are these, anyway?" I reached for one of them... "Hmm?" And noticed that the bag I grabbed had an engraved spatial magic on it! Meaning, it could store way more than it looked like it could, and without getting heavier too! 'I can sell this bag if money becomes really tight.' I thought as I peeked inside of it. There, I found a bunch of clothes and personal items. "Must be Raye's belongings." I then put the bag down and picked up the other one. "This one's just a normal bag." I mumbled, feeling a bit disappointed. It was small, but pretty heavy. 'What the hell is inside?' I wondered as I opened it up. And to my surprise... "Ohhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!" It was full of gold coins! "Ohhhhhhhhh!!!" Looks like I won't start penniless after all. And just as I thought that... Swoosh¡ª "Huh?" A bluish window appeared in front of me. It wasn't from the ring artifact, that much I was sure of... Curiously, I looked at it and read what was written on it. ===== Act I: The Exiled Scumbag (Complete) ===== "Huh?" This... This window appears on-screen after completing a game scenario. I didn't expect to see this in this life too... Chapter 3 3 - Unfair Situation Two weeks...In two weeks, the 2nd semester will start. There will be a class placement test for a week. Then after that, the sparring sessions will happen. In other words... 'I have three weeks left before I get beaten like a dog by the protagonist.' "Not too long, but not that short either." I said to myself. If I can't show any improvements in the sparring sessions, then getting a scholarship will just be a pipe dream. It's a given that I would lose to the protagonist with my stats and shitty skills, but let's at least try not to be beaten one-sidedly. So in three weeks, somehow, I need to improve my stats, even for a little. "Anyway, I'm tired... I already want to rest..." I'm currently on my way to the Amaya Dormitory. Where I'm supposed to be staying... I don't know what time it is exactly, but it's getting dark, so I should probably get going. ***** After a few minutes of walking, the Amaya Dormitory came into view. I didn't get lost, as I had memorized the academy's map after playing the game so many times before. Navigating my way here wasn't actually that hard. Though, my low stamina points seem to be showing... "Phew... What the hell..." I only walked for a few minutes, but I'm already tired... Also, on my way here, I got a lot of attention. No one approached me, but everyone's eyes were on me. I could even hear them murmuring to each other. 'Looks like the news of me being disowned has already spread.' Anyway, I just ignored them all and thought of plans for the future as I walked... "Hm?" But as I got closer to the dormitory, I saw a maid waiting at the entrance, carrying a bag. 'Uh-oh...' I already had an idea why she was there. And it wasn't anything good... Anyway, I walked toward her... And when I reached her... "You can't enter here." She stopped me from going inside the facility. "Your father... I mean, Duke Gorgon Alvah, revoked your access payment to the Amaya Dormitory." She explained. "You must have know that the duke was paying for your special room. But earlier, he sent a letter instructing us to kick you out, as he will no longer be covering for your expenses here." "Also, because of your recent behavior, the academy will not be providing you a room, even in the normal dormitories, as punishment." Then she added. "This is all of your personal belongings." The maid handed me the bag she was carrying. I took it from her. "..." And just stood there for a few seconds, looking at the maid in front of me... After that, I nodded and turned my back to her. "Well then, excuse me." I left after saying that. I had predicted something like this. In fact, I had planned to leave the Amaya Dormitory anyway after collecting Raye's stuff. I knew the cost of staying in a special room was crazy expensive, so I wouldn't have been able to afford it on my own. But what I didn't expect was that I wouldn't even be given a free room in the normal dormitories... I didn't make a fuss because that wouldn't change anything. And I could see a few tenants watching me get evicted. I didn't want to attract any more attention. I was already embarrassed enough. That's why I simply left... So, where will I spend the night? Well, I already have a place in mind. "To the library it is..." The sky is already dark. So I should hurry. "What a hassle..." ... ***** "Haaa... Haaaa... Haaaaa..." I was already out of breath when I reached the library. It's a bit far from the Amaya Dormitory, and I'm carrying a bag. It didn't help that Zion Academy is as big as a city. And that the library is a building of its own, separate from the main facilities. "My back hurts..." The library is like a massive mansion with five floors. And right now, I'm on the 2nd floor. It's pretty late, probably around 9 pm, if I had to guess. There's no one around. I'm all alone in this dark, empty part of the library. The library is open to everyone all the time, but no one would be here this late... They would've just checked out the books they wanted and read them in their rooms. "..." Tap- tap- tap- Anyway, I went to a corner of the floor and found a study table meant for four people. I sat down and placed all my belongings under the table. I took a few books from nearby and placed them on the table to use as a pillow. Then I lay my head on the books. 'I'm so tired.' I thought as I closed my eyes. Then everything that happened today rushed back into my mind... ... "It's unfair." I mumbled. I remembered all those eyes on me, filled with hate and contempt. The whispers they exchanged about me... "It's unfair." My voice cracked... I grew annoyed. I clenched my fists and bit my lips... I remembered everyone shooing me away. Even though I don't know any of them... 'It's so unfair...' I didn't want any of this. Why me? I didn't do anything wrong... I was just playing alone in my room, having fun... I'm not Raye... I hate this. 'It's so frustrating!' It's not like I want everyone to like me... But at least, I don't want to be hated for something I didn't even do. I acted like everything was fine earlier, but it wasn't! It's so fucking unfair! Bam! I slammed my fist on the table in anger. With my strength stat, it didn't break. I was the one who got hurt, if anything... But I still did it anyway. Bam! The next strike came harder. Bam! The sound echoed in the empty library, but there's no one around so I just went and vent my anger... Bam! My hand ached, but I hit again, to release my frustrations. Bam! Bam! Bam! 'I don't even have a place to stay at!' It was so absurd, my whole life changed in a single day... I'm surprised I managed to stay composed till now. But when I became alone and was able to relax even for a little... S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. It all just came rushing to me. So damn intense that I started to cry... I know crying won't change the situation I'm in, but I'm still just a normal human... Bam! "Fuck... Sniff... Fucking hell... It's cold." ... ... That night... I cried myself to sleep. Chapter 4 4 - Skewer Situation The next day, I woke up early in the morning.Not because I wanted to... "Brrrrr... Fuck..." But because it was freezing cold in the library. Grumble... Also, I was starving. 'I didn't get to eat lunch or dinner...' I had been so overwhelmed by everything yesterday that I forgot to eat. Maybe it was the adrenaline, but I didn't feel hungry then. But now, it hit me all at once. I felt weak, and the cold air only made my hunger worse. "I need to eat..something..brrrrr..." "Sniff..." 'Ugh, now I've got a runny nose. Just great.' Anyway, I couldn't bear the hunger any longer. So, I hid the bag containing Raye's personal belongings, which the maid had given me last night, under the table in the very corner... Then, I grabbed the spatial bag and the bag of gold coins. And after that... "Food..." I quickly left the library to find something to eat. ... ***** ... As Raye mentioned last night... The academy is as big as a city. That's because Zion Academy is basically a city. There are shops, residents, inns, travellers, and many more inside the academy. Everything of it belongs to the academy, so it's not an official city, but more like a giant campus. And now... "Fuck... Everything's closed..." Raye is searching for an open shop in this hour at this huge place. It was about 3 AM, and almost every store was closed. Raye knew this, but he was desperate to eat. Normally, his meals were served by servants in the dormitory and he can just go and eat in the kitchen anytime he wants... But after being kicked out of the Alvah Dukedom and the Amaya dorm, food wasn't free anymore. 'I feel like I'm dying...' Raye thought. It was then... "Ah, that's right..." He remembered something from the game. 'I forgot because of hunger, but there's a shop that's open all of the time near the training grounds!' And as soon as he remembered that... Tap- tap- tap- He immediately headed toward that shop's location. ... ***** (Raye's POV) ... The hunger was so bad that I couldn't run. Tap- tap- tap- But my hurried footsteps echoed down the empty street. Then soon... The food stall that I had been looking for came into view! Crackle... sizzle... Pop... Hisssss... The sizzling meat crackled over the fire, the fat popping and hissing as it dripped onto the hot coals. "Ah..." The aroma of roasting meat hit my nostrils, making my mouth water and my hunger worse. So without further ado... Tap- tap- tap- I rushed to the stall. And before the young man cooking could even notice me approaching... "Give me four servings of beef skewers, please!" I exclaimed that out loud. "?!" So loud that the young man flinched and almost dropped the meat he was grilling. ... ... ... Burp- With a burp... "Haaa..." A relieved sigh escaped my lips as I smiled in satisfaction. 'I'm full...' I just ate a ridiculous amount of beef skewers. Enough for four people, and I ate it all by myself... "Wow, you must've been really hungry, huh..." The young man said as he continued to grill more meat. "I was dying, honestly. Your shop saved my life." Then I responded as I handed him 20 silver coins. "Oh? I'm glad that I helped, then." He said and smiled innocently. I had eaten like a madman earlier, not caring about manners, but he didn't seem to mind. In fact, he looked happy watching me eat so much. It made me feel a little relieved... For the first time since coming to this world, I received a look that wasn't filled with hostility. Then becoming curious, and to pass by time as I let the food in my stomach digest... "Why are you open, like... all of the time?" I asked the young man that question. "Hm?" In the game, this nameless skewer shop was like my stamina refilling station whenever I was grinding my character's stats at the training grounds. It was the only store in the game that closed just before the end of the day and opened early in the morning. My character would be forced to sleep for six hours after a certain time of not sleeping in the game... sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. But this man's shop was always open before I passed out and still open after I woke up! He must've been getting even less sleep than me in the game, and he looked to be around Raye's and the protagonist's age, if not, younger! I didn't care about the reasons before, but now that he was a real person I could talk to and not just buy meat skewers... I just became curious. "Umm..." At my question, the young man scratched his cheek with an awkward smile... "I need the money. Opening early, closing late. It's the only way I can make enough." Then he answered. "Why do you need it? If you don't mind me asking..." I followed another question. "Haha, it's fine... Well, my mom's sick, and I've got two younger brothers. I need to provide for them." He replied. He looked somewhat relieved to share even a bit of his story with someone. I thought our small talk was done after that... "Though lately, the price of meat has been rising, and so has the cost of my mom's medicine..." 'Huh?' But he kept on talking, and for some reason, his words seemed familiar. "Sooner or later, I'll have to close the shop. I'll prioritize my mom over the business, of course." He said that with a defeated smile. Hearing his story, I sympathized with him. We were both dealing with unfair situations in life. Me coming into this world, and him having no choice but to work extra hard... Because of that, it made me want to help him. And as soon as I thought about wanting to help the young man... Swoosh- 'Huh?' A bluish window appeared before me again. And this time... ===== Sub Quest: Out of Cash, Out of Kebabs: We're Skewered! Condition: Help the owner of the skewer shop. Rewards: +2 stat points, (???) ===== "Wha..." It's giving me a quest to help the skewer shop owner. Chapter 5 5 - Proposal =====Sub Quest: Out of Cash, Out of Kebabs: We're Skewered! Condition: Help the owner of the skewer shop. Rewards: +2 stat points, (???) ===== Staring at the quest window in front of me, my mouth hung slightly open. I couldn't say anything. I don't even know how to react... This quest... 'I've seen this before.' Plenty of times, to be honest. It's a sub quest given to the protagonist after they buy a bunch of times in this store. S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. But I didn't expect to see this window again... 'Heck, I didn't even know I could receive a quest in this life just like in the game!' Did my questions earlier that made the shop owner share his story trigger the sub quest? Then... "Wait..." I remembered something from the game. Once during my gameplay, I rejected this quest. Then later on, the shop closed. It reopened not long after though. I thought it was just a bug or something. But now that I know the shop owner's story... 'It all makes sense now.' 'He probably closed the shop when money became tight... then reopened it because his mother... probably died.' "..." That's just tragic. I want to help him somehow. 'But how...?' In the game, I was tasked with hunting 10 wild animals and giving their meat to the owner. But this time... 'It's just telling me to help the shop owner.' Of course, I could clear it just like in the game, but I don't have the ability to do that right now. This body can't hunt shit. "Ah..." Then it hit me... A way to help the young shop owner. Immediately after figuring out a way... "Umm, I didn't catch your name. Mind telling me?" I asked for his name. The young man just shook his head. And with a smile... "I'm Kyle... Kyle Larson." He introduced himself. "Nice to meet you, Kyle. I'm Raye Alvah." I introduced back. And he just smiled at me. He probably doesn't even know my reputation in the academy. Which is perfect... "Nice to meet you too, and thanks to you, I won't have to work late today, haha." Kyle said with a laugh. "Say, Kyle..." I called to him. "Hm? What is it?" And he responded casually. I looked at him with a smile, and the next thing that came out of my mouth... "What do you think of me being your silent business partner?" Was a business proposal. "Huh...?" ... ***** ... A silent business partner is basically just an investor, it doesn't involve a management role in the business. But depending on the terms agreed on... 'I can earn money as long as the business runs with just a one-time investment.' Which is what happened in the game... After completing his quest, Kyle would feel indebted to you. He will tell you to return next month, and after doing so... He would give you 15 gold coins! Saying that his business bloomed and it's all thanks to you that he could continue working on it. After that, it will become a monthly thing! He'd give you gold coins, ranging from 15 to 30, every month you came to him! In the game, I always did his quest quite late, so that amount wasn't really a big deal to me. But in real life... In this world... 18 gold coins is an average monthly income for a farmer! And you only need 35 gold coins monthly to live comfortably while renting a place! In other words... 'I at least wouldn't have to worry about starving or freezing to death anymore later on!' What's more, this investment is 100% sure to succeed! That's why there's no reason not to invest in Kyle. I'll be helping him, and it'll benefit me in the future as well! Though, after telling Kyle about my intention... "Erm..." He just looked at me weirdly. "I get what you want. I just don't know why you're so willing to help me..." He said, and that's a fair point. Well, I can't just say it's because of the quest and the benefits I'll reap in the future... So I told him my other reason. "I just really want to help you out in your situation." "..." He just looked at me weirdly again. He wasn't convinced at all! Even though it's true! 'Im hurt!' Anyway... "Also, I'm not doing it for free... You'll need to give me 30% of your monthly profit from now on starting next month." I added that to remind him I'm not doing a charity work. "But what if my business fails?" Kyle asked. "Then that's that, you don't have to pay me anything." And I answered while shrugging my shoulders. Kyle was about to say something... "Though, I'm sure your meat skewers will sell like crazy." But I spoke first. "How can you be sure?" He asked while looking at me like I'm some crazy guy. Then with a smug smile on my face... "I know because I tasted them first-hand." I replied confidently. "..." Kyle became silent, he closed his mouth and thought for himself for a while. And after a few moments... ... "Fine, I'll at least hear you out. I have nothing to lose anyway." He finally started to think positively of my proposal. 'Phew, I was starting to think he might decline...' "Great, you wouldn't regret it." I said as I shook his hand. As we shook hands... "How much do you plan to invest, anyway?" Kyle asked me that question. Quite frankly, I don't know either... "Hmm, tell me the situation first." So I asked him about the flow of his money first. "Well, okay... I earn 40 gold coins a month and use 20 gold coins to buy the meat I cook, and 18 gold coins for our monthly expenses." Kyle explained. "I barely make enough for us, haha." Then he followed with a fake laugh. I can tell how tired he is of his situation from his expression... I took out my bag of gold coins. "Hmm, in that case..." Then I started counting. Placing the gold coins on the counter of his stall, I counted past 20 gold coins. Kyle just looked at me in surprise as I continued... I ignored him, his face is distracting me. ... Then, after a few moments... "Here." I pushed 50 gold coins in his direction. "Wha..." Kyle was bewildered, he was speechless. Well, I can't blame him. With this much, he could triple his stock of meat skewers and expand his shop. And he wouldn't have to worry about this month's expenses... I'm giving him half of what I got from being kicked out of the Alvah Family, but it's worth it. Given what I'll be receiving in the future. 'It's not even my money.' Anyway... "Are you sure?!" Kyle still couldn't believe that in front of him is 50 gold coins for him to use. His reaction was that of a child, fitting for his age. It made me smile... So without saying anything, I just nodded at him to answer his question. Seeing my response, Kyle teared up. And soon... "Sniff..." He started crying. "Thank you very much!" He exclaimed as he bowed his head. "I promise to work hard and repay you as soon as possible!" And then he added. "Yeah, do your best." I calmly told him. 'Well, now it's sure that he agrees to be my business partner ... He's even talking like we already agreed on the terms.' And then... Swoosh- ===== Sub Quest: Out of Cash, Out of Kebabs: We're Skewered! (Complete) ===== The message of the quest's completion appeared in front of me. "Sweet." I mumbled as a smile crept up on my face. Chapter 6 6 - Magic After agreeing to the terms, Kyle and I signed a written contract.He thanked me so much that my ears almost bled... I left as soon as we finished. Kyle said he'd close up for the day to focus on preparing the shop expansion. I told him to do whatever he wants since I'll leave the management of the business to him since he knows more about it than I do. 'So all I need to do is just stay on the sidelines and earn money...' Moving on... Tap- tap- tap¨C I'm currently on my way back to the library. And floating in front of me... ===== Sub Quest: Out of Cash, Out of Kebabs: We're Skewered! (Complete) ===== Is the quest completion message. It hasn't disappeared this whole time. It's still there because I haven't claimed the rewards yet. So with that... "Erm..." "Claim rewards...?" I awkwardly mumbled those words. Bing- ===== +2 stat points have been given to you. ===== ===== Kyle's products will now have double effects on you. ===== Then two new bluish windows appeared, displaying my rewards. 'So it's voice-activated, huh.' Looking at the rewards, they're not bad for a sub quest... From now on, anything I buy from Kyle will have double the effect on me. In short, I can replenish my stamina for less money. Then there's the main reward... The +2 stat points. It's nothing big in the game, but for Raye, for this body... It's a blessing. "I'd probably need to train for weeks just to increase my stats once." I muttered. But now, I have 2 stat points I can allocate wherever I want. And I already know where I want to put them... "Put two stat points in speed." I said. Swoosh- And immediately after, I checked my stats... ===== Name: Raye Alvah Age: 18 Year Level: 1 Race: Human ----- Stamina: 4 Intellect: 3 Mana: 2 Strength: 3 Speed: 6 Talent: 8 Luck: 7 ----- Overall Grade: F- ===== My speed stat went from 4 to 6. "Sweet." I quietly said with a smile on my face. 'This is one step closer to not being beaten one-sidedly by the protagonist.' I thought. Anyway ... "Quests..." Now I know that I can receive quests... I can get stronger using this method. But the thing is... 'Sub quests aren't actually that common.' Certain conditions have to be met for one to appear. Also, I need to be careful not to do any quests that will affect the protagonist's growth or, worse, affect the story... In Kyle's case, whether I did his quest or not, his shop would remain open. It doesn't play a big role in the game. His shop is just a stamina refill station for the protagonist. The gold coins Kyle gives aren't the protagonist's main source of income either. The protagonist hunts monsters and animals, sells their parts to merchants, and earns money and experience from it. I already considered all of this before completing Kyle's quest. So basically, sub quests can't be my main way of getting stronger. In the end... "I need to train for real, huh." It sounds like a pain, but it's better than messing up the story. If the story changes, the future I know will change too. If that happens, surviving in this world will become much harder... "Brrrr... sniff.. sniff..." It's cold outside early in the morning. So I hurried my way back to the library. Tap- tap- tap- ... ***** ... After returning to the library, my drowsiness disappeared for some reason. It's about 5 AM now, so going back to sleep isn't really a good idea anyway. 'I'd just wake up with a bunch of people watching me and gossiping.' So instead, I started planning my future moves. First... 'I can't sleep in the library forever.' I need to find a place to stay at. Then second... 'The 50 gold coins I have will disappear before I even know it...' And after that happens, I'll be starving to death... These are just the beginning. Being all alone comes with many problems, and unless I solve them... "Forget about graduating, I wouldn't even survive." And so... I started racked my brain for solutions. I tried to remember every quest I did in the game and analyzed which ones I could do without affecting the main story. I know I said I shouldn't rely on the quests, but this is all I know that can help me right now. Also, I'm just planning to do enough for me to survive... ... ... So after about half an hour of thinking... I finally found a few sub quests that could help me in my situation. 'Though temporarily, it's way better than nothing.' I thought. I also already made sure that they're not relevant to the main story, and that it won't be a problem clearing them. Thinking so hard was mentally exhausting, so I decided to rest for a bit... "..." Then my eyes landed on the books in front of me, the ones I used as a pillow last night. One of them was a magic theory book. Then it hit me... Raye is a student in the Magic Course. 'Can I use magic?' I wondered as I looked down at my hands. "There's only one way to find out..." So I closed my eyes... And I imagined a bright light. 'But where is it coming from...?' I asked myself... Then I thought of a light bulb. 'Yeah, let's imagine the bright light coming from a light bulb.' After imagining it, I opened my eyes. "[Light]" I mumbled with intention to manifest it. Swoosh¡ª Then a bright light emerged from my right hand, lighting up the surroundings! "Whoa..." My heart raced as the light appeared in my hand. A smile crept up on my face. 'Magic... I really did it!' I thought. Then after thinking of canceling the spell... Poof- The light disappeared. S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "..." I didn't say anything, but I was grinning from ear to ear. What I used was just a basic spell from the game, but still, it didn't change the fact that I could use magic! I stood up from my seat. Started searching for a book on basic magic. And after a bit of looking around... "I found one!" I returned to my seat and read through the spells. And then, I tried them out... "[Ignition]" A small flame appeared at the tip of my index finger as I imagined fire coming from a candle. 'Warm...' After that is... "[Wind Blade]" I managed to summon a ball of wind about the size of a baseball. Though, it wasn't strong enough to cut anything. At best, it was just a condensed gust of wind, blowing my hair back. Nevertheless, I'm still happy with the result. ... I tried a few more basic spells after that. I failed to manifest some, but it's expected as I'm new to this magic stuff. So I continued to try some more... 'Alright, next is...' Though, just as I was preparing to cast another spell... "Huh?" I suddenly felt dizzy. Swoosh- A bluish window then appeared in front of me. And after reading through it... ===== Mana Exhaustion: You have exhausted all of your mana reserves. Due to your low stamina, you will be forced to pass out. ===== "Shit..." A curse involuntary came out of my mouth. I was so excited about the fact that I can use magic... That I forgot that Raye's mana stat is only 2! "Fucking... hell..." I weakly mumbled as my vision went black. And soon after... I passed out. ... ... ... ... ... "Ugh..." 'So bright.' I thought. I squinted my eyes tightly as bright light filtered through my eyelids. I'm still sleepy. But it was then... "Oh, he's awake." "Did he really sleep here?" "I heard he got kicked out of his dorm." "Karma finally caught up to him." I heard murmurs around me! It made me remember that I passed out in the library! My eyes then shot open. And after looking around... "..." I saw a lot of students staring in my direction, whispering to each other. "..." I didn't say anything. Instead, I stayed calm, ignoring them... "It's morning, huh." I casually said. After that, I got my bags, returned the books I used... Then I quietly left the library. Tap- tap- tap I calmly walked away, pretending to be unbothered by them all. "..." Though, in my mind... '... fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck...' I was cursing a lot because of embarrassment. Chapter 7 7 - Caught in a Trap As soon as I stepped out of the library..."Haaa..." I let out a sigh. I'm still pretty exhausted. Then I looked around... Some students are still looking at me. And, of course, just like everyone else, they're not looking at me positively. 'Not gonna lie, I'm starting to get used to this.' I thought. It's only my second day in this world, and I'm already tired of them. And that led me to ask myself... 'Why am I avoiding them?' Because of Raye's past actions? I didn't do any of those. There's no reason for me to shy away and be guilty. The one they hate is Raye, not me. Though, unfortunately, I'm in possession of his body. And from their perspective... I'm the bad guy. But I completely understand them, I really do. And even if it's unfair for me, there's nothing I can actually do about it. It's not like I can just explain to everyone that I'm not the person they think I am. They'd think I'm crazy. So instead, I've decided... 'I'll just accept it.' And I'll ignore them all. In the first place, I'm the adult here, they're just teenagers. I'll be the bigger person and understand their side. So think of me as Raye all you want... 'I'll just focus on surviving from now on.' That's right, I don't need anyone's approval to survive in this damn world. So with all of that, I steeled myself... "..." I looked around at everyone staring at me. I didn't back down from their gazes... 'If you've got something to say, say it to my face.' I thought. And after a few seconds... They started avoiding eye contact. They also stopped gossiping. It became quiet. And peace, finally came... "..." 'This is so liberating.' I thought. I should've done this from the start... I was too overwhelmed by everything yesterday. But after letting out my frustrations last night, I was finally able to think properly. And so, my goal became clearer... "Got anything to say?" I asked, scanning through the crowd. "..." But no one responded. "Hmm..." I quickly looked at all of them one more time... Then I nodded my head casually. And after that... "Excuse me, then." Tap- tap- tap... I quietly walked away, not sparing them another glance. I'm on my way to do my thing now. ----- After Raye disappeared from the entrance of the library... "His eyes were scary!" Students began whispering about him again. But this time... "I heard he was a spoiled brat, but he doesn't look like one at all..." "Yeah, and they also said he's a weak idiot who only passed by cheating and sabotaging others, but he doesn't seem stupid or powerless at all!" They talked about how different Raye seemed from the rumors. Everyone expected him to throw a tantrum after being kicked out of his family. Exactly what the original Raye would have done. But instead... The Raye they saw exuded a mature aura. His eyes were confident and resolute, completely unfazed by their judgmental looks. And though intimidating, he didn't come across as arrogant. "Maybe the rumors were just exaggerated...?" "Man, I don't know..." This confused the students who only knew Raye from rumors... 'That doesn't feel like him at all!' 'That's Raye? What the hell?' But those who had witnessed the original Raye's behavior were even more bewildered. And one of those people... 'What is he playing at?' Was Leon Lightbringer¡ªthe protagonist of Brave Hearts! "Does he have no energy because of what happened to him yesterday?" Leon asked himself... He was just passing by when he saw Raye leaving the library from afar. Leon had already heard the news that Raye had been kicked out of his family. So just like the others, he was expecting him to lose it and get into a fight. In fact, he was ready to beat Raye down if that ever happened to break off the fight! But Raye simply walked away, and he looked completely unbothered as well... Leon sensed something was different about Raye, but he couldn't quite pinpoint what it was. So, in the end... "Whatever." He just let it go and was just glad that nothing bad happened. And then, he continued with his day... ... S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ***** (Raye's POV) "Ugh... fuck... my legs hurt." I grumbled. Right now, I'm on the far north-west side of the academy... In the middle of a dense forest! Why am I here? Obviously, for a sub quest! "Haaa..." Anyway... It's been an hour or so since I left the library, and I've been walking the whole time. My arms are sore from carrying my bags, and I'm starving since I haven't eaten lunch yet. It's about 1 PM now... I'm hungry and tired. I feel like passing out again... "Fuck..." I've actually been at my destination for a while now. But I'm still waiting for something to happen. That's why I've been circling this forest for the past few minutes... But there's still no sign of it. "Am I that unlucky?" I mumbled. And as soon as I did... Thomp¡ª "Huh?" I stepped on something. Fwoop¡ª "WhaaaaaaAAAAaaaa!" And the next thing I knew, I was hanging upside down from a tree, with a rope around my right leg! I had been caught in a trap meant for animals! And it just didn't end on that! With the violent swinging of the rope... BAM! "Ugh!" I hit my head hard on the tree trunk! My vision blurred. I got dizzy... And soon, I started losing consciousness. 'Really? I'm passing out again?' I thought. I tried holding on for as long as I could... But hanging upside down... I only managed a few seconds before my vision started fading. But just before I blacked out... Rustle- rustle... I heard something approaching. "... ugh..." I let out a weak groan to alert them that there's a human here. And upon hearing me, they rushed in my direction and showed themselves... "Huh...?" It was an old man with a bow and arrow. He looked surprised to see me in such condition. But I was so glad to see him... So glad that a weak smile spread across my face. "My... quest... giver..." I muttered weakly. "What are you talking about?" The old man asked, stepping closer. But I had no strength left to answer. So I just closed my eyes. "Wha¡ª! Hey! Don't die on me!" The old man exclaimed, rushing over. With him here, I can now pass out in peace. That's right, the condition to trigger this sub quest I had in mind... Was to get caught in this old man's trap while weakened. Anyway... I passed out. Again. Chapter 8 8 - Old Man As soon as I regained consciousness..."..." I opened my eyes. And what greeted me was an unfamiliar wooden ceiling. "Ugh... I passed out again, huh..." S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. I mumbled. That made it twice today. I sat up and touched my head. "Hmm..." There was a soft cloth bandaged around it. It looked like I'd been nursed. I glanced around to scan my surroundings... It appeared that I was in a room with nothing but a bed. The walls were made of wood, and there was a single window leading outside. Looking through that window... I realized it was already nighttime. Creak¡ª The door then opened. And upon looking in its direction, I saw the old man from before entering the room with a bowl in his hand. And soon enough... "Oh..." He saw me too. I saw a hint of relief on his face. But it only lasted for a second! His face immediately turned grumpy afterward! He walked toward me, and then... "Here, eat." He handed me the bowl he was holding with an annoyed expression on his face. "..." Taking the bowl from him, I smiled. "Thank you." I was so hungry from missing lunch again that I immediately started eating. In the bowl was a rabbit stew. A simple dish, but it tasted superb at that moment. I was really grateful. Sluuuurrp¡ª As I enjoyed the stew... "Slow down, I ain't taking it away from you." The old man scolded me. It made me stop eating. "..." Not because of what he said, but because I remembered something from the game. I turned to the old man. "What?" He asked, looking annoyed. "How about you?" Then I asked him. "Bah! I've already eaten." The old man answered. "..." But I knew the truth¡ªhe hadn't. This old man lived alone in this small cabin, hunting wild animals to feed himself. But I'd gotten caught in one of his traps earlier and passed out, so he had carried me all the way back here and nursed me. In other words, he hadn't been able to hunt today. And even if he had, he couldn't have brought it back with him because he was carrying me. So, what I was eating right now... 'Is probably the last provision he has.' I bet he's starving at the moment. Realizing this... 'Fuck.' I cursed at myself for forgetting. In the game... I encountered this old man in one of my playthroughs. I was searching for wild herbs in the far northern part of the academy, the same forest I was in earlier, but deeper in. Then I got ganged up on by monsters in the area and almost died. I escaped toward the western part of the forest, which was safer. And while running... Boom! I got caught in a trap, the same trap that caught me today. And just like before, the old man saw me, brought me back to his cabin, nursed me... 'And cooked his last bit of meat to feed my character, the protagonist.' I knew this because I was seeing the story from both of their perspectives. If I hadn't, I wouldn't have noticed, just like the protagonist didn't. So looking at the old man again... "..." Guilt overwhelmed me. "The stew's gonna get cold, you know." He said, urging me to eat. He looked annoyed, but I knew he was kind, just like in the game. He always acted grumpy, but deep down, he was a good guy. And knowing this, I smiled. "What are you smiling at? Did you hit your head that hard?" The old man asked, frowning. "Ah, no..." I shook my head. "Then what is it?" And with a smile on my face... "It's just that... you don't have to feel guilty." I told him that. In the game, it was revealed that the old man felt guilty because his trap hurt a student... The protagonist. That's why he readily gave everything to make up for it, including his last meal. But this time, I'd orchestrated everything... I deliberately walked into his trap, hoping to trigger his sub quest. So, if anything... 'I should be the one feeling guilty.' ... "Huh?" The old man looked taken aback by my words. And before he could even respond... "I'm at fault too. I wasn't being careful in the forest." "In fact, I'm thankful to you for carrying me to safety and nursing me instead of leaving me behind." "And now you're even feeding me." I pointed out everything he had done for me already. And finally... "Thank you very much." I thanked him sincerely. "Gugh..." The old man was flustered. He didn't know how to react. "Whatever! Just finish your food!" He said, turning his back to me. "I've got something else to do. Rest and get well." He added before walking away. And before leaving the room... "Your bags are under the bed. I didn't touch them." He told me that. Tomp¡ª Then he closed the door. "Hmm..." I reached under the bed and my bags are indeed there. So, I grabbed them. I knew nothing was missing. The old man wasn't that kind of a guy. 'He probably didn't even peek inside.' I thought. Then looking at the bowl of rabbit stew on my lap... "I should finish this. He worked hard to give it to me." I continued eating. For some reason, it tasted even better than before... ... ***** After finishing the stew... "I'm good now." I felt better. So, now... "It's time to pay the old man back." I have packed food in my bags. I bought it on my way to the forest since I didn't want a repeat of what happened earlier in the morning. The reason I hadn't eaten lunch was to satisfy the condition for meeting the old man. Anyway... I took out some smoked beef. Kyle had given it to me before we parted ways. It was tightly packed with special paper so it wouldn't spoil during the day. I also took out a bottle of orange juice I'd bought earlier. And with that... "Old man, you there?" I called outside. "What do you want?" He answered immediately. His voice sounded weak and dry... It made me frown, so without further ado... "I'm still pretty hungry. Come join me for seconds." I invited him to eat with me. "What?" The old man genuinely sounded confused at my suggestion. Creak¡ª But when he entered the room and saw what I was holding... "...!" His eyes shot wide open in surprise. "Let's heat up the smoked beef and eat together." I said with a smile. ... ***** The old man heated the smoked beef outside the cabin alone, saying I needed to rest. I told him I was fine, but he insisted, so I just let him... And it didn't take long for him to return with the heated meat. And as soon as everything's ready... "Don't be embarrassed, old man. Eat your fill." "Shut up!" We started eating. We were sitting on the floor since the room had no furniture except the bed. And while we're eating... "Why were you in the forest alone, anyway?" The old man asked me a question. This made me smile. 'Here comes the sub quest.' I thought. "It's a pretty long story." Then I answered. "Well, better start talking now, then." The old man followed, showing his willingness to listen to me. So with a small smile on my face, I started telling him everything. From the moment I got disowned... Till to why I was in the forest. I said I was thinking of camping in the forest for the night because I have nowhere to stay. I can't just say I was looking for him. Of course, I left out unnecessary details, like Raye's reputation and the fact that I wasn't actually Raye. He doesn't need to know such things. And so, we talked while we ate... ... ... "That's all." I said after finishing my story. I was kinda relieved telling someone what had happened to me. We also just finished our meals too... "..." The old man is just looking at me, silent. But I could tell he's pitying me. Then soon enough... "You can stay here." He told me that. And before I could respond... "I live alone. My room is on the other side of the cabin. No one uses this room, that's why it's empty." He continued. "If you've got nowhere to go, stay here." I knew this was part of the sub quest, but hearing his words... "Really...?" Made me tear up a little. "Can I really?" I asked again. And the old man just nodded his head in response. "Thank you." I thanked him. "Really..." "Thank you..." Again and again. Several times, just like Kyle had thanked me. Until the old man got really annoyed at me. ... After all of that... The old man and I cleaned up the dishes we used. Then he left for his own room. And with nothing else to do, I laid down on the bed and closed my eyes. 'Thank you.' I thanked the old man one more time... "..." And then I fell asleep. ***** The next morning... "Hey, brat! Wake up!" I heard the old man shouting. "Ugh..." I immediately got up and fixed the bed. Then after that, I stepped outside the cabin. And as soon as I did, before I could say or do anything... "Chop some wood!" The old man shouted again. "If you're gonna stay here, you've gotta do what I do!" "I don't want to feed a parasite. So, get to work!" He added. And right after that... Swoosh¡ª ===== Indefinite Sub Quest: Want a Place to Stay? Do as I Say! Conditions: Do your chores! Rewards: EXP ===== The sub quest I had been waiting for finally appeared. Chapter 9 9 - Chores and Companionship =====Indefinite Sub Quest: Want a Place to Stay? Do as I Say! Conditions: Do your chores! Rewards: EXP ===== Looking at the sub-quest window in front of me, I smiled. "I've been waiting for this to appear." This specific sub-quest can be done more than once, which is why it says "indefinite." Anyway, this is how I encountered this quest in the game... Normally, the old man's place is locked and can't be accessed. However, after being caught in his trap, he brought me inside himself to nurse me. And once he'd tended to me, he told me to stay the night because I was wounded. So, I did. After waking up the next day, my character felt better, and the old man told me off. From then on, I was able to access the cabin anytime I wanted. Normally, this wouldn't be a big deal... But the cabin is just right outside the northern forest, the hunting grounds! And upon entering the room where the old man let my character sleep, I realized I could still use it to sleep there. In short, if I slept in the cabin, I wouldn't have to travel the next morning to hunt in the northern forest! That's why I tried it as soon as I learned of it... But after waking up the next morning, the old man shouted at me and gave me the sub-quest, "Want a Place to Stay? Do as I Say!" And that's when I found out that whenever I slept at the old man's place... I needed to help him with chores the next morning to pay him back. That's why I thought of this sub-quest when I was searching for a place I could stay, by just helping the old man, I would have a roof over my head! And not just that, by doing so, I gain EXP. Which helps in increasing my stats faster! ¡­ Anyway, moving on... "Don't just stand there and smile! Chop some firewood!" The old man was getting impatient. "Got it!" So I immediately started doing my chore. ¡­ ***** ¡­ "Urgh¡­!" Thwack¡ª Thud! "Gurgh¡­!" Chop¡ª Crack! "Fuckkkk¡­!" Whack¡ª Thunk! My grunts filled the surroundings everytime I lift the axe and chop the logs. Sweat started pouring down my face, and my arms began to ache. It was only about 8 AM. "Haaa¡­" I was already exhausted. The day had barely started, and I was already out of energy. "Can I rest for a while?" I asked, looking at the old man sitting on a tree stump nearby. "Hmmm¡­" He looked at the firewood I'd cut. "Do one more, then you can rest." Then he responded. I thought I hadn't cut enough firewood, but when I saw the old man smirking... I realized that he's just trying to wear me out! I was pissed... I looked at the log in front of me, frowning. It would take me a few chops with the axe to split it. And I would be more tired than I'm already am. "..." So after thinking for a while... "Fuck it." I raised my right palm toward the log. Imagining a strong gust of wind with the sharpness of the axe I'd been using... "[Wind Blade]" I chanted those words. Swoosh! A strong gust of wind shot from my hand... Fwip¡ª Thud! And it sliced the log cleanly in half! I looked at the old man. "..." He was speechless, staring at the log with a dumbfounded expression. Then he looked at me. "Heh." I smirked. "Brat." He muttered, but I just ignored him and sat down to rest. "Fuuu¡­" ¡­ ***** After resting, I went back to cutting the logs... I only used magic occasionally since I didn't have much mana, and I wouldn't want to pass out again. It took me about an hour and a half to finish it all. And after I was done¡­ "I'm off to hunt." The old man announced that. He's holding his bow in his hands and had a quiver of arrows slung over his back. I looked at him. "Let me come, old man." Then I told him that. "Huh?" He frowned, totally against the idea. "I can protect myself, you saw me use magic." I complained. "Erm..." The old man seemed hesitant, thinking it over. "Hey... old man." I called, determined to convince him. "Old man¡­" "Old man." Again and again. Until... "Old man." "Ugh, shut up! My name's Rey, not old man!" He snapped. "What? What a coincidence! My name's Raye." I exclaimed. "R, A, Y, E." Then I added. "What's with the extra letter? Mine's just spelled R, E, Y." The old man followed. "Well, it makes my name look fancier on paper." I replied. And at my answer... "..." Old Man Rey didn't say anything, he just looked at me weirdly. Moving on... "Anyway, can I come with you?" I asked again, getting us back on track. "Fine, whatever." Then Old Man Rey answered with a shrug. "Sweet." And with that, we left. ¡­ ***** After walking for a few minutes... Old man Rey and I reached the northwestern part of the forest where he'd set his traps. The same place where I got caught... Then with me following old man Rey from behind, we started checking the areas where he had left a trap. And at the third trap¡­ "Mreehh¡­!" We saw a small deer hanging upside down from a tree. And before I could even say anything about it... "I don't want to waste an arrow. You kill it with your magic." Old man Rey said that, he was picking his nose. 'Yuck.' I'm afraid he'll stick his booger on me if I said no... "Ugh, fine." That's why I complied. "[Wind Blade]." Whisst! I killed the deer quickly with a Wind Blade to the neck. Blood flowed from the wound, a sight I'd seen in the game but one that felt much more real now. "..." I didn't look away. I need to get used to this... Because this is the life that I'll be living from now on. "You carry it back to the cabin, my back hurts." "..." ... ***** After checking the last two traps and finding nothing, old man Rey and I headed back to the cabin. I was carrying the deer's corpse, of course. And while we're on our way, old man Rey caught three rabbits with his bow! "Heh, impressed?" He smirked at me, looking smug. His face is annoying. "Gugh..." But I can't say I'm not impressed, he killed the rabbits with just one arrow each, after all. "Whatever." I said, brushing off his gloating and looking away from him. ... ... ... Around 11 AM, we got back to the cabin. And as soon as we did¡­ "Fuuu¡­" Old man Rey began preparing the meat. "I'm making lunch. Do whatever you want for now." He said. "Hmm, is there a nearby river?" I asked. "Just straight ahead." And he replied casually. "Thanks." I grabbed my clothes bag from inside the cabin. "About time I clean up¡­" It was my third day here, and finally, I could bathe. But just as I was about to leave... "Wait!" The old man stopped me. It seems like something urgent. "Huh? What is it?" S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. I asked him. "Use magic and start a fire before you go." Then he answered with a grin. "..." I stared at him, dumbfounded... "[Ignition]." After that, I hurried off to the river. "That cheeky old man, I swear..." I muttered under my breath, shaking my head. ... ***** After washing in the river... I felt refreshed as fuck! I even recovered some of my energy and mana! And so with that, I happily returned to the cabin. ... ... "Just in time." Old Man Rey said as soon as I walked in. He was setting out our lunch. "Let me help." I helped him set the table. Then after that, we started eating... ... "Thanks for letting me stay." I muttered. "Why the thanks? You're not staying here for free." Old man Rey responded, completely unfazed. "..." I smiled at his response... Then I continued eating. And after that... My third day in this world went peacefully. Chapter 10 10 - Between Logs and Lessons The next morning..."Another day, another struggle." I woke up around 6 AM. I immediately stood up and fixed my bed. After that, I went outside, where Old Man Rey was waiting. "Eat up, then get to chopping, brat." He said, handing me a piece of bread with a faint smirk. "Thanks." I replied, taking it from him. And from then on, the day unfolded just like yesterday... I chopped logs to be used as firewood, then went with Old Man Rey to the forest to check the traps and hunt wild animals. Later, I washed myself in the river again, and had lunch together with the old man. After lunch... "I'll be heading to the library." I informed the old man that I'll be going to the library. "Okay, just don't stay out too late." He said. "Got it." And with that... I made my way back to the main part of the academy, where all the facilities are. ... ***** "Phew..." It took me nearly an hour to reach the library from the cabin, and I was jogging most of the way! I was exhausted, but it was manageable. Then as I entered the library... A few students glanced my way. I ignored them. I have something important to do, after all. 'I need to increase my theoretical knowledge.' If I wanted to stay in the academy's magic course, I'll need to study hard. So with that, I found a seat and settled down. Then I started reading books about magical theories. The fact that magic intrigued me kept me focused as I read, drowning out the noise around me. And before I even knew it... ... "Huh?" The library was empty. I was the last one left. 'It's getting late.' I thought as I stood up, returning the books to their shelves. And after that, I left the building. ***** Before heading back to the cabin, I went to check on Kyle... His shop was open, but he had people with him, working on the place. "I can't just sit around while the stall is getting renovated. That's wasted time and money." Kyle said. His words just confirmed that I did the right thing trusting him. 'I'm glad.' Then we talked about his plans, which Kyle was eager to share. And around 8 PM... I headed back to the cabin. ... ... Entering the cabin... "Oh, you're finally here." Old Man Rey greeted me. "Let's eat." He said, he already prepared dinner. "..." He's taking care of me like a family, and it made me really happy. "Thank you." I said, grateful. "Meh." Then Old Man Rey just shrugged, brushing off my thanks. And with that... We started eating dinner. ... ... After dinner... "I'm gonna sleep now." The old man went straight to bed. "Rest well." I said to him. Meanwhile, me, I still have some energy left. So I went outside the cabin, and there... "[Water Ball]!" I practiced the spells I learned from the library earlier. ... "[Wind Blade]!" "[Ignition]!" I also practiced the spells I already knew to increase my proficiency with them. And when my mana was nearly depleted... "Ugh, what a day." I headed back inside and slept. And so... My fourth day in this world ended smoothly. ... ***** The following morning... "Ugh..." Raye's routine remained the same. Chopping wood, hunting with the old man, bathing, eating, studying at the library, checking on Kyle, practicing spells, and finally, sleeping. And not just today, this pattern of his continued for a week! He even began learning how to use the bow while hunting with Old Man Rey. Raye also learned how to fish as when their traps were empty and there was nothing to hunt, they fish in the river. And after nearly two weeks of this steady routine¡­ "This is getting easier." Raye was finally adapting to his new life. He started finishing his tasks faster, and at the end of the day, he'd still have energy to spare. And so... "I'm going to fix the cabin bit by bit." Raye decided to add that in his daily routine. Why did he think of that? Well, that's because although the cabin was livable, it was far from comfortable... The roof leaked even in light rain, the walls had gaps and holes that let in the cold at night, and the wooden floor creaked underfoot. The list could go on. S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. But above all reasons... Raye was concerned about Old Man Rey living like this at his age. So since he had enough money to buy the materials and tools he'd need for repairs... Raye thought it would be a good way to repay the old man for letting him stay. 'I'm going to surprise that grumpy old man.' A smug smile spread across Raye's face. Then after that... "[Gust]!" Raye continued on practicing the spells he had learned. SWOOSH¡ª He just summoned strong winds that knocked back everything around him. 'Not as strong as I'd hoped, but it's getting there.' Raye thought, seeing the result of his magic. It was already around 9 PM, but Raye still had energy left. His mana reserve also grew a little so he can still use magic. So he practiced until his mana was almost gone. And after exhausting himself... "Tired." Raye headed to bed. ... ***** (Raye's POV) The next morning... I fixed my bed as soon as I woke up. Then after that, I ate some bread and started chopping logs. I was up early, even Old Man Rey was still sleeping! ... After a few minutes of chopping logs ... "Ugh¡­ Getting used to this, huh?" Old Man Rey stepped out of the cabin. "Yeah, it's getting easier." I replied to him, smiling with confidence. "..." And he just frowned at me. ... After finishing with the firewood... "Let's go to the forest." It's time to go hunting with Old Man Rey. "Ugh... Brats and their youthful energy." The old man grumbled as he picked up his bow and quiver. Then after that, we headed to the forest... ... ***** After wrapping up my morning routine and eating with the old man... I washed myself and headed to the library. ... In the library, I still got the usual looks from the other students, but so far, nothing problematic has happened. So I just continued on ignoring them to do my own thing. That was my plan, at least... ... ... "What are you doing here?" An angelic voice asked, the question is directed at me. I ran into someone unexpected. "..." I just frowned and ignored them. "I asked you a question." They followed. "..." But I'm set to ignoring them... That's because standing in front of me was none other than Lena Dravenhart. 'One of the last people I wanted to see!' She was one of the main characters. And as if that wasn't enough... She's also the second heroine of the protagonist, Leon Lightbringer! 'Fucking hell...' I cursed in my head. I'm having a headache... I already know this won't go well for me. Chapter 11 11 - The Stubborn Watcher Lena Dravenhart.A young princess of a small kingdom under the Rakon Empire's rule. She has sky-blue hair and eyes that shimmer with intelligence and resolve. Her fair skin and simple, elegant attire reflect her hardworking nature and quiet strength. In the game, Lena became a powerful mage and elevated her kingdom's reputation. She was a key character who helped Leon from the sidelines and, ultimately, had a route where she became his romantic partner. And now... "Hey, I'm talking to you." Lena stands in front of me, glaring. 'What a way to meet her, huh.' I thought. Then looking at her... I squirmed my face, not hiding my unwantedness to engage in conversation with her. And seeing my reaction... "Wha..." Lena stammers. "The nerve of this guy!" She exclaimed, her face turning red. "Blah blah blah¡ª!" Then she goes off, listing reasons why I shouldn't be the one feeling annoyed here. "..." I'm not listening to a word she's saying, though. "Duh duh duh duh duh¡ª!" 'Ugh, how did things turn out like this...?' I was just on my way to the usual corner on the library's second floor, where I could read in silence. When I ran into Lena... Naturally, I tried to avoid her, but she noticed me and immediately confronted me! Basically, she suspects that I'm here to do something shady and stupid... "Hey, are you listening?" Lena asked, realizing I'm not paying her any attention. And in her question, I just shook my head. "Tsk." She clicked her tongue, visually annoyed. "If you're planning on something stupid, I'm warning you to stop right now." She threatened me. Lena stared at me, challenging me with her gaze. And for once, I looked at her seriously. "Haaah..." I sighed in resignation. 'Looks like ignoring her wouldn't make her stop bothering me.' I realized. So before she can start talking again... "I'm here to study." I answered her question to why I am here. And obviously... "Liar!" She didn't believe me. Why would she? Lena is one of the many who hates Raye, after all. I mean, she has every reason to hate Raye... She works hard to succeed, while Raye just cheats and gets higher scores than her on exams. To her, Raye is just a scum cheater who tramples on people's hard work¡ªa villain. Well, whatever... "I don't care if you believe me or not. Just leave me alone." I said, frowning. "Wha..." Lena was speechless. And before she could say anything else... "Excuse me." I walked past her and sat on my usual spot, opening the book I brought along. "..." Lena just stared at me as I did those. She approached me again... "I'll be keeping an eye on you." Then she declared, leaning forward, eyes narrowed with determination. "Sure, whatever." I casually responded, without even looking up. "Hmph! I wasn't asking for permission." She sat across from me, just watching me weirdly. "..." I ignored her, immersing myself in the book. ... ***** (Lena's POV) Five hours... "..." I've been watching Raye for over five hours now... And he hasn't done a single suspicious thing! He's just sitting there, reading! He looks so absorbed in his book that he's probably even forgotten I'm here! This scene... "..." It makes me frown in confusion. 'Is he seriously just here to study?' But that's impossible, this is Raye we're talking about... A spoiled young master who only knows how to sabotage others and cheat, someone who relies solely on his family's authority! But watching him now... "Gugh..." I can't deny that he's putting in a real effort to study. He seems genuinely interested in those magic theories he's reading. So this led me to ask a question... I know for a fact that Raye cheated on the exams. 'But are the other rumors about him really true?' Is there a chance that they're exaggerated? Is there another side to Raye's actions? 'Aren't I just taking everyone else's word without really knowing him?' This is the first time I've been this close to Raye, the first time I've watched him this closely. And from what I'm seeing... 'He's diligent.' At least, in his studies. I was so bored watching him earlier that I went around and asked students about him. They told me Raye has been coming to the library every day for the past two weeks without missing a single day and stays until everyone else leaves. If that's not diligence, I don't know what is. 'I still hate him, though.' He still cheated on the exams. Just then... "Hmm?" Raye stopped reading. "Oh, you're still here." He said, looking at me. 'See, he forgot about me!' I exclaimed in my head. "You don't have to worry anymore. I'm about to leave." He stands up and starts returning his books to the shelves. Meanwhile, I just sat there, watching him do that. As he does... "I heard you got kicked out of your family." I brought up the news I heard about him. This news is widely spread among the students. "Yeah, sucks, right?" Raye immediately responded, totally unbothered. 'Basing from the rumors, he would've flipped out at me for bringing that up.' But he doesn't seem to care at all about being disowned. 'So maybe the rumor that he's completely dependent on his family... is false?' I thought. "I heard you even got kicked out of the Amaya Dormitory. How are you getting by?" I asked him another question. This time, Raye stopped and looked at me... "Well, I'm doing everything I can to survive, not like I have a choice." Then he answered... "..." I was speechless, I don't know how to respond to his answer. Raye finished returning the books to their shelves. "Well, that's done. I'm leaving." And he immediately left after saying that. And there, I was left alone. Questioning what type of person Raye actually is... ... ***** (Raye's POV) "Phew, finally escaped from her." I muttered as soon as I stepped outside the library. Lena has a stubborn personality, once she sets her mind on something, she's relentless. That's why I decided to let her do as she pleased, answering her questions as long as she didn't disrupt me too much. I didn't converse with her that much, so hopefully, she already lost interest in me. Anyway... I left the library earlier today because I plan to buy everything I need to repair the cabin. But I don't know where to find everything or how much it'll cost, so I plan to ask Kyle for help. Since he hired people to fix his stall, he probably knows more about this than I do. So with that in mind, I headed to where Kyle is. ***** After meeting with Kyle, I explained my plan to renovate the cabin I was staying at. Thankfully, he knows a lot of things that can help me! He gave me tips on how to avoid getting swindled, where to find quality tools at fair prices, and even a suggestion for hiring construction workers if I ever need them! "Thanks, Kyle." "You're welcome!" So after thanking him. S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. I parted ways with him to buy everything I needed. ... ... A couple of hours later... I already got a saw, a hammer, and a bunch of nails. I also ordered wooden planks and other materials that I think I'll need. The supplier told me they'll deliver everything by carriage once I give them the location. For a fee, of course. But this is much better than me transporting everything by foot. So I gave them directions to the cabin, and after taking care of everything... "Time to go back, the old man is probably waiting." I headed back. ... After that, my night unfolded just like all the others. I ate dinner with the old man and practiced some spells. Then I went to bed when my mana was near exhaustion. And with that... My 13th day in this world ended peacefully(?). Chapter 12 12 - Plans in Motion The next day, after returning from hunting with Old Man Rey..."Just sign here, sir." The materials I ordered had arrived, and a few people were already unloading them from the carriage. "What's this all about?" The old man asked, looking at me in surprise. "I'll tell you later." I replied, smirking at him. Moving on to the next task¡­ I signed the paperwork one of the workers handed to me, basically confirming that I received everything without any issues. Then I paid them 7 gold coins, the materials cost 5 gold coins, with 2 paid in advance. The delivery fee was an additional 4 gold coins. All in all, I spent around 10 gold coins, leaving me with 40 left. 'I should probably try to find a job, or else...' I'd be penniless once those 40 gold coins ran out. Then after that... "We're leaving." One of the workers called out as they finished unloading. They left as soon as their work was done. "So, what are you planning to do with all of this?" Old Man Rey asked, approaching me. "Hmm?" I looked at him, smiling, then pointed at the cabin. "I'm thinking of repairing the cabin. Is that okay?" I asked him that. "Wha..." The old man looked shocked. He opened and closed his mouth several times, but no words came out. Then finally... "Do whatever you want." He muttered that, turning his back on me. 'He's probably hiding his face so I can't see his expression.' I thought, smiling in relief. I was glad that Old Man Rey seemed okay with the idea, in fact, he looks happy when I said it. "Anyway, I'm off to prepare our meal." Old Man Rey said as he walked away. "Okay, I'll start working on the cabin!" S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. I replied, loud enough for him to hear. "..." He didn't respond after that and just waved his hand, signalling me to do whatever. So while he was preparing the meat, I got to work on my plan to fix up the cabin. ... ***** The cabin we're staying in is fairly spacious. Enough for two people, at least. There are two small rooms, one for me and one for Old Man Rey, separated by a small hall that leads outside. The cabin also has a small porch, but it lacks a proper floor, so I'm planning to add one. In any case, I have a lot of plans for this cabin. 'I'm excited.' So after roughly planning, I started on the immediate repairs inside the cabin. ... ... 'Working on the cabin brought back memories of my life before this world¡­' Back before I came to this world, I lived alone. I grew up in an orphanage where my parents had abandoned me, and no one adopted me until I graduated from high school. After graduating, I completed my mandatory two years of military service. I also saved up money during that time, so when I got discharged, I bought a small apartment for myself. There, I would play a bunch of games in my free time as a hobby, including Brave Hearts. My life was nothing special, but at least I was getting by. Anyway, during my time in the military... I learned basic carpentry skills. I'm skilled enough that, with enough materials and time, I could build my own cabin. That's why I confidently brought up the idea of repairing the old man's cabin. And right now... Thud- thud- thud¡ª I was hammering in new planks for the floor, replacing the creaky parts and the ones with big holes that could cause someone to trip. The cabin is more beat up than I thought... I'd already managed to replace some of the flooring when¡ª "Stop that for now, let's eat!" Old Man Rey called out to me. 'Right on time. I was getting hungry.' I thought, standing up and putting my tools aside. I went outside the cabin, where Old Man Rey was setting up a table topped with roasted wild boar meat. "Mmm... thanks for the meal." I said, taking a seat. Then we started eating lunch. And as we were doing so... "Thanks." Old Man Rey suddenly said, catching me by surprise. "..." I was a bit embarrassed. But putting on a smug face... "Meh." I responded, imitating Old Man Rey's usual response when I thanked him. "You embarrassed, huh." And then I teased. "Shut up." He said, going back to his meal, ignoring my attempts to keep teasing him. And so, we enjoyed the rest of our meal in peace. ... ***** After lunch, I continued repairing the cabin floor, at least replacing the worst parts in Old Man Rey's room... Then, I washed up in the river and jogged my way to the library. 'Can't miss a day of studying.' I thought as I ran. Especially today, I didn't want to miss my study session. Why? Because tomorrow is the start of the class placement tests! And honestly speaking, I'm getting anxious... 'That's why I'm planning to study more today to gain confidence for the upcoming tests.' ... ***** Arriving at the library... I noticed that it was a lot busier than usual. 'Looks like everyone wants to review before the exams.' The students were so focused that they didn't even bother looking at me anymore. That's nice. The class placement tests include written and theoretical sections, along with stat checks to see how much we've improved. And based on their results, we'll be assigned to different classes, and the better the class, the more benefits we get in the academy. That's why I'm aiming to get into a fairly high class, at least... 'Anything below S-Class, where the main characters are.' So, a bit later than usual, I made my way to my usual study spot. And there... "Oh, I thought you wouldn't come today." Lena was waiting. "..." I just stared at her in disbelief. "What are you doing here?" I asked. And with a smug expression on her face... "To study. It's not like you own this place, do you?" She replied. "..." I frowned. "You're right. I don't." I sat across from her and started reading the books I had picked up along the way. 'It's fine, I'll just ignore her.' I thought. Lena was probably just here to keep an eye on me, like yesterday. As long as she didn't disrupt me, it was fine. But out of nowhere, unexpectedly... "Want to help each other review?" She suggested that. "Huh?" I looked at her, surprised. Then raising an eyebrow... "What are you up to?" I asked her that. "We'll just exchange questions and answer them." "It's a simple and effective way to review." Lena explained casually. "No, I mean, why are you doing this?" I followed another question. And with a shrug... "I just want to study." She answered. "..." A deep frown rested on my face. Looking at Lena, I wasn't sure what her real motive was. But after thinking for a bit... "Fine." I agreed with her suggestion. Lena was one of the top students in Zion Academy, after all. Reviewing with her could be a big help. So with that in mind... We began our study session. Chapter 13 13 - The Real Start "Is there a way to strengthen a healing spell without burning too much mana?"Lena asked. "Focus on the injury's edges, not the center. Heal outward, bit by bit. It'll take less mana, and the wound will knit faster as your spell surrounds it." Raye answered, not breaking a sweat. After that, it was Raye's turn to ask a question. "How do you cast fire and water together without them canceling each other out?" He asked. "Keep them separate until the last second. Picture them as two streams twisting around each other, but don't let them touch until you release the spell. That way, they amplify instead of clash." Lena answered casually. They'd been exchanging questions like this for about an hour now... Raye was asking questions he found difficult to answer himself, using Lena's responses to expand his understanding. While Lena asked random questions on various topics, gauging Raye's knowledge. And after a bit more of their exchanges¡­ "Your knowledge about basic spells and alchemy is quite impressive." Lena couldn't help but compliment Raye. "Thanks, I'm pretty familiar with them." Raye replied. He had been reading up on basic spells since he arrived in this world. As for alchemy, he knew it well from the game. He once took the alchemy course and found a bunch of information on it in the Brave Hearts community forums. Then even after starting a new save, he'd leveled up his alchemy skills to make his own potions. Moving on... Raye and Lena resumed their exchange of questions. And in the midst of it¡­ "Are you going to cheat on the upcoming tests?" Lena suddenly asked Raye that question. "..." Raye was surprised, the question caught him off guard. But after seeing how serious Lena is... "I don't know if you'll believe me, but I won't." Raye gave her an answer. 'If I cheat again, I'll be kicked out of the academy.' He thought. Lena nodded her head... "Why did you cheat before?" Then she asked another question. Raye wasn't sure what to say to that, so he simply told her... "I don't know¡­" Lena frowned at his response, watching him with suspicion. But after a few moments... "Okay." She let it go. And with that, they continued their study session. ... ***** ... (Raye's POV) "Well, that was productive." S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. I muttered, stepping out of the library. Studying with Lena helped me understand magic better. 'Learning solely from books has its limit, after all. This was a great opportunity.' Now I understand magic theory much better. 'I struggled to grasp it on my own.' I made more progress in a few hours with Lena than I had in days. Of course I had planned to stay away from the main characters to avoid messing up the story's progression. That's why I hesitated a lot before accepting her suggestion. But after weighing the risks and benefits, I decided that it's worth the risk. Also, I wasn't outside the game's story just yet, so I figured a small interaction like this wouldn't change much. Probably. 'Studying with a main character can't be that big of a deal in the story.' I convinced myself... Anyway, I headed back to the cabin right after. I didn't visit Kyle today, I told him yesterday that I wouldn't be coming. I planned to continue the repairs in the cabin, after all. And now¡­ "I can't wait to practice magic later," I'm also excited to apply practically what I'd learned from Lena. ... ***** The next morning¡­ "Ugh¡­" I groaned, waking up early and fixing my bed. Then stepping outside the cabin¡­ "You're up much earlier today." Old Man Rey greeted me. "Huh, I thought you'd still be asleep." I replied, surprised. "Well, I figured you'd be up early to chop logs." Old man said. "That's right. Why?" I asked. Then with a frown on his already grumpy face... "Fool!" "Just eat, then wash up. You don't need to chop logs today." Old Man Rey said that to me. "I know you've got something going on at the academy. Just get ready and go on your way. We've got enough firewood for a few days, so don't worry." Then he added to reassure me. "..." I don't know what to say. "Now, let's go eat." Old Man Rey invited me. And looking over at the table on the porch, I saw a rabbit stew prepared for us. Seeing that, happiness filled me. A smile crept onto my face... "Thanks, old man." I thanked the old man. "Meh." And he just replied like the usual. ... ***** After breakfast, I cleaned up and put on my best uniform. "I'm off." "Good luck." Old Man Rey said. After our short exchange, I left for the academy... ... Jogging all the way from the cabin, I saw more and more students as I neared Xapham Hall, the academy's main building. 'They look just as anxious as I feel.' I thought, passing by them. Then finally... I arrived at Xapham Hall. Xapham Hall towers above, its polished stone facade gleaming in sunlight, adorned with intricate carvings. Grand double doors open beneath a soaring archway, while arched windows and tall columns lend an air of elegance. "Well, this is already nerve breaking." I said to myself as I walked into the building. ... ... Navigating to the examination hall, I found the room where the first test would take place. And upon entering... I saw it filled with students already seated, waiting for the test to start. "Whoa, he's still here?" "I thought he'd leave the academy." "He looks fine despite being disowned." And as expected, my arrival sparked whispers. Most of them were not positive, or maybe all of them were not... Looking around, I spotted Lena. She didn't say or do anything, just stared at me. Then not far from her... I saw Leon, the protagonist, glaring at me. 'Great, as if the test itself wasn't nerve-racking enough.' I thought. Then ignoring everyone... "..." I took a seat in the front row, far left. The main characters were all seated in the back, and I didn't want to be near them. And a few moments after sitting down¡­ Swish- The door opened, and a man entered. Tap- tap- tap¡ª "..." The room fell silent. And when the man reached the podium in front¡­ "Starting now, the class placement tests begin." He announced the beginning of the placement tests. Chapter 14 14 - A Test of Change "Everyone, be silent and get ready."The man on the podium said as he brought out the test papers. "I'll be watching everyone to make sure no one cheats." He announced. 'Bruh¡­ I swear he just looked at me.' Anyway... I know this man, He's Professor Sariel Evadne, one of the important side characters who helps the main characters grow. He offers them tips and suggestions to get stronger. Personality-wise, Professor Sariel doesn't care about bloodlines. He just helps those who are willing to learn... 'I bet he contributed to kicking Raye out of the academy in the game.' I thought, remembering how he also despises nobles who abuse their authority. "Geez." 'Look at him giving me side glances...' He must've really hate Raye. Me. Moving on... The professor began handing out the test papers. He's using telekinesis to make them fly individually to each student. 'That's cool.' I thought. And once the test papers were all distributed. "Start." Professor Sariel announced the start of the test. As soon as he did... "..." The room went totally silent. No one was talking, everyone was focused on their test papers. And so am I. 'I should start with the easy questions and topics I know.' I thought. So I started with basic spell knowledge, magic theories, and alchemy. ... ***** 'I read this from a book!' 'I heard this from Lena yesterday!' 'I experienced this first hand!' Raye thought as he read through the questions. The fact that he knows the answers to them made Raye happy. He filled in answer after answer, writing quickly. And for the first time in his life... 'What's the next question?' Raye was excited to take an exam. He was smiling, he became so focused on the test. "..." So focused that he didn't notice Professor Sariel standing beside him, watching him work! 'Hmm, he doesn't seem to be cheating.' The professor thought. He knows Raye's cheating history, that's why he's keeping an eye on him, expecting to catch something suspicious. But as time passed... ... "..." He saw no sign of cheating. He even started to believe that Raye might actually be trying to do this on his own! 'Most of his answers are right too¡­' This surprised Sariel. He had caught Raye cheating many times before. Seeing him working honestly was unexpected. Of course, he was aware of what happened to Raye a couple weeks ago. 'Did that become his wake up call?' So he thought maybe that triggered the change in Raye. 'No, I can't be deceived...' But he immediately shook his head, suspecting Raye might just be tricking him. So, Sariel continued to watch him even as he checked on the other students. But even after watching Raye for a long time... ... Raye didn't cheat, not even once. 'He didn't even try.' Sariel thought. In fact... Raye was so immersed in the test that he forgot the time and everyone around him! And before he knew it, time was up for the test... ... ***** "Time's up. Pass me your papers." Professor Sariel said as he approached Raye. Raye, breaking out of his flow... "Oh¡­" Looked up and noticed that everyone else had already passed in their papers and left. He was the only one left. 'So they all finished before the time ran out, huh.' Raye thought, disappointed, as he handed in his papers. And seeing this... "Did you answer all the questions?" Professor Sariel asked him. "No, I couldn't go back to the questions I skipped." Raye replied with a defeated smile on his face. Even though he had studied a lot, Raye's lack of foundational knowledge about magic left a gap between him and the students who grew up in this world. His prior knowledge only came from the game, after all. It's so different in real life. But Raye felt that with just a bit more time, he could have answered everything... "Hmm..." Professor Sariel thought for a moment. And after a brief pause... "Here." He handed the questionnaire and answer sheet back to Raye. "Huh?" Raye was surprised. But before he could ask what this was all about... "There's still half an hour before the stat checking starts." "I can wait.' Sariel said that. Hearing his words made Raye's eyes widened. "Thank you!" He immediately bowed his head and thanked Sariel. Then he quickly resumed answering the questions he missed. Raye was smiling ear to ear. 'He's changing for the better. I should give him a hand.' Professor Sariel thought, a small smile on his face as he watched Raye work excitedly. ... ***** (Raye's POV) "Huff¡­ huff¡­ huff¡­ huff..." I ran toward Paschar Clinic, the main clinic in Xapham Hall, where the stat checking would be held. Thanks to Professor Sariel, I was able to answer every question in the written test. But it took me the whole extra half hour to do so! The Paschar Clinic isn't really that close to the examination hall... "Huff... huff... gurgh...!" That's why I'm currently running full speed! Professor Sariel said he could give me an excuse letter and I can just take the stat checking later, but I didn't want to cause him any more trouble. 'He's already helped me enough. I'm grateful. ' I don't know why he decided to help me, but I really appreciate it. I'll repay him by doing better on the next exam. 'He'll be happy with that.' I thought. Then I increased my speed. ... ***** Soon, Raye reached the doors of Paschar Clinic... He knew he was late, so without further hesitation. CREAAKK¡ª He opened the door and stepped inside. As soon as he entered... "He's late." "He must've goofed off somewhere." "The nerve¡­" He caught everyone's attention. Whispers spread throughout the room, but Raye ignored them. "You're late. Everyone is done." The nurse handling the stat checking said, clearly annoyed. "I'm sorry." Raye simply apologized. This surprised the students, even Leon, who was watching from the corner of the room. "Well, that's a surprise." Leon muttered to himself. "Hmm, he's really different from the rumors." Lena murmured on the other side of the room. "Whatever, just stand on the platform so we can check your stats and be done." The nurse grumbled impatiently. "Okay." Raye complied, walking toward the platform as whispers trailed behind him. "I bet he didn't improve at all." "Last time, his stats were trash." "I bet that even my baby brother has better stats¡­" Raye ignored the comments and stepped onto the platform. "We're going to look at your past stats from the records." The nurse announced... Swoosh- ===== Name: Raye Alvah Age: 18 Year Level: 1 Race: Human ----- Stamina: 4 Intellect: 3 Mana: 2 Strength: 3 Speed: 4 ----- Overall Grade: F- ===== Then he displayed Raye's stats from the previous check in the air for everyone to see. "See, he's weaker than my dog." "How did he even pass?" "Must've been his family¡­" The whispers intensified. S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Quiet." But the nurse silenced them. 'Weaker than the snotty kid from my village.' Leon thought when he saw Raye's stat, he clicked his tongue. "He's that weak, huh." Lena whispered to herself. "Now, let's see how you've improved." The nurse muttered, then he activated the platform. And after that.. Swoosh¡ª Raye's new stats were displayed. ===== Name: Raye Alvah Age: 18 Year Level: 1 Race: Human ----- Stamina: 13 Intellect: 12 Mana: 8 Strength: 10 Speed: 11 ----- Overall Grade: F- Growth Rate: S- ===== "..." And it silenced everyone who were talking trash about Raye. Chapter 15 15 - The Measure of Progress =====Name: Raye Alvah Age: 18 Year Level: 1 Race: Human ----- Stamina: 13 Intellect: 12 Mana: 8 Strength: 10 Speed: 11 ----- Overall Grade: F- Growth Rate: S- ===== "Wha¡­?" Everyone in the Paschar Clinic was stunned upon seeing Raye's stats, especially his growth rate. "His growth rate is S- tier?!" "How¡­?" "There must be something wrong with the artifact!" The students exclaimed. They just couldn't believe it... Raye, who they all knew as a ruffian, had grown incredibly! The last check had been at the end of the semester, only two weeks ago. In short... Raye had managed to at least triple his stats in that short time! While his stats were still shit low, his growth rate was phenomenal. "..." Even Leon was speechless. His own stats were higher than Raye's, and his growth rate was S+ tier¡­ 'Maybe I've been underestimating him too much.' He just didn't expect someone like Raye to achieve something like this. "What the heck¡­" Lena was equally surprised. She had expected some improvement from Raye, seeing how he seemed different from the rumors, but she hadn't anticipated this much growth. And as for Raye¡­ 'Just barely made it, huh.' His reaction was rather lukewarm. Despite the massive improvement, he didn't get complacent. Because for him... This was just the starting line. ***** (Raye's POV) After all the physical labor, daily runs from the cabin to the library, and countless hours of studying¡­ 'I finally have stats close to Leon's starting stats in the game.' But I can't afford to be satisfied. I may have increased my strength and stamina to that of an average man, but¡­ Leon trained and completed various quests throughout the first semester and during the break. 'And the quests he did were important ones.' In other words¡­ 'I'm still no match for him.' By the time I took my first step on the ladder, Leon was already on the next floor. 'Next week, he'll still beat me like a punching bag.' Of course I know I can't win, nor do I have the intention to do so. 'I just want to show the academy that I'm not useless so they would keep me here.' Thankfully, my second semester tuition was paid before I got disowned. So unless I do something stupid, I still have 4 months here at the academy. And during those months... 'I need to get a scholarship.' --- "Alright. You can step down from the platform now." sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The nurse said, snapping me out of my thoughts. "..." I quietly complied, feeling everyone's eyes on me. Tap, tap, tap. Ignoring the attention, I found a spot far away from everyone in the back of the clinic. And when everything was done¡­ "You are all done for the day." The nurse announced. And I immediately left the Paschar Clinic. ***** 'S- tier growth, huh.' It's given to someone who grew twice as much as they were before in a short amount of time. While the others were surprised that I got it, it's nothing special for me. 'After all, when your stats are low, it's easier to raise them.' In short, Raye's stats were so shit that when I got to raise it into average, it was considered a big achievement. Also, his stats were all tripled just to be considered average! "Which is embarrassing if you ask me." Anyway... The class placement test would take two days, and it's done according to year levels. The results wouldn't be published until the end of the week, after the seniors are done with theirs. The first day covered written exams and stat checks¡­ And on the second day¡­ 'It'll be practical.' I thought about this as I walked through the hallway of Xapham Hall, heading outside. 'Being an outcast isn't so bad.' Then I suddenly thought. No one was bothering me. Sure, everyone's judgmental stares were hard to ignore, but once you get used to it¡­ 'It can really be peaceful.' As I thought about this¡­ "Huh?" I noticed Kyle outside Xapham Hall. He saw me too, and as soon as he did¡­ "Raye!" He called out happily, waving his hand in the air. Ignoring the onlookers, I made my way over to him. ... "What are you doing here?" I asked once I reached Kyle. And instead of answering... "Here." Kyle handed me a small box. "Hmm?" Opening it, I found two servings of roasted beef meat. And before I could even ask... "I heard there was something going on at the academy. You helped my shop, so I wanted to support you somehow." Kyle explained. "¡­" I was speechless, a smile crept onto my face. Today had been a fantastic day. Old Man Rey made me breakfast and wished me luck this morning, and Professor Sariel extended the test time for me. Now, Kyle was showing his support too. "Haha¡­" A small laugh escaped me. For the first time... It felt like my hard work was paying off. "Thank you, Kyle." I muttered, genuinely smiling at him. "You're welcome." Kyle replied proudly. "Want to join me?" I invited him. "Are you sure?" "There's two servings, and I'm not that hungry." I said. "Well, if you say so." And Kyle finally accepted. 'Also, I'll be joining the old man for dinner later, so I should save some room in my stomach.' I thought as Kyle and I found a place to sit. ----- At the entrance to Xapham Hall¡­ "What the¡­?" "That's Raye?" "Who's that guy with him?" The students who saw Raye and Kyle's interaction were visibly confused. They didn't expect Raye to act like that with someone, especially to someone who seems like a commoner... "Also, isn't he handsome when he smiles like that?" One female student commented. "..." Those who heard her just looked at her weirdly... 'Well, I can't deny it.' But somewhat, they agree with her. ***** (Raye's POV) "I'm back." I called out as I stepped inside the cabin. And there, I saw Old Man Rey waiting for me with dinner already prepared. 'I knew it.' I thought as a smile appeared on my face. "How was the thing in the academy?" The old man asked. And with a confident grin on me... "I nailed it." I answered proudly. "Really? Tell me about it while we eat." Old Man Rey suggested. Eager to share my day with him... "Okay." I quickly changed clothes and then joined the old man for dinner. And while eating, I started recounting what happened in the examination and stat checking... Old Man Rey listened intently the whole times, which made me even happier to share. And after I'm done with my story... "Sounds like you have a good teacher." Old Man Rey said that, pertaining to Professor Sariel. I told him how he helped me a lot by simply waiting for half an hour more. "Yeah, I'm grateful to him." I said. And after a brief pause... "Old Man." I called out for the old man. "Hmm, what is it?" And looking at him... "Thanks." I simply said that. I know I always end up thanking him, but thinking about it¡­ 'It's thanks to him that I can live comfortably in this world.' It's thanks to him that I grew stronger, have a roof over my head, and don't starve. 'And it's thanks to him that I haven't felt completely alone...' Old Man Rey was just an extra NPC in the game, but for me, if my life were a story, he would surely be one of the most important characters in it. Moving on... "Meh." Old Man Rey replied in his usual gruff tone, making me chuckle. "If you're really grateful, repay me by doing your best. Don't half-ass things." But his next words took me by surprise. "..." I don't know what to say, but in the end... "I'll keep that in mind." I just said that and nodded my head. And after that, we continued our meal quietly. ... ... After eating, Old Man Rey went to bed. Knowing tomorrow was the practical part of the test, I decided to train my skills and spells until my mana and energy were depleted before heading to sleep. And with that¡­ My 15th day in this world ended. Chapter 16 16 - Physical Test The second and last day of the class placement test...I'm currently in one of the indoor training grounds of Xapham Hall, waiting for the practical test to start. "..." As usual, I stood at the back of the crowd, not wanting to associate with anyone. But then... "Hey, if it isn't Raye." Someone called and approached me. "Hmm?" Looking at them... I saw a blonde young man with the typical arrogant look in his eyes. It's obvious that he's a noble, and the scum kind. Actually, looking at him more carefully... 'He looks familiar.' His annoying grin and his disgusting look... "Ah." Then I remembered. He's one of Raye's henchmen from the game, appearing in one of the panels in a cutscene. 'He's even more irrelevant in the story than I am.' So, considering that he's nothing special in the game and supposedly Raye's ally... "What is it?" I replied to him. Though, I didn't expect what happened next... "What's with the tone?" The young man asked. "Do you think I'm still your friend?" He added. I was confused. "..." But I didn't say anything, just looked at him, unfazed. And soon enough... "There you are again, still acting all mighty," He started talking by himself. "But remember..." "You're not part of the great Alvah Dukedom anymore." He pointed out. "I wouldn't act as your friend if it wasn't for your family. I always hated your guts, thinking I was one of your servants and all." "And honestly, I'm so glad you got disow¡ª" "Is that all?" I cut him off before he could keep on rambling. Listening to him was making my ears hurt. "Pfft..." The young noble laughed at my question, then with a sly smile and crescent-like eyes... "That's not all, we'll be seeing each other at the practical duel." He said that to me threateningly. That's right, the practical test will be a duel. In the game, Raye and Leon didn't meet here. I bet Raye used all the money he got when he was disowned to bribe the matchmaker into giving him a weaker opponent. Anyway... "I bribed the matchmaker. I'll show you that you're nothing without your family name." The young noble continued, explaining his plan to me. 'Pretty stupid to confess your crimes to me, isn't it?' I shook my head in disappointment while looking at him. 'Now I'll tell the professor that will oversee the duels what he said.' I thought. But what the young noble said next... "Oh, and I heard from my servants that you're living with an old man near the northern forest." "Crazy people do flock together, huh. I can't believe someone lives in that trash box." ...changed my mind. His insults about Raye didn't affect me. But calling Old Man Rey crazy and the cabin a trash box... "..." Made something inside me snap. He insulted those who sheltered me when I was abandoned by everyone after coming to this world. Anger swelled up from me... "You know, Ray¡ª" "Fuck off." I cut him off before he could spew more garbage. Then looking at him straight in the eyes... "I'll meet you at the practical duel. Now get lost before I beat you up right here." I told him that. "Wha..." He was taken aback by my sudden reaction. But after a moment... "Weirdo..." He finally left, eyeing me as he walked away. I'm still angry at him, but I shouldn't cause trouble and risk getting kicked out. 'I'll do this right.' I'll give him what he deserves, properly. So for now... "..." I just tightly clenched my fist in anger. ***** A few moments after that interaction with the young scum noble... CREAK¡ª The double doors of the indoor training grounds opened. Tap- tap- tap- Then a familiar person entered. It was Professor Sariel. "We're tight on time, so let's begin immediately." He said, getting everyone's attention. "As you already know, the practical test will be a duel. The matches are pre-determined, so once your name is called, please step into the arena." The professor explained. Then, he soon started calling students, two at a time. ... ... "That's enough. Good job both of you." Professor Sariel said to both of the students who just finished their duel. Clap- clap- clap- Then we applaud at their efforts. I watched all the duels from start to now, but nothing was useful for me nor they were entertaining. I was getting bored. But then... "Leon Lightbringer." The protagonist was called. This piqued my interest, and my attention quickly shifted to Leon. Tap- tap- tap¡ª He was walking confidently toward the arena. By now, Leon had already been labeled as a genius in the academy. "..." So the students were watching in silence, expecting something impressive from him in this test. And I was no different... 'I admire Leon's personality. I'm a fan of his.' I wanted to see him fight in real life. 'And while I'm at it... I'll check how strong he is.' When Leon reached the arena... He took a wooden sword. 'So by default, he's in the swordsmanship course.' I always wondered what course he was in. Now I know. "Jonas Danae." Then Leon's opponent was called. It was Jonas from the S-Class of 1st year. I know him from the game, of course. In the game, Leon started in the A-Class when he got admitted in the academy. And his duel against Jonas... Is one of the deciding events where Leon could either get into S-Class, or stay in the A-Class! I already experienced both paths, and advancing to S-Class is definitely better. S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. So for the peace of my mind... 'Please be strong enough and make it into S-Class, Leon.' I closed my eyes and wished that. Meanwhile, upon climbing on the arena... Jonas also picked up a wooden sword. And soon... "Start." Their bout began! Bam! Leon dashed aggressively toward Jonas as soon as they started. Then holding his wooden sword with both hands... Whissh¡ª! Leon slashed horizontally to the right! Thwak! Jonas blocked it... "Gurh...!" But he slid backward from the force of Leon's attack! Whap! Jonas then deflected Leon's wooden sword away... Fwoosh¡ª! And responded with a heavy, fast thrust! Thwok! Leon blocked it as well... "Ugh...!" Swoosh- But he decided to jump back to keep his weapon from breaking! "Shit." Leon was overwhelmed by Jonas's raw strength! But instead of getting discouraged by this... "HAAAA!!!" Leon smiled and rushed at Jonas again! Clack- Clack-! Whap! Twack! They exchanged attacks after attack, they parried and blocked. Thwuk- Swish- clack! It was such a high level exchange of techniques. Thwok! Clack! Whap! "..." The room fell silent, only the sound of their wooden sword clashing was heard. So far, this has been the most exciting duel throughout the test. It looks like their match could continue on forever. But soon enough... Thwok-! Crack- "...!" Leon's weapon cracked! Swoosh- He was able to immediately retreat and avoid his weapon being completely broken. "Ugh..." Yet, it was undeniable that Leon had been outmatched in strength... "You're strong." Jonas mumbled as he looked at Leon. "But not strong enough to face me." Then he added that as he lifted his wooden sword into the air with both hands. Looking at his weapon... Fwaa¡ª "Is that aura?!" A faint glow could be seen covering Jonas' wooden sword. "I can't believe it..." "Already?!" "At his age?!" The students were shocked. Even Professor Sariel was, looking at his expression. It usually takes years of practice and a lot of luck to manifest sword aura, but Jonas had already manifested a bit of it at a young age. In short, he's gifted. That's why everyone was surprised. I wasn't, though. Jonas is known for his raw strength and aura sensitivity. And I'd already seen this scene many times while playing Brave Hearts. So instead of being surprised... I looked at Leon. I saw a small smile on his face. He was calm as ever. 'God, he's so cool.' I thought. Leon then held his wooden sword in front of him with both hands. "Come then." Then he provoked Jonas. And with an angry grin... "I was gonna do that without you telling me!" Bam! Jonas rushed at Leon! Whissh¡ª! He swung wide, aiming a forceful downward slash! THWACK! Leon raised his wooden sword horizontally and blocked it! "Grrgh...!" But his face tensed at the force of the attack. Crack¡ª His weapon started to splinter! But at that moment... Shiik¡ª Leon tilted his sword slightly to the left. Jonas's sword slid off its edge... Boom! And it hit the ground, cracking the concrete floor! Leon successfully parried Jonas' attack! "Fuck!" Jonas immediately looked up at Leon to launch another attack... Swish- Only to see Leon's wooden sword aimed at his face. Thack! "Argh!" Crack¡ª After parrying, Leon immediately countered with a powerful downward swing! His weapon shattered on impact, but it didn't matter. "..." Jonas was already out cold! And with that... "Huff..." Leon was left standing alone in the arena. "WOW!" "WOAH! HE DEFEATED SOMEONE FROM THE S-CLASS!" "LEON DID IT!" The students went wild, cheering and chanting his name like he was some kind of hero. Watching Leon's performance filled them with excitement. "WHOOAAAAHH!!!" They were so loud... But I couldn't blame them. "That was really cool, just what you'd expect from the protagonist." I muttered to myself. Also, I recognized Leon's final attack. 'That was surely the 4th form of the Celestial Forge Style, Flowing Water.' "Seeing it in person gave me chills." I murmured. Just then... "Hmm?" Leon looked around, searching for someone. And after a few moments... He pointed his broken wooden sword at someone. Everyone followed his gaze. And at the end of it was... "Me...?" In that moment, everyone's attention shifted to me. "..." After trying my best to avoid attention, Leon ruined it for me. And for the first time in my life... 'Fuck you, Leon.' I hated Leon for his action. Chapter 17 17 - Tension Rising Leon got everyone's attention with his performance in his duel.And he shifted it all to me when he pointed at me! 'Dick move, Leon!' I exclaimed in my head. "Why is he pointing at Raye?" Then someone in the crowd asked. "Idiot, they had a pretty big fight at the end of the semester." "Yeah, everybody knows that." Some idiots chimed in and answered them. "So, are they gonna fight now?" But when I heard that next question, my face tensed up! 'Oh god, I hope not.' I thought. Then following that, conversations like that continued throughout the room. Looking at Leon... "..." He didn't seem to care. He just focused on me. 'Fucker, what do you want?!' The tension was rising, so to clear things up... "What?" I asked him that, looking up at the arena platform. 'Ugh...' There was a bright light coming from his direction, making it look like I was frowning at Leon... "He's glaring back at Leon!" "He's brave, I'll give him that." Which only stirred up the tension even more. Anyway, at my question... "Next week." Leon simply said that. But I knew exactly what he was talking about... It was our duel next week that I accidentally accepted when I came to this world! 'I know nothing back then! I thought Leon was just a weird kid, that's why I said sure to make him go away!' I grumbled in my head. But immediately accepting what's done is done... I focused back on Leon who was waiting for my response. 'Ugh, fuck it!' I cursed inside. It was meant to happen in the game anyway, and it's not like I'm gonna die. So to make Leon stop with this stunt of his. I shrugged my shoulders, acting unfazed by his glare... "Sure, whatever." Then I answered the same way as I did back then! "Woah, it's a match." "It's gonna be a boring one. Leon is sure to win." "Yeah, I saw Leon's stats, he's a monster." "Meanwhile, Raye? He barely has average stats." I heard from the crowd as I responded to Leon. They're right so I just ignored them. I waited for Leon's reaction, and soon... "Hmph." He finally turned his attention away from me and walked down the arena. "Good job." Professor Sariel told him as he did. Jonas was carried by the standby healers in the corner of the room. S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Leon also needed healing after dislocating his left shoulder during his last exchange with Jonas, he had a few bruises from the fight too. And with that... "Haaaa..." The tension finally died down. "What was that?" Someone in the crowd asked. And believe me, I don't know too. Moving on... "Let's continue." Professor Sariel said, and the duels resumed. ... ... "Good work, both of you." "Thank you, Professor!" The two students responded in unison. After Leon and Jonas' duel, the following matches became boring for us. "..." I wasn't even watching anymore. "Lena Dravenhart." But when I heard that name, my ears perked up. "Hmm?" I looked toward the arena, and there, I saw Lena. She picked up a staff almost as tall as her. Her whole vibe and appearance is shouting that she's one of the main characters. Then, looking at her opponent... 'Her opponent is a nobody.' It was just a plain-looking guy. Obviously an extra who didn't appear in the game. So, considering all that... "She's gonna win this easily." I already knew the outcome of the match before it even started. ***** Raye's prediction was right... "Start." Immediately after Professor Sariel started the match. "[Splash Shot]" Swish¡ª Lena immediately launched a spell! SPLAT! "KEUB!!!" It hit her opponent straight in the chest... Bam! Thud¡ª "..." Then he flew outside the arena and lost consciousness! It didn't even last for 10 seconds! "Wha..." "The hell?" It ended so quickly that the students were dumbfounded. But soon... "WOAAAHHHH!!!" "SHE'S REALLY UNDEFEATED!" "LENA IS THE COOLEST!" They started cheering for Lena. All they knew was that Lena finished the fight as soon as it started. She completely dominated the fight, and that was more than enough for them to be riled up! Only a few knew what really happened there... "Her mana control is crazy, what a cheat." And one of them was Raye! He saw it. Immediately after Sariel started the match... 'Lena cast [Splash Shot], a fast water spell suited for knocking back opponents.' It was just a simple water ball. It's weaker but faster. But the kicker was... 'Lena concentrated more mana than needed. She sped up the spell even more.' So when it hit her opponent's chest, the speed made the impact stronger, robbing him of consciousness and sending him flying in the air! It might sound simple, but it's not. 'This spell is so fast that controlling its trajectory is a difficult task. It's rarely used because it often misses its target.' But not only did Lena accurately hit her opponent's chest, she did it with the faster version of the spell. That's why Raye thought Lena's mana control was a cheat! "Good job." Professor Sariel told Lena. Lena simply bowed her head and quietly walked down the arena. And as she did, the students admired her prowess and her appearance. "Lena's really cool." "And strong." "And beautiful too!" Lena was like an idol for them. Anyway, moving on... "Garin Lothar." Professor Sariel called out another name. 'I don't know him, an extra.' Raye thought as he casually looked at who it was. But to his surprise... "...!" It was the young noble from earlier, slowly climbing up the arena with an arrogant smirk on his face. Upon seeing him, Raye clenched his hands tightly into fists... "..." Then he walked toward the arena. And soon enough... "Raye Alvah." His name was called. ***** (Lena's POV) "Raye Alvah." I heard Professor Sariel call as I went down the arena. 'So it's his turn, huh.' I thought. I would be lying if I said I wasn't curious about how he would fight. But seeing his stats, I didn't really expect much. 'While his growth rate is impressive, his stats aren't.' So I shrugged it off. Then, making my way down the arena... "Hmm?" I noticed a weird tension from the crowd. "..." They were strangely quiet all of a sudden. Not just that, they started moving slightly as if they were avoiding something. Wait, no... 'They're making a way for someone...?' I watched curiously as the crowd split and a path appeared from the back all the way to the arena. At the end of it... Tap¡ªTap¡ªTap¡ª I saw Raye, quietly making his way toward my direction. Tap¡ª Tap¡ª Tap¡ª The sound of his footsteps got louder and louder. And soon enough, he reached me. "What are you playing at?" I asked him, raising an eyebrow. Tap¡ª "...!" But he just walked past me... As he did so, I noticed his face... 'It looks like he was about to explode.' I'm pretty sure he didn't even notice me. Looking up at the arena... There, I saw Raye standing. His opponent was already holding a wooden sword. So Raye walked toward the training weapons and picked his own weapon. "Huh?" But I think he picked the wrong one. "What's with him?" "Erm... What?" "Is he nuts?" Not just me, the others were confused as well. Instead of taking a wand, Raye, a magic course student... "A bow...?" Picked up a bow as his weapon. Chapter 18 18 - From Shadows to Spotlight (Lena's POV)"A bow?" I asked, watching Raye pick his weapon. And not just me¡­ "Is he out of his mind?" "Probably." The other students questioned his choice as well. "Are you sure about your weapon selection?" Professor Sariel asked him. "Yeah." And Raye simply answered. The professor looked at Raye for a few moments¡­ "Alright." Then he just accepted it and nodded his head. "In that case, here." Professor Sariel handed Raye a quiver filled with wooden arrows. "Obviously, we can't use real arrows." He said. "This quiver has exactly 20 wooden arrows, enchanted with a spell. If they hit your opponent, they'll feel as if they've been struck by a real arrow. Though, it'll bounce back because they're blunt. We've also reduced the pain, as this is just a duel." Then he explained. "I got it." Raye responded as he took the quiver from the professor and slung it over his back. And with everything set¡­ "Begin." Professor Sariel started their duel. 'Ugh, just what is he thinking...?' ... ***** "Are you crazy?" Garin, Raye's opponent, asked. He's confused at Raye's action as well. Though... "..." Raye just ignored him. Instead... Fwip- Shiic- He drew an arrow from the quiver and loaded it in his bow. Ready to fire at any moment. Watching him do that¡­ "Hah!" Garin laughed mockingly. "I'm a swordsman trained to see and parry arrows. With you alone, arrows aren't a threat to me!" He exclaimed. "..." And the students watching, silently agreed. 'He's right¡­' Even Lena couldn't deny it. But when she looked at Raye, trying to see his reaction... "...?" She saw his expression, it was so calm and collected. "What are you planning¡­?" Lena wondered. Just then¡­ "You're pretty talkative, huh." Raye finally spoke. "Why don't you just shut up and come at me?" Then he added immediately. "..." His words successfully provoked Garin. A vein popped on his forehead as he grinned angrily. "If you say so!" Bam! Then he finally charged at Raye! Being a swordsman, Garin was fast, closing in quickly. The students watched Raye, expecting him to shoot. But as Garin got closer¡­ "..." Raye held his fire. "What the hell?!" "Is he an idiot?!" The students grumbled, annoyed that Raye wasted his range advantage. "Gugh..." Even Lena was struggling not to curse at him. And soon enough¡­ "Should've fired while you had the chance!" Raye was within Garin's range! And with both hands on his sword¡­ SWOOSH¡ª Garin launched a heavy downward diagonal slash! But to everyone's surprise, with just a slight sway to the left¡­ Fwoosh¡ª Raye narrowly avoided Garin's strike! And now that Garin's right side is exposed to him... "[Gust]" Raye cast a spell... Fwish¡ª And immediately released the bowstring to let the arrow fly! Thwack! The arrow struck Garin's side. Crack¡ª "ARGH!" And it cracked a few of his ribs! Garin jumped back in panic. And looking at where he'd been hit¡­ "Wha¡­" He saw a dark bruise forming, swollen with pain. And before he could even make sense of it¡­ "[Gust]" He heard Raye say that. And when he looked up to check on him... Thwack! Pop- "GAAH!!!" An arrow struck his left shoulder and dislocated it! 'Are arrows meant to be this fast and strong?' Garin asked in his head. He parried and dodged a lot of arrows before. 'The pointblank shot, I can understand why I was hit...' 'But it doesn't make sense that I wasn't able to see the last arrow.' Garin thought. 'And surely, blunt arrows aren't supposed to be this strong.' His mind was racing. 'Why? What was Raye doing?' Garin thought hard, but before he could even think of a good idea. "[Gust]" He heard Raye's voice again. And before he could even react... Thwack! An arrow struck him again! Pop- This time, hitting his right wrist, dislocating it as well. "GRAAAHH!!!" Thud- Garin dropped his weapon. "Ugh..." He tried his best to suppress his scream. "[Gust]" Thwack! But then an arrow hit his knee. "GAAAAAHHHH!!!" Garin felt an intense pain and was forced to take a knee. "Haaa... haaa... haaaa..." His breathing went rough with the injuries he received. In a few seconds, he was reduced to this state... 'What the fuck...?' Fear crept up on him. Garin looked up, and there... "Hmm? You done already?" He saw Raye, aiming his bow at him again. 'That's not Raye...' Garin thought. He spent a lot of time with Raye, that's why he knows just how useless he is without his family. But the one in front of him... 'That's not Raye... That's a monster!' It's not the Raye he knew. 'I can't win against him.' 'I need to give up!' Garin decided to surrender in fear. "I give¡ª!" "[Gust]" THWACK! Crack- But he was struck by an arrow between the brows before he could finish speaking. "..." Garin lost consciousness. And with that... "That's for calling the old man crazy and for calling our home a trash box." Raye and Garin's match came to an end. This was the second fastest match, just next to Lena's. S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ... ***** Looking closely at Garin... "..." 'Yep, he's out' Raye was able to make sure that he was out of cold. Garin passed out in a weird way. Like a flip phone, but you flipped it the other way around. Anyway... "I was sure he was about to give up." Professor Sariel said that after approaching Raye. "Oh, I didn't hear." Raye casually replied. And he did hear him. Hearing his response... "Haaa..." The professor just sighed and shook his head. And after that... "Good job." He finally said the word. "Thanks." Raye responded with a smile, then he walked down the arena. "Hmm?" Coming down, Raye felt everyone's attention on him. "..." The students are just looking at him. They're feeling awe and shock. They don't know what or how to react. No one was even expecting Raye to win, but he beat his opponent one-sidedly! Not in a way they can imagine too! They can't even figure out why Raye's arrows were strong and fast! "Did he cheat again?" "Probably, that's where he's great at, after all." "Yeah, Garin is weak, but I can't imagine him losing with Raye, comparing their stats." That's why they started to doubt him again. 'Ugh, this again?' Raye thought, tired of this shit. He was about to go on his way to ignore them... "You're pretty proficient with the wind element, huh." When Lena suddenly approached him. "Casting the spell, [Gust], every time you shoot an arrow... You're controlling the wind from it and applying it to your arrows to make them stronger and faster, right?" Lena asked. She asked loud enough for the others to hear. And upon hearing her words... "..." The students accusing Raye of cheating went silent. "There was no need, but thanks for the help." Raye commented. He realized what Lena was doing. "Duh, I just hate people who accuse others of cheating just because they can't understand what they did." Lena shrugged. "Is that so?" Raye mumbled. "But you do deserve recognition for your efforts. I know it feels terrible when your hard work is mistaken for cheating." Lena's next word surprised Raye. "..." He went silent for a few seconds, and after that... "Thanks." He thanked Lena. Then Raye walked away and blended through the crowd. After that, the next events unfolded quickly... Garin was dragged by the healers, he was one of the most injured in this test. Raye didn't need healing because he was unscratched in the first place. And after a few more duels... "You're dismissed." The practical test finished. Chapter 19 19 - The Calm Before the Clash After the second day of the class placement test, my routine returned to normal.Chopping wood, hunting in the northern forest with the old man, and eating lunch. After that, I would take a bath in the nearby river, go to the library and study until dark, then meet up with Kyle to catch up on the shop's progress. Then, I would head back to the cabin, eat dinner with the old man, train in magic, and finally¡­ sleep. It was so peaceful, I was able to fully adjust in my situation. And just like that¡­ Five days passed. ¡­ ¡­ "I'll be on my way now." I announced after changing into my uniform. "Okay, take care." Old Man Rey replied as he cleaned the dishes. Looking at him¡­ "Are you sure you don't need help?" I asked. "Just go on your way, this is nothing." He replied in a grumpy tone. "Hmm." I nodded, and after that¡­ "See you later." I left the cabin. ***** "Huff... huff... huff!" I'm currently jogging toward Xapham Hall¡ªnot the library. The results of the class placement test came out today, and they're displayed at the entrance. 'I need to see which class I'm in.' I really hope I'm not at the very bottom, the D-Class. It's impossible for me to get into S-Class anyway, so I'm not worried about that. "Huff... I'm close... Haaaa..." Anyway, I can now see the big fountain in front of Xapham Hall. With my destination in sight¡­ Bam! Swoosh- I sped up and started dashing. ¡­ Upon reaching the fountain¡­ "Fuuuuuu..." I exhaled heavily, catching my breath. Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Looking around¡­ 'Ugh, it's crowded.' So many students had gathered in front of the announcement board. I didn't want to force my way through that many people, so I decided to wait until they started leaving and only a few were left. "Waiting too?" Then I heard a familiar voice behind me. Looking back¡­ "Oh." I saw Lena. She walked over and stood beside me as if it were normal, looking at the crowd in front of us. 'I'm having way too many encounters with her.' I thought. I'm starting to get scared this might cause a huge butterfly effect. 'I really hope not.' Anyway¡­ "Why are you here?" I asked Lena. She's already in S-Class, and I'm sure she performed well in the written exams, plus her overwhelming win in the practical test. It's obvious that she's in S-Class again, there's no point in checking. At my question, Lena looked at me¡­ "Of course I already know I'm in the S-Class, duh " Then she said, almost as if she read my mind. "I'm here to see who's in the same class as me." Lena explained. 'That's fair.' I thought and looked back at the crowd. Lena did the same. We just stood there, waiting for people to leave. After a while though, I don't know if she was bored or what¡­ "Hey." But Lena called to me. "What?" I replied. Then, eyeing me from the side¡­ "How were you able to dodge Garin's attack back in the practical match?" Lena asked. "His speed stat was several times higher than yours, and you were in an awkward position back then. Was it just luck?" She added. 'She's really observant, huh.' Then with a shrug¡­ "If I know his next move, I can respond in advance. Dodging and countering becomes easy." I answered casually. Lena frowned, finally turning her head to look at me properly. "What do you mean?" She asked. I just glanced at her. Then, looking back in front¡­ "The crowd is finally thinning out." I said, pointing at the announcement board. "Wha¡ª" And before Lena could say anything else¡­ Tap- tap- tap¡ª I started walking toward the announcement board, leaving her behind. "Hey, why didn't you answer?" I heard her exclaim behind me, but I just ignored it. And so¡­ 'What's my class?' It was finally time to see what class I'm in. ***** "Ugh, is it that hard to answer?" Lena grumbled. She was standing beside me again. Ignoring her, I focused on the announcement board. "..." I scanned through the results of the Class Placement Test, searching for my name. And soon enough¡­ 'There.' I found it. I checked my class, and it was¡­ "B-Class." I got into B-Class. "Oh, you went down from A-Class to B-Class, huh." I heard Lena say beside me. That's right, Raye was originally in A-Class. Though, that was only because of his family and the bribes he made in the past. If not for those, the academy wouldn't have even admitted him! Anyway, I thought that with my stats, the highest I could get into was C-Class, the average class. But I was placed in B-Class, meaning¡­ 'They saw potential in me.' A smile crept up on my face. "You seem so happy despite being demoted." Lena said, looking at me weirdly. She didn't know my reason for being happy, so I just continued on ignoring her. Instead, I looked back at the announcement board and searched for a name under the S-Class. And there, I found it. 'Phew, he made it.' Leon's name was written under the S-Class. I checked the other main characters too, and they were all in the classes they were supposed to be in. I was relieved. It was then¡­ "That's right, I forgot to ask!" Lena spoke again, though I still planned on ignoring her. But what she said next¡­ "What do you plan to do during the sparring session? I heard you're fighting Leon." "...!" Made me flinch. 'I forgot about that!' I exclaimed in my head. It had been so peaceful for a long time that I'd forgotten. Two days from now, the sparring session would take place. And just like in the game¡­ 'Leon will be fighting me!' The time had come. Soon, I'd be beaten by the protagonist. And after that, I'd have no more role in the story. The end. But if I do get beaten one-sidedly, I might be demoted from B-Class to a lower class¡ªor worse, I could get expelled! So my plan continues¡­ 'I just need to do well enough to show them I'm not hopeless, then lose to Leon.' If I do that, everything will go as it did in the game, and I'll still be able to stay in the academy! So with that in mind, I nodded in satisfaction. "What the hell are you doing?" Lena spoke again. This time, I looked at her¡­ "..." Tap- tap- tap¡ª Then I walked away. 'Too bothersome to explain.' I'm going back to the cabin. I needed to train. "Hey, you dickhead!" I heard Lena cursing at me as I walked away. I ignored her. Chapter 20 20 - Interrupted Solitude Going Back to the Cabin..."I'm back." "Hmm, you're early." I caught the old man preparing lunch. "Let me help you." So, I helped him, and afterward, we started eating lunch. ... While eating... "Vacation's over. The academy starts in a few days." I informed the old man. "So what?" He asked. "I won't be able to help as much as before." I replied, embarrassed. Old Man Rey frowned at me, then shrugged. "It's not like you're causing trouble or doing nothing. Studying is a good thing, especially since you're a student." He said reassuringly. I knew that he would understand, but hearing it directly from him was comforting. "Thanks." I thanked him and continued eating. ... After we finished eating, Old Man Rey went into the northern forest to set more traps and repair old ones. He'd be back before dinner. I decided to stay at the cabin and continue with its repairs. Today, I planned to fix the walls in the old man's room to block the cold winds at night. "I better start hammering." I mumbled as I gathered the materials and tools needed. ***** A few hours later, as it was getting dark... Tak- tak- tak¡ª I was at the back of the cabin, still hammering from the outside. I had replaced and repaired several parts of the walls in the old man's room, prioritizing the most damaged areas. So even if I didn't finish today, he'd at least have a warmer night. 'He's probably on his way back.' I thought, feeling excited to see his reaction. Then thinking back to my second day in this world, when I first met the old man, a small smile appeared on my face. He'd given me, a stranger, a place to stay in his cabin, and the chores I did for him helped me increase my stats. I owed everything so far to him. That's why I wanted to return the favor. 'I'll make his life much more comfortable.' Just then... Rustle- rustle¡ª I heard movements behind me. 'Oh, he's back.' I thought, turning around to greet him with a smile. "Old man, I fixed the walls to your ro¡ª" I froze mid-sentence, my smile fading. "..." It wasn't Old Man Rey. "Erm..." It was a young woman with rich purple hair and captivating violet eyes¡ªa beauty both rare and unforgettable. I knew very well who it was. "Hello?" It was Jerusha Amethyst, another ally of Leon in the game. "Haaa..." I frowned, turned away, and went back to hammering. Tak- tak- tak¡ª 'Please, just go away.' I silently prayed. But contrary to my wish... "Bit rude to ignore someone, isn't it?" She stayed and struck up a conversation with me. 'Ugh...' I groaned inwardly before turning back to face her. "What is it?" I asked. "Well, I got lost in the woods, so..." She shyly replied. And that's some bullshit she got there! Jerusha is a spirit mage, able to use spirit powers by contracting with them. Spirits usually avoid people, living far from them like in forests. So there was no way a spirit mage like her could get lost here, the spirits can help her navigate through any forest! "That's bullcrap." I said. "How can a spirit mage get lost in a forest?" I asked, calling out her lie. "You know about me?" Jerusha responded, shock evidence from her eyes. "Duh, you're the most talented spirit mage in the second year, in fact, the whole academy. Everyone knows about you." I casually said. "So, why are you here?" At my question, Jerusha smiled awkwardly. Then, scratching the side of her head... "I just got curious because the spirits told me there's a new human living nearby." She answered. "I didn't expect it to be you. Raye Alvah, right?" "You know about me?" I was surprised. But her next words... "Well, you're pretty well-known around the academy¡­ in a bad way, though." "Ah¡­" That made sense. 'So, she knows me from the rumors, huh.' Let's take advantage of that and make her leave already. "If you already know about me, leave. I'm busy." I hoped to make her go, but then¡­ "Oh, is that your friend?" Old Man Rey arrived. "Ah, hello." Jerusha greeted him politely. And before I could even say anything... "Hello! why don't you join us for dinner?" The old man invited her to dinner with a smile. 'What the fuck?' It happened way too fast. I immediately turned to Jerusha. She looked at me. I squinted my eyes, then I slightly shook my head, signaling her to decline. Seeing this, Jerusha nodded, agreeing to my suggestion. Or so I thought¡­ "I'd love to!" She fucking accepted enthusiastically! "Great! Let's head to the front. Raye, start preparing dinner." S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Old Man Rey said, smiling as he walked off. "Yay." Jerusha followed behind him. And as she passed, she looked back at me, smirking. 'That¡­!' She deliberately accepted to annoy me! 'Well, it's fucking working!' Frowning in annoyance, I followed them. ***** Currently, Old Man Rey and Jerusha were setting the table inside the cabin. Meanwhile, I'm cooking outside. I was scheduled to cook dinner today. Anyway, I wasn't making anything grand, just roasted wild boar meat and rabbit stew, enough for three people. After finishing here... "Old man, they're done!" I called for the old man to help me bring the food inside. But it was Jerusha who came out. "Hello again." She said. "Ugh, what now?" I asked. "Nothing. I just wanted to help." She replied, smiling playfully. "Fine, help me bring these inside." I said, pointing at the food. I had half given up on avoiding her, the damage was already done. 'She doesn't play a major role in the story anyway, just a support character that helps the protagonist occasionally when the game scenario is too hard for their current stats.' So I figured my interactions with her wouldn't pose a threat and cause a major change in the game story. Moving on, we brought the food inside, and with that, we started dinner. ***** "How do you know this brat?" The old man asked Jerusha as we ate. "Keuk!" I nearly choked hearing his question. I glanced at Jerusha, who looked back at me. Then awkwardly... "Well¡­ he's kinda famous in the academy" She replied. "Really? This brat?" Old Man Rey looked at me, surprised. I just shrugged and kept eating. Not telling him that I'm famous for being a bitch. I'll let him think I'm famous for good reasons. "How about you, mister? How do you know Raye?" This time, it was Jerusha who asked that.. The old man looked at me, and I shook my head at him. But with a playful smirk¡­ "So here's what happened¡ª" He began telling her everything. Literally everything! 'Fuck me.' I thought as my face cringed. ... ... "...Now he tells me he wants to repay me, so he's been fixing the cabin, spending his money on it too!" Old Man Rey finished proudly, like a dad bragging about his son. It was embarrassing, but it made me feel happy, too. "Wow, so even this table we're using was made by him?" Jerusha looked at me, wide-eyed. I just frowned at her. "Yeah, he said the old one was too small and low, so he made a new one. Isn't he great?" The old man added. They continued chatting about me while we ate. I was embarrassed as hell. Then finally, after we finished eating... Old Man Rey excused himself, saying he needed to head to bed early! But before he left... "Raye." He called out to me. "What?" I approached him. "Thanks for fixing my room." He said, making me smile. But then¡­ "You've got yourself a beautiful girlfriend, huh." He ruined it by whispering that to me. "She's no¡ª" "I'll get going now." "Goodnight, mister!" The old man left before I could correct him. "..." Defeated, I looked at Jerusha... "I'll just clean up the table." I told her and began gathering dishes. "I'll help!" She offered eagerly. I just let her. ***** After cleaning up, I went outside to practice magic. "[Gust]" Casting this spell, I tried to lengthen its duration and strengthen the wind. That way, I can use it as a shield. "You're really different from the rumors, huh." And yeah, Jerusha hadn't left yet for some reason! "They say you're a ruffian, but you have such a good relationship with the old man." "And they say you're lazy and a cheater, but you don't seem like it." She commented. "Don't you need to get going?" I asked, hoping she'd leave. It was getting dark, and I know her dorm had a curfew. "Eh, I can just sneak in later." She responded with a carefree expression on her face. "Ugh..." I groaned and decided to just ignore her and continued with my training. Then, out of nowhere... "Are you interested in spirit magic?" Jerusha asked me. "I don't have talent for that." I replied flatly. Raye is untalented in most things, especially in magic. At most, he'll only be mediocre in anything he tries. So as tempting as it might be, spirit magic would be hard for me. "In the first place, the spirits probably wouldn't want a contract with someone like me who has a small mana pool." I mumbled. But Jerusha seemed surprised. "What are you talking about?" She asked, genuinely puzzled. I glanced at her, raising a brow. Then, pointing around me... "There are so many spirits hovering around you." "They're interested in having a contract with you." Jerusha said that. Chapter 21 21 - In the Presence of Spirits "There are so many spirits hovering around you.""They're interested in having a contract with you." Hearing that from Jerusha¡­ "What?" Shock and confusion overwhelmed me. "Can't you see them?" She asked. "No, I have a small mana pool and low spirit sensitivity." And I replied immediately. "Oh." Jerusha looked at me and nodded. "Hmmm..." Then, after a brief pause¡­ "Then here, look." She said. "What do you mean, look?" I asked. But instead of answering, Jerusha closed her eyes. Swoosh¡ª The air around her changed. "?!" I can't see it, but I can feel a lot of mana gathering around her! 'That's a crazy amount of mana...' Feeling the thickening mana in my surroundings sent shivers down my spine, and drops of sweat started pouring down my face. But still, I stayed quiet and let Jerusha do her thing. "..." Then, after a while¡­ "..." Jerusha opened her eyes. SWAAHHH¡ª Just by doing so, a strong gust of wind was produced! I felt it... The mana she was gathering exploded and scattered through the surroundings. Even I, with low mana sensitivity, could feel it, which tells how crazy the amount of mana here is right now! "Ugh..." Dirt and debris went flying along with the wind, and I raised my arm to shield my eyes. "..." When everything calmed down, I opened my eyes again... "Huh?" And the sight that greeted me was truly magical. "See? There are a lot of them." Jerusha said, but I ignored her. Instead, I looked around. -Hello there! -Ohhh, you can finally see us. -Hi Raye! There were a lot of weird-ass animals around me, circling me as if they'd seen something interesting. There was a flaming sparrow flying above me, a bluish hamster climbing up my pants¡­ 'They're cute.' I thought. And there are some that didn't even take the form of animals. I could see a gray slime hopping around with a small mud golem beside it. 'That's cute too.' They looked like monstermons from a game that I played before. Anyway, I know what these are¡­ 'They're spirits.' I was in awe. I never thought I'd see them in person. "I amplified the mana around us so the spirits could materialize for you to see," Jerusha said. This time, I looked at her. "Though, only the low-rank spirits were able to manifest." She explained, but my attention wasn't on her anymore¡­ Around her, I could see orbs of different colors and sizes. I instinctively knew they were mid-rank spirits. But that wasn't what caught my attention. Behind Jerusha... 'Holy fuck...' There was a tiny white orb, but despite its size, it was radiating an immense aura! "Oh, so you noticed Phobos behind me," Jerusha said, noticing where I was looking. "Who's that?" I asked. "He's the one who told me about you, saying there's someone new hunting animals in the northern forest." Hearing the last part, my body flinched. "Ah, don't worry, hunting is natural in nature. They don't hate you for that." Once Jerusha explained, I was able to breathe properly. "Anyway, it's draining my mana too much, so I'll end it now." After saying that, the spirits started talking quickly. -Bye! -See you later, Raye! -Just remember, we're everywhere. The last one sounded like a threat. Then, after that¡­ Fwooop¡ª The concentrated mana around us dispersed, and the spirits disappeared. "Well then, I'll get going now. It's getting late, and I'm already sleepy." Jerusha said, finally leaving. She stood up from the tree stump she was sitting on, yawning. Tap- tap- tap¡ª She started walking away. Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Gugh..." But I was still curious about the spirits, they might be a big help for me to survive in this world. 'No.' I knew they would be! So, realizing that, I stopped hesitating. I knew this would be a big gamble, but I'd probably regret it if I didn't do it. "Wait!" I exclaimed. "Hmm? What?" Jerusha stopped in her tracks and looked back at me. With a slight frown on my face¡­ "I want to learn about spirit magic. Can you teach me?" I asked her. Looking at Jerusha's face, a smile appeared on it. And proudly¡­ "I can teach you!" She declared. "...!" I was relieved too. I thought she would refuse because of my reputation. But before I could thank her¡­ "But not tomorrow. I have to prepare for the upcoming sparring sessions, after all." She added. "Ah..." I was reminded that my fight with Leon was approaching. I froze in place. And as I stood there¡­ "Well then, see you later!" Jerusha left, flying away. Must be a wind spirit's power. Anyway, moving on¡­ "Ugh, I should get ready too." I continued my training. Now, knowing that the spirits are watching me, I don't want to mess up. 'I don't know why, but they're interested in me. I don't want that to disappear by showing them a pathetic sight.' I thought. And so, I proceeded with much concentration. ... ***** The next day, after finishing my normal routine¡­ I immediately started planning for the duel that was about to happen tomorrow. 'I can't get injured too much. The old man would be worried, and I wouldn't be able to help him.' I thought. I already had a vague plan on how to achieve that. So I racked my brain and tried my best to expand on that plan¡­ ... It took me almost three hours, but now I have a pretty solid plan for tomorrow. I still had a lot of time, and because I was nervous as hell¡­ "[Wind Blast]!" I started training, even though it was only early afternoon. I especially trained in attack spells from elements I'm proficient with. ... ... I trained all the way until late at night, around 10 P.M. And when I was exhausted, I went to bed and slept. Just like that, the day came to an end. ****** It's the day of the sparring sessions¡­ I'm currently in front of Xapham Hall, readying myself for what's coming. "He's here." "I thought he would hide and run away." "So he's really gonna fight Leon, huh." "Is he insane?" Students passing by looked at me and gossiped with each other. I wanted to run away too, but I couldn't. My fight with Leon¡­ 'It'll be the end of the filler act, and the main story will finally begin.' That's right, the main story hasn't started yet! This whole thing with Leon and Raye is just an early stage scenario to help players get used to the controls and stuff! Anyway, moving on¡­ I stepped inside the building. I received a lot of attention, but I just continued walking. Navigating my way to the indoor training grounds where the practical test took place. That will be the location of the sparring sessions this time as well¡­ ... Before long, I arrived at the room, standing outside, looking at its doors. "Fuuu..." I took a deep breath. And with that¡­ CREAK¡ª I opened the double doors and entered. Chapter 22 22 - Breaking Expectations "He's here.""Raye showed up, pay up!" "Gah! I thought he would actually run away!" As soon as I entered the room, attention shifted to me, especially from the first-year students. And then... "..." My eyes met Leon's. He was on the other side of the room, glaring at me. I could tell he was determined to beat me up today. Tap- tap- tap¡ª I ignored everyone and went to the back of the crowd, as usual. And soon enough... CREAK¡ª The doors opened once again. This time, it was Professor Sariel who entered. But not just him, several professors followed, and at the end of their group stood the headmaster of the academy, Bryan Blackwood. "..." The room went silent. The headmaster stood tall, his gray-streaked hair swept back, accentuating sharp, discerning eyes that missed nothing. His presence commanded respect, refined yet powerful, dressed in robes traced with silver. Even the boldest students felt his quiet strength, aware they were in the presence of one of the empire's most formidable figures. And when he reached the front of the room... "I'm here to witness your growth. Anyone can step forward and challenge a fellow student, regardless of class or year level. Challenges can be refused, but in the end, everyone will have to fight." He announced that with a smile on his face. "Oh, and you won't be judged on whether you win or lose. Instead, you'll be evaluated on your performance, opponent, and stats. So don't worry, challenge stronger students." He added, addressing the students' fear of losing. After that, he stepped back and took a seat alongside the other professors. Following that... "Hello again." Professor Sariel stood up and spoke. He would manage this event once again. "You heard everything you need to know from the headmaster. So, without further ado, step forward if you want to challenge someone." The professor exclaimed. And as soon as he finished... Tap¡ª A footstep echoed throughout the room. Tap- tap- tap¡ª It continued, with no hesitation in the steps. Looking toward the source... 'Ugh... already?' I saw Leon confidently marching toward the arena. Everyone was looking at him. The students, the professors, even the headmaster! "It's finally gonna happen..." "Ugh, I know Raye is gonna lose, but I'm still excited to see the fight." "I bet my allowance Raye won't last five moves." The first-years started whispering. Meanwhile... Thump- thump- thump- thump¡ª My heart was racing like crazy. Soon enough... Tap¡ª Leon stepped into the arena. 'Really? No one else stepped up except him?!' I grumbled in my head. I could feel everyone's eyes on me, so I put on my poker face, pretending to be unfazed by the whole thing. "Well, if it isn't Leon." Professor Sariel muttered, approaching Leon. "Who do you want to challenge?" He asked him. And without missing a beat... "Raye Alvah." S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Leon responded, pointing at me. 'Fuuuuuuckkkkk...' ***** Tap- tap- tap¡ª Raye slowly made his way toward the arena. He could hear the students murmuring as he did. He ignored them, and soon enough... Tap¡ª He stepped into the arena. "Pick your weapons." Professor Sariel said. Leon went and picked a wooden sword, as usual. 'Is it a bow again?' He wondered, looking at Raye. The other students were thinking the same. Though, contrary to Leon's and everyone else's expectations... "Huh?" Raye picked up a wooden dagger and casually made his way back to the middle of the arena. Leon followed after him. "Why didn't you use the bow?" Leon asked Raye when they met in the middle. Raye looked at him, shrugged, and replied... "I'm better with daggers." Leon frowned, but before he could say anything else... "Get ready." Professor Sariel spoke. Immediately after, Raye walked to the end of the arena. "..." Leon then went to the opposite end. After briefly looking at both of them to ensure they were ready... "Start." Professor Sariel announced the match! Bam! Leon dashed forward as soon as the fight started! 'I'll finish this quickly!' He thought. Then holding the wooden sword above him with both hands... 'Celestial Forge Style, Meteor Crush!' SWOOSH¡ª! Leon unleashed a heavy vertical slash! It was so fast that the students missed it. 'It's over!' They all thought in unison. BAM! CRACK¡ª Then Leon's attack hit the ground. "Wha..." That's right. Despite his speed, Raye managed to avoid his strike! The next thing Leon knew... Fwiish¡ª A wooden dagger was near his face! "Ugh...!" Bam! He jumped backward to avoid it. But while in midair... "[Wind Blast]" Leon heard Raye's voice. Instinctively, he placed his wooden sword in front of his body... Thwack! And he blocked Raye's spell! Tap¡ª Leon landed on the ground, looking at Raye. He saw Raye looking back at him, calm as ever. 'How...' Leon asked himself. He'd focused on the speed and accuracy of that strike. His stats were several times higher than Raye's. So he was confused... 'How was he able to dodge it...?' Leon couldn't find an answer. 'Probably just a fluke...' He thought Raye was just lucky. With that, he gripped his wooden sword tighter... Bam! And rushed at Raye again! 'Celestial Forge Style, Tempest Breaker!' This time, he used a technique with five consecutive attacks! Nearing Raye... Swiish¡ª Leon slashed horizontally. Fwip¡ª And Raye avoided it by squatting down! '?!' By now, Leon was sure that Raye could somehow see through his attacks! 'So what?!' But he continued his attack nevertheless. Swoosh¡ª Leon followed with a diagonal attack, aiming at the top of Raye's head, his blind spot! But as if he could see it... Swoosh¡ª Raye swung the dagger in his right hand up. Thwack! And it collided with Leon's wooden sword, blocking the attack! "!" Leon was surprised. He was sure there was no way Raye could've seen that coming. But as he was thinking... "[Gust]" SWOOOSH¡ª "Urgh...!" Raye cast a spell, sending Leon flying back! Tap¡ª Leon landed safely. The strong wind merely pushed him away, causing no damage. But his mind was in shambles. His technique, with five consecutive attacks from blind spots... Was stopped on the second move by Raye, of all people! 'It's not like he's seeing my attacks. It's more like he knows my next move and reacts in advance. But that's impossible...' Leon thought, looking at Raye with newfound vigilance. Meanwhile, Raye... 'That was Celestial Forge Style, Tempest Breaker. Cool.' ...was literally doing what Leon thought was impossible! 'So, what's the next move gonna be?' Raye thought as his lips arched into a small smile. And well... "..." The students were silenced, they all thought the match would end as soon as it started. They didn't expect Raye to be able to dodge and even block Leon's attack! So in unison... 'Wait... is he actually a decent fighter?' They all thought that maybe, Raye is actually stronger than what he appears to be. Gulp- And this just added excitement to the students who were watching. Chapter 23 23 - Against All Odds Raye knew that he wouldn't be able to fight Leon normally.He would easily be overwhelmed and defeated because of the gap in their stats and technique. So he thought long and hard, searching for a way not to be defeated by Leon immediately. And then he found it... 'If I know what move he will make and respond in advance, wouldn't I be able to fight for a while?' A way to fight against Leon. As absurd as it sounds, Raye had played as Leon multiple times. He had gone through the swordsmanship course many times as well, trying out all the endings. In doing so, he became familiar with Leon's Celestial Forge Style. He memorized the initial moves taken for certain forms along with the attack patterns of that technique. That's why Raye was confident he could guess what Leon's next move would be based on his stance and gestures! He had actually tried it before, with Garis! His opponent in the practical test before! Raye knew Garis used the Fundamental Blade Arts, which were taught by Zion Academy to first-year swordsmanship course students. And he was quite familiar with it too! Anyway, using the method he thought of to fight Leon, Raye was able to defeat Garis easily. That's why he went with this plan of his. And now, getting back to the fight... ----- 'Ugh, I think my right wrist is swollen. This was probably when I blocked the second move of Leon's technique.' Raye thought. And despite the pain he was feeling, he didn't show it on his face. 'This is a bit exciting.' A small smile crept up on his face. Raye had been anxious at first, but now that his plan was working, he started having fun. Though he still didn't get the proper timing of Leon's attacks. One off move, and he's done. Raye had been pretty lucky until now. Meanwhile, Leon had a glare on his face. He looked tense and more vigilant than before. He didn't expect all of this from Raye. Leon wouldn't have guessed that Raye could read his moves in advance either. So, thinking that Raye was actually stronger than he looked... 'I need to take this seriously.' Leon locked on. Fwip¡ª He went into a drawing stance. He shut his mind off and just concentrated on Raye, determined to finish it already with this attack. And seeing this... 'Oh, Celestial Forge Style, Nebula Slash.' Raye was able to guess what the next attack would be. He prepared himself. The distance between him and Leon was pretty far, so Raye became confident that he could dodge this time as well. 'Come, Leon.' But suddenly... Swoosh¡ª "Huh?" A large amount of mana covered Leon's legs. And before Raye could even process what was happening. Bam¡ª Leon kicked off on the ground and disappeared from everyone's sight! Fwoosh¡ª And he reappeared literally in front of Raye! Then with all of his might... SWOOSH¡ª Leon unleashed a heavy, sharp horizontal slash! '...!' Raye instinctively brought the dagger in front of him, guarding his chest. Then he raised his left arm to guard his head! And after that... BOOM! Leon's attack connected. ... ... ***** (Lena's POV) BOOM! A deafening explosion occurred. Fwoosh¡ª Boom! Then I saw Raye's body fly and slam into a wall! Debris went flying. "Urgh...!" I shielded my eyes with my left arm. And when things finally calmed down... "Huh..." "What happened?" People started asking questions about the situation. I was confused as well. I just saw Leon making a stance, and the next thing I knew, he was in front of Raye! "Ah...!" Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. I remembered seeing Raye fly earlier. I immediately looked in the direction where I saw him flying, and there, I saw the wall with a pretty big hole in it. A dust cloud covered it. I couldn't see Raye's condition. "..." So I just waited for it to disappear. The others did the same. Soon enough, the dust cloud dispersed. And there... "..." We saw Raye lying with his head down, not moving. "Is he okay?" "Nah, he's probably dead..." "That gotta hurt for sure." I heard the students mumble when they saw Raye's condition. I was also thinking the same. But then... "Ugh..." Raye groaned. "Fuck..." Then he stood up and walked out of the hole in the wall! He raised both of his hands, then with a frown on his face... "I lost." He surrendered. "Winner, Leon Lightbringer!" I heard Professor Sariel announce. And the duel officially ended. "..." The end was anticlimactic. I really thought Raye might have a chance to win after seeing him dodge and counter Leon's attack. 'Well, he still did great.' I thought. Although the duel ended quickly, it didn't end immediately as everyone had thought. Then, looking back at the arena, I saw Leon still glaring at Raye. 'Why is he still so mad at him?' I asked in my head. "Hmm?" But then I noticed. "Oh." Leon wasn't looking at Raye with anger, but more like in shock. I wondered why. And that's when I saw it... "...!" Leon's uniform was destroyed in the front, and there was a cut on his chest! On his wound, I could feel a bit of Raye's mana. And then I identified the magic that caused the wound on Leon's chest. 'It was [Wind Blade].' A basic attack spell... My head snapped back at Raye's direction. He was getting treated by the healers now, calmly sitting down on a chair. "Wha... Raye wounded Leon..." "He was able to hold his ground pretty well despite the stats difference..." "What the hell did he do...?" The students who noticed the same thing as me mumbled to themselves. 'What happened in that split second?' I asked in my head, looking back and forth at Leon and Raye. Just then... "Now, let us see both of their stats so we can grade their performance." The headmaster spoke. And immediately after that... Swoosh¡ª Raye's and Leon's stats were displayed in the air for everyone to see. ===== Name: Raye Alvah Age: 18 Year Level: 1 Race: Human ----- Stamina: 13 Intellect: 13 Mana: 9 Strength: 11 Speed: 13 ----- Overall Grade: F- Growth Rate: S- ===== ===== Name: Leon Lightbringer Age: 18 Year Level: 1 Race: Human ----- Stamina: 29 Intellect: 20 Mana: 20 Strength: 33 Speed: 32 ----- Overall Grade: E- Growth Rate: S+ ===== And seeing the difference in their stats... "..." It just made us even more impressed that Raye was able to fight Leon like that. "Raye only lasted four moves. I won the bet!" I heard someone from the crowd. I ignored it. "..." Everyone did. Against All Odds, Raye decided to still fight and was able to perform impressively. And somewhat, I kinda respect him for that. Chapter 24 24 - After the Duel (Leon's POV)Looking at the difference in our stats... 'Fuck...' I cursed in my head. A complicated expression lay on my face as I turned toward Raye. While I did win the fight, it still felt like I lost. If somehow, Raye were even a bit stronger... 'I feel like I would've lost.' I looked down at the cut on my chest, touched it, and remembered our last exchange. Even after using my full speed to catch Raye off guard, he was still able to respond. Before my sword could reach him, he managed to place his dagger in front of him. There was even a spell covering the dagger. 'Was it [Gust]?' Anyway, because of that, his dagger held on and didn't break, allowing him to block my attack. Though, with the strength behind my strike, Raye was still sent flying. But when he realized that... 'He launched a basic spell called [Wind Blade] at me!' It was so sudden that I couldn't respond to it! And so, it hit and wounded me. Remembering all that... "Tsk." I clicked my tongue in annoyance, a bitter expression on my face. Tap- tap- tap¡ª I climbed down from the arena. "As expected of Leon!" "It was obvious you'd win!" "Raye had no chance against you!" I heard people cheering for me, but I ignored them. They didn't know what they were saying. "This whole fight..." I wasn't able to land a clean hit on Raye. Instead, he wounded me. 'This is my loss.' From that point on, I decided to push my training even harder. 'Next time, things will be different.' I resolved myself. ***** (Raye's POV) 'Ugh... my whole body hurts.' I thought as I was getting healed by the healers. I felt like passing out, but I was trying not to show it on my face. 'The headmaster and professors are still watching.' I need to show them that I can take a hit. 'But damn...' Was Leon trying to kill me? I was lucky I managed to block that. If I hadn't, I'd be lying in bed for days, even with the healers' help! I cast [Wind Blade] in a panic back then, trying to deflect the attack away from me. 'But I was too slow, and it hit Leon instead.' I was really caught off guard by his speed. When my plan started working, I got complacent and relaxed. 'And now I'm in this state. I shouldn't have lost focus.' I grumbled in my head. But there's no use crying over spilled milk now. 'Let's just hope I did well enough not to get demoted from B-Class.' Just then... "Good work out there." I heard a familiar voice beside me. Looking toward the source... "Oh, thanks." I saw Jerusha walking toward me, smiling like a child. "Your condition's pretty bad. You okay?" She asked. "Hmm." I simply nodded in response. Then I pointed at the two healers working on me. "They're good." I added. "Is that so...?" Jerusha mumbled, placing her index finger on her chin. Then after a moment... "Let me help!" S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "[Spirit's Grace]!" She cast a spell on me. It's a spirit magic that restores stamina and heals small wounds. "Ohh..." I immediately felt a lot better. I looked at Jerusha, wanting to thank her. But before I could even try to... "It's my turn to fight now, bye!" She left immediately. "¡­" I just silently watched her go. She arrived in the arena quickly, her opponent was a nobody who challenged her. And at the start of their match... "Start." "[Firestorm]" SWAASHHH! "GAAAHHH!!!" Jerusha won immediately. 'Ugh, I hate named characters. It's unfair, I'm telling you.' I thought. I feel bad for her opponent, we're basically both stepping stones for the important characters to shine. "Hmm?" I saw Jerusha looking at me from the arena, she has this smug smile on her face as if telling, "See how great spirit magic is?" I was pretty tired, so I just closed my eyes. But then... "I didn't know you were close to Senior Jerusha." I heard another familiar voice. I already knew who it was without looking. So, with my eyes still closed... "We're not close, she's just super friendly to everyone. Even to someone like me." I replied to Lena. "Hmm, well... She wouldn't approach you first even so." Lena rebutted. I casually waved my hand, signaling her that it was nothing. "She's just curious about something, for sure." I stated. I know Jerusha's personality. She probably got curious about me after seeing I was different from the rumors and that the spirits were interested in me. 'That's all there is to it.' She's just that kind of person. "Well, if you say so." Lena responded. "Oh, how's your condition?" Then she asked. "I'll live." I replied. "Hmm, good then." Lena said. "I'll go back to watching the duels. See you later." Then she left. 'What do you mean, see you later...? Leave me alone.' I thought, but I had no energy to voice it out. So instead, with my eyes still closed, I tried to rest... "Urgh...?" But I could feel some pricking gazes on me. It was uncomfortable. Not being able to bear it, I opened my eyes and looked around... "...?" Then I saw a lot of male students glaring at me. 'What the fuck did I do?' I asked in my head. I seriously had no idea. ***** After my fight with Leon, everything went as it did in the game. The main characters fought normally and performed amazingly. Lena won immediately as soon as her match started. And after making sure nothing from the game's story was changed... 'Finally escaped from that room.' I left Xapham Hall early. I had been given permission because I'm done with my match anyway and I'm exhausted. While my injuries were healed, I was tired as hell because it used up my stamina. 'My whole body feels heavy as fuck.' Anyway, after leaving the facility, I immediately went back to the cabin... ***** Arriving at the cabin... "You look awful." Old man Rey greeted me. "Well, something happened at the academy." I responded awkwardly. "How did it go?" He asked. "I don't know." I replied, scratching the side of my head. I really don't know if I did well or not. But then... "If you did your best, then I'm sure you did good." The old man said that reassuringly. Hearing that put a smile on my face. Then proudly... "Yeah, I bet I broke through their expectations!" I exclaimed. "Hah! Getting cocky already, huh." The old man laughed. "Anyway, I prepared our meals. Let's eat." Then he invited me for lunch. I didn't even tell him I'd be coming home early, but he still prepared a portion for me. Knowing that widened my smile... "Oof, I'm starving." And with that, we started eating lunch. ... ... After eating, I slept through the rest of the day. Chapter 25 25 - The Path Beyond the Game Scenarios "Ugh..."Waking up the next morning, I feel hungry as fuck. 'I can't believe I slept for more than fourteen hours.' Maybe it's because I've been stressing out about what to do for the duel with Leon. That once it was done, I was able to fully relax. Anyway... 'It's done.' My role in the game story finished yesterday. "Haahhhh..." I can finally rest. Just then... Swoosh- ===== Act II: The Fallen's Struggle (Complete) ===== A system window appeared in front of me, informing me of the completion of a game scenario. Looking at it, I raised a brow... "Why do I have different game scenarios?" I asked. This title scenario isn't from the game. Right now, "Act Zero: The Fall of the Arrogant" should've just ended when Leon defeated me. Then, thinking about it for a while... "Must be that..." I came to the conclusion that these Acts being displayed to me are focused on Raye's life and the scenarios around him, not on the game progression. And for some reason, I don't like that... Swoosh- ===== Reward: Full access to the status system has been granted. ===== But when this new window appeared in front of me, I forgot about it. And reading through its content, I became curious... "Status." I mumbled. Swoosh- Then my status window opened up. ===== Name: Raye Alvah Age: 18 Year Level: 1 Race: Human ----- Stamina: 13 Intellect: 13 Mana: 9 Strength: 11 Speed: 13 Talent: 14 Luck: 15 ----- Wind Element: Level 10 (22%) Fire Element: Level 9 (89%) Bow: Level 6 (69%) Dagger: Level 8 (45%) Cooking: Level 8 (98%) ... ... ----- Overall Grade: F- Growth Rate: S- ===== I immediately noticed a new section. And upon reading its content, I immediately realized it's for the skills I had learned and my proficiency with them. "That's cool." I mumbled with a satisfied nod. "Anyway..." Then I closed it and went to do my own thing. 'I need to prepare.' After all, today is the first day of school. ... ***** After preparing breakfast and eating with the old man, I took a bath and wore my uniform. "I'm going, Old Man!" "Okay, take care." And with that, I left for the academy. ... ... "Hmm, I'm too eye-catching." I mumbled to myself as I walked across Xapham Hall. Everywhere I go, someone's looking at me. And not just because of my reputation. 'It's because of the uniform.' Zion's uniform for male students is a white tailcoat with a black vest inside, and the bottom is plain white pants. Combine this with my white hair, it's no wonder people are looking. I look like a fucking snowman! (A handsome one...) 'Washing this would be hell.' I thought as I walked toward my classroom. ... Soon, I reached my destination. "B-Class, 1st year." After reading that on the door... Creak¡ª I immediately opened it and entered the room. "..." The room went silent as I entered. "Hm?" But for some reason, they're not whispering about me anymore. They're just looking intently. "Got anything to say?" I asked, looking back at the students. "Erm..." Then they just started mumbling something and avoiding my eyes. "Weirdos." I said before finding myself a seat. I settled on the middle row on the far right. Completely blending into the crowd. "You stand out like a sore thumb." Though, someone approached me and said that. Looking at them, I saw a young man wearing the same uniform as me. He has black hair and eyes, pretty masculine too for a magician. "Hi, my name's Devin Dustin from the magic course." He introduced himself. I don't know him from the game, definitely an extra. "Raye Alvah, magic course." So I concluded that interacting with him wouldn't have any effect on the story. "Yeah, well, everyone knows about you. Not in a good way though, haha." He replied with a laugh. 'This kid is either bold or stupid.' I thought. If I was the real Raye, I would've flipped out on him. Even the students around us are getting nervous because of him. Anyway, I shrugged my shoulders... "Then why did you talk to me if you knew about the rumors?" I asked. And almost immediately... "Well, we'll be seatmates from now on. I want to get to know you." Devin replied, he sat beside me. "Don't you already know what kind of a person I am?" I asked another question. And with a pretty innocent smile on his face... "I mean, you don't really act like the others say. Isn't it stupid to just say you know someone because you've heard rumors about them?" Devin declared that. "..." I was speechless. 'This guy is really stupid.' I thought. "Whatever, do what you want." Then I told him, casually waving my hand. And soon after that... Creak¡ª "Let's immediately begin the class." The professor assigned to our class arrived. ... ***** "..." After a brief introduction from the professor. He handed us all a form. "There are two blank sections there, fill them out with the classes you want to focus on." Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. He said. Courses have various branches, especially the magic course. That's why if we have other classes we want to take or especially excel at, we are to write them here on this form. We could even take classes outside of our course if we want. "What did you pick?" Devin asked, looking at my paper. "Alchemy and Magic Engineering." I simply replied. "What?! I thought someone like you would take combat classes!" He exclaimed. It made the professor and even the other students look at us. "Pipe down there, mister." The professor told Devin. 'Fucking embarrassing...' I cursed in my head, slightly annoyed at Devin. Anyway, looking at him... "What do you mean someone like me?" I asked, raising a brow. "Well, you're good at fighting, I saw it twice already." He answered. Well, I thank him for the compliment. "Nah." But I shrugged off the idea of taking combat classes. "Alchemy and Magic Engineering make tons of money, idiot." I stated. "Ohhh, so you're just in it for money?" Devin frowned. "I mean, I'm studying now to earn money in the future, right?" And I responded. At my words... "..." Devin opened his mouth, trying to find something to say. But in the end... "Ugh..." He wasn't able to find a word to rebut and just closed his mouth. 'Ahhh, silence.' I smiled, and with that... I passed my form, finalizing my choice to take Alchemy and Magic Engineering. "Also, I'll be handing out your report cards from the class placement test. Your rank is included with it." The professor then announced. "Hmm, I wonder what I got." I'm interested to know how well I did. Chapter 26 26 - Hard to Wash The professor made his way down the aisle, collecting the forms and handing out the report cards one by one.The air in the room was thick with anticipation, but the moment Devin received his... "Ugh..." He groaned He then turned to his right, where Raye was sitting, frustration was evident in his face. "What are your scores?" Devin asked. Raye looked at him with a frown, then, after that... "Here." He handed him his card. "That frown screams low scores. Don't worry, buddy, you're not alone." Devin said as he patted Raye on the shoulder. He took his report card, and looking at his grades... ===== Magic Theory: A Alchemy: A Magic Understanding: B+ Combat: A- Runes and Ancient Symbols: B- ----- Ranking: 113/3000 ===== S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "..." Devin became silent. He looked at Raye. "What the fuck?" Then he cursed. "They said you were stupid!" He even added. "So much for not basing on rumors, huh," Raye replied sarcastically. "Wait, why were you acting unsatisfied earlier?" Devin asked. "Unsatisfied? I was frowning because you were so loud." And Raye answered with a shrug. And feeling defeated... "Gugh... My bad." Devin just grumbled. ***** (Raye's POV) 'A few more...' I thought as I looked at my grades. If I had gotten into the top 100, I could've ended up in A-Class. That's a shame. 'Or maybe a good thing... Some important characters are still in that class. If I did get there, I'd be risking messing up the game's progression every day.' Meanwhile, B-Class didn't actually appear in the game, they're just there to fill up the class rankings. 'Even the C-Class and D-Class got more of a role than B-Class.' In short, this was the best place for me to be if I wanted to avoid messing with the game's storyline. 'Let's just be happy that I wouldn't get demoted.' Anyway, after the report cards were handed out... "Now, line up outside of the room." Our professor exclaimed that. And we all followed his instructions. ... Soon, we found ourselves standing in one of the outdoor training grounds behind Xapham Hall. B-Class gathered among the other classes, A-Class and C-Class. "What do you think will happen?" Devin asked, looking at me. "A joint training session." I simply replied. "Ehh, we're gonna fight again?" Devin followed up. "Idiot, fighting is not everything in training. But if you want to, ask any of them for a duel." I responded. Thankfully, before Devin could blab any more... "Attention." The professors of A-Class, B-Class, and C-Class came to the front and demanded our attention. "..." Everyone went silent. And after making sure we were all listening... "We're going to have a joint training session now." Professor Sariel announced that. He's in charge of A-Class. ***** "Nothing's going on, everyone's doing their own thing. It's like we're just sharing the place." Devin said after looking around and seeing that the classes were grouping on their own. "Don't worry, duels are bound to happen when you pile up classes like this." I replied to him. "What do you mean?" He asked. Then, with a shrug... "Some students from the lower classes hate the A-Class. They don't like how well they're treated despite being both students of the academy." I answered. "That's just stupid. They worked hard to get into the A-Class." Devin rebutted. Then, looking at him and pointing at myself... "Some didn't." I said that. "..." Realization struck Devin. Even if the academy says that your family background doesn't matter here, that's far from the truth. Some undeserving people get into higher classes using their family name. 'Like Raye, for example.' C-Class and D-Class consist of low-rank nobles and commoners. They have nothing but hard work. So, seeing those noble scum get into A-Class pisses them off. "Then, don't you think you'll get asked for a duel too?" Devin asked me. And with a carefree expression on my face... "Nah." I responded. "I'm not in A-Class anymore." I added. And just as I said that... "Yeah, you're not anymore." I heard someone talk behind me. I looked at the source of it, and Devin followed suit. There, I saw three stupid-looking young men. I could tell they were nobles just based on their showy appearance. Anyway... "You really fell low, huh? Conversing with a commoner and all, along with getting demoted into the lower class." The young man in the middle said. He has black hair and eyes. He looks annoying too. 'He's the leader, huh.' I already know why they're here. They must've been really quiet and obedient to Raye when he was still part of the Alvah Dukedom. But now that I've been disowned, they want to assert dominance. 'I'll just ignore them. I'm not obligated to respond to them.' I thought. "Get lost, Erick." Though, Devin spoke up. 'Oh, he knows them.' That's a surprise. "Ohh, if it isn't Devin. I thought Raye was talking to a commoner, turns out it was you." The young man in the middle, who I presume was the one called Erick, said sarcastically. "Ah wait! Aren't you basically a commoner after your dad killed himself and your vassals stole all your family's assets?" Then he immediately added. "HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!" His two lackeys laughed with him, they looked like hyenas. "..." I was stunned. I didn't expect to learn Devin's past like this. And it angered me how he and his lackeys could make fun of something like that. "You bastard!" Devin exclaimed, catching the attention of many around us, even the professors. "Your family is the one who pushed my father to death! And you all orchestrated the stealing of our wealth too!" He added. I could see him really angry. I wouldn't be surprised if he threw a punch now. "Go cry about it." The Erick guy replied, his tone and what he said pissed me off. No, everything about him annoyed me. 'I need to calm down.' But unnecessary fights should be avoided. "Calm down, Devin." I stepped up to break off the fight between them. "Tsk... okay." And though reluctant, Devin complied. He doesn't want to cause a scene too and get kicked out. 'Like me, he probably has a goal too.' But then, annoyed that his provocation didn't work... Fwip- The Erick guy grabbed me by the collar of my uniform. "Why don't you stop intervening? Don't forget that you don't have the Alvah Dukedom behind you anymore, so you better stop acting up." He said, looking at me, annoyed. My eyes widened, not because of what he did or said. "My uniform..." But because he wrinkled my uniform. There's dirt on his hands too from training, and it smeared all over my white uniform. 'This is the best set I have...' I thought. I got pissed. The Erick guy keeps throwing insults at me. Then... "What, cat got your tongue¡ªkeuk!?" Before he could finish talking, I grabbed him back by the collar. Looking at him in the eye... "[Gust]" I cast a magic. SWOOSH¡ª "GAAAHHH!!!" Bam! "Keuk!" And sent him flying to one of the outdoor arenas, falling butt-first. Tap¡ª I immediately followed and stepped onto the arena as well. And with a frown on my face... "I request a duel." I declared that for everyone to hear. 'You better prepare, I'll make you pay, you bastard.' Chapter 27 27- Evil versus Evil "I request a duel.""..." The whole area went silent. They were all looking at me, shocked. Even Erick was looking at me like that. "Are you nuts?!" He exclaimed. Then, looking down at him... "Why? After all that barking, you can't bite?" I asked. "Yeah... he was kind of a loudmouth." "He grabbed Raye first, too." "And he bothered him first." "I hate to admit it, but Raye is in the good side this time." And it sparked whispers among the students. After hearing them, I could see Erick's face turning red. So to finish it off... "You're in the A-Class, aren't you? I'm from the B-Class, one of the 'lower classes' you're talking about... Don't tell me you're scared?" I added, provoking him even further. "Hah! Acting superior just because he's from the A-Class. Everyone knows you're there because of your family!" "You know you're shit, that's why you rely on your family's name!" What I said angered the students from the C-Class. Even their professor were kind of frowning, looking at Erick. And finally... "Ggghhh... SHUT UP!!!" Erick snapped. And with bloodshot eyes... "I accept the duel, you bitch." He accepted the duel. Hearing his answer, I smirked and looked over at Professor Sariel. Then, looking back at me... "Haaaa..." He sighed and walked over to us. "Aren't you getting tired of fighting?" The professor asked as soon as he got near me. Raising a brow and looking at Erick... "Fighting?" I said that in a questioning tone. Then, with a smirk... "I'm just here to give that spoiled bitch a spanking." I added. "Gurgh..." I said it loud enough for everyone to hear. This only made Erick angrier. "Language." Professor Sariel said, shaking his head in defeat. "My bad." I apologized. "Never mind that... Just get ready, both of you." And with that, Erick and I prepared for our fight. ***** "Erick Hutchins from the swordsmanship course, first year, A-Class. I'm ready." Erick said as he came back up onto the arena, holding a wooden sword. "Raye Alvah from the magic course, first year, B-Class. I'm ready." This time, it was Raye who came back up and declared that. "Huh?" Sariel looked at Raye, head to toe. He was frowning. "What is he doing?" "Another one of his antics?" The students watching did the same. And that's because... "You're gonna fight empty-handed?" Raye didn't have a training weapon with him. At Sariel's question... "Yep." Raye simply replied, nodding his head. "Okayyy..." Sariel responded, still confused by Raye's motive. "Get ready, both of you." But he decided to move on. He gave up on understanding Raye's mind. "Are you stupid?" Erick asked, seeing Raye unarmed. On the other hand... "..." Raye just looked at Erick with a bored expression, not speaking. "Hah! Still playing the arrogant card, huh." Erick laughed. "I'll show you who's superior now." Then he added as he placed his wooden sword in front of him. And after that... "Start." Sariel began their bout! "HAAAAAA!!!" Tap- tap -tap- tap¡ª Erick ran, rushing at Raye. And watching him do that... 'So fucking slow.' Raye frowned as he thought of that. Erick was nothing like Leon. Soon, Erick reached Raye, and with all of his might... "HYAAAA!!!" Swoosh¡ª Erick unleashed a vertical slash! "Ugh, so noisy." Raye said. Then he slightly stepped back. Fwish¡ª And avoided Erick's attack by a hair's breadth! Bam! Erick's weapon made contact with the ground... Tap¡ª And Raye immediately stepped on it to lock Erick in position! And after that... "Why don't you shut up." BAM! "Gaah...!" Raye punched him in the mouth, making Erick stumble back. "Ugh..." Erick's lips tore and bled. He looked at Raye, now much angrier. "I'LL KILL YOU!!! HAAAAA!!!" Tap- tap- tap¡ª Then he ran toward him again. Swish¡ª Erick slashed horizontally. Fwish¡ª But Raye easily dodged it. "GRAAAAH!!!" Fwoosh¡ª Erick followed with a fast thrust. "..." Fwip¡ª S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. But Raye just slightly moved to the side and avoided it with ease. "You're much weaker than I expected." Raye said, clearly unimpressed. And after that... "[Wind Blast]" He cast a spell. FWISH-! Erick didn't see it coming, and at point-blank range... BAM! "Keub...?!" He was hit immediately. "Kuff... coff... ugh" Erick was knocked to the ground, coughing. Then, looking back up at Raye... He saw him staring at him with a blank expression on his face. "Talking all high and mighty with this set of skills?" Raye asked in contempt. "Even the basics of your Fundamental Blade Arts suck." Then he added. "FUCK YOU!!!" Erick raged, cursing at Raye. And as a response... "No..." "[Gust]" Raye cast a spell. He focused it on his legs, and after that... Bam! Swoosh¡ª He kicked onto the ground and used the strong wind of his magic to propel himself toward Erick! "...!" Erick was stunned and couldn't react. So Raye, with his right hand tightly clenched in a fist... "Fuck you!" BAM¡ª! He punched out and hit Erick's nose with the force of his rush! CRACK¡ª "GRAAAAAAAAHHHH!!!" A loud cracking noise was heard, followed by Erick's deafening scream. And to shut him up... "Shut up." BAM! Raye punched him in the temple of his head. "..." It was hard enough to make Erick pass out. After that... "..." Raye quietly stood up and shook his hand to remove the blood on it. And with a shocked expression on his face... "Raye Alvah won." Sariel announced that. And with that... Tap- tap- tap¡ª Raye stepped down from the arena. Erick's unconscious body was left on the ground. He was unsightly, with a lot of blood dripping from his nose, and a few of his teeth were either missing or cracked. "WOAAAHHHH!" "THAT WAS INSANE!" "WAAAAAHHHH!!!" Raye's performance wowed the crowd, and despite being hated... "YOU SERVED HIM RIGHT!" "A FIGHT BETWEEN VILLAINS, AND THE MORE EVIL WON!" The students cheered for Raye. ***** (Raye's POV) Climbing down the arena... "Wow... You told me to calm down, but you went and started a fight." Devin greeted me. He's saying that, but there's a wide smile on his face. "Thanks." He followed. "I didn't do it for you." I said to him. Though, a part of me did it for him. "Still, thanks." Devin insisted. Looking at him, I just shrugged my shoulders and walked past him. Devin followed and walked beside me. "I told you, you should be in a combat class." "Shut up." "But¡ª" "Shut up." "Fine..." And after that, the joint training session continued. Chapter 28 28 - The First Day With Raye defeating someone from the A-Class, and a noble jerk at that..."He's changed for good." "I'm seeing him in a new light now." He gained some respect from the C-Class and D-Class students. And his duel... "I'm gonna show those A-Class scum nobles, too, that they're nothing without their family." ...sparked a movement among the lower classes. They started challenging nobles from the A-Class to duels. And with that, it turned into a competition between the A-Class and the lower classes. ***** (Raye's POV) "Hmm, everything's unfolding like it did in the game." I mumbled as I watched the duels happening. Most of the nobles who got into the A-Class using their family connections lost to students from the lower classes. Only the main characters from the A-Class won overwhelmingly against them. This was a scenario in the game that revealed the unjust practices of the nobles. Soon... 'This will lead to the revolt of the lower classes.' And that'll be the start of Act II. "Wow, you did all of this." Devin said as he stood beside me, watching the ongoing matches. "It's bound to happen anyway. I just started it early." I replied with a shrug. What I'm saying is true, I didn't do anything outside of the game story. In the game, just an extra from the D-Class started this whole event by challenging an annoying noble from the A-Class to a duel¡ªand won. So I didn't really do anything significant this time. Anyway... "You're good at fighting too, huh?" I said, referring to Devin. I had just watched him obliterate the two lackeys of Erick in a duel earlier, fighting them in succession with no rest. "I'm nothing compared to you." Devin responded as he patted my back. "If there's dirt on my uniform, I'll kill you." I said. "Oops!" Then he quickly removed his hand from me. Devin fights weirdly, he's a magician but fights at close range. He can only use low-level spells, so instead of launching them at his opponent... 'He covers his fists and feet with them and fights hand-to-hand.' That's interesting. 'I should try and learn that, too.' I thought as I continued to watch the scenario in front of me unfold. ... ... I didn't get into any more fights after my first one, which is good because I'm actually tired. And after two whole hours... "You are all dismissed. Except those who are still injured¡ªstay and get treated." The joint training session finished. And because it's the first day, where we just decide the classes we want to take, there were no more classes. And so, my first day at school came to an end. ***** "See you tomorrow!" Devin exclaimed as we parted ways at the entrance of Xapham Hall. "..." I just waved silently back at him. And with that, I ran my way back to the cabin. "I'm hungry." ... ... ... Around 1 P.M. "I'm back." I arrived in front of the cabin. Old Man Rey was outside, waiting for me. "Welcome back. How was your first day?" He greeted me and asked. "It was tiring." I responded. "And annoying." And I added, looking at the dirt on my uniform. "You must be hungry. I saved some roasted deer meat from earlier. Change your clothes while I heat it up." The old man said. "Thanks." I thanked him and went inside to change clothes. ... ... Burp¡ª "Haaaaa..." After filling up my stomach, a satisfied smile appeared on my face. "That was good, old man. Thanks!" I exclaimed as I relaxed. "Meh." Old Man Rey responded as usual. We talked back and forth, with him asking me about my day, and me asking about his. It was relaxing and fun. But after resting for a bit... "Chores." I started cutting logs outside so we could store more firewood. Meanwhile, the old man started crafting more traps to lay in the forest tomorrow. Anyway, after chopping woods for two hours... "Repair." I stopped and continued repairing the walls of the old man's room. I say repair, but I'm replacing almost all of the parts because of how old they were. And around 5 P.M. ... "Hello!" I heard a familiar voice behind me. Looking back... S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Oh, it's you." I saw Jerusha, smiling ear to ear. "What's with that reaction?!" "I'm here to teach you, don't you remember?!" She exclaimed, offended. "Ah, that's right." I did forget at some point, but now that I remember... "I'll just finish this part, then we'll start." I'm excited to learn spirit magic. "Okay, I'll just stay here and watch you." Jerusha replied. Tak- tak- tak¡ª And I continued my work... ... After about half an hour, I finished the part that I was repairing. "..." Jerusha really just watched me the whole time, not saying anything. 'She's really weird.' I thought as I turned to her. "Didn't you get bored?" I asked, frowning. "Nope! Watching you work is somewhat intriguing!" She exclaimed. Hearing her answer, I shrugged my shoulders and opened my mouth... "Anyway, shall we start?" I said suggestively. "Okay!" And Jerusha excitedly replied. ***** After finding a quiet spot in the northern forest not too far from the cabin... "I'm starting the first lesson." Jerusha began. "We entered the forest because this is the natural habitat of the spirits. In fact, as I'm talking right now, there are a lot of them around us." She stated. I, sitting on top of a big rock, looked around at her words. "I can't see them." I mumbled. "That's right!" Jerusha exclaimed. "Why do you think so?" Then she asked. "Because I have a low mana stat?" I answered, questioning. And hearing that... "Buzz... wrong!" Jerusha said. "People often think that having a large mana pool is the key to seeing spirits, but that's wrong!" She proudly declared. "Spirits materialize themselves using the mana in their surroundings, not your mana. And their body is mostly made of mana." "In other words, what's really important is having high mana sensitivity!" Jerusha explained, acting like a real professor. "Even when I was four years old and had the same mana stat as you, I could already see them, so don't worry!" She even added. 'Okay, that was unnecessary. She indirectly told me my mana stat is equal to that of a child.' I thought, a small frown appeared on my face. I know she's encouraging me by saying that, but it's still a low blow. Anyway... "How can I increase my mana sensitivity, then?" I moved on and asked her. Then with a smug smile on her face... "Meditation." Jerusha answered, pointing her fingers upward. 'She's really enjoying herself, huh.' "You just need to meditate and feel the mana around you, focusing on it until you get used to it." She added. Then, pondering for a while... "Isn't it better to meditate while my mana pool is empty?" I asked. "In that case, I'll be more sensitive to the surrounding mana because my body is absorbing more mana to refill my mana pool." Then I followed with an explanation. "Ah! You're right!" Jerusha exclaimed excitedly. Then with a bright smile on her face... "You're smart!" She added. "..." Her compliment made me feel good, to be honest. "I didn't think of that because I have a big mana pool¡ªI haven't experienced mana exhaustion in my lifetime!" But her next words immediately erased the smile on my face. Chapter 29 29 - Caught in the Flow Continuing the lesson..."You should try draining your mana now." Jerusha said that to me. We're going to try the method I thought of earlier. At her words... "[Windwhirl]" SWAAAAH¡ª SWOOOOOSH¡ª I immediately used an intermediate-level magic that drains my mana with a single use. "Ohhh, what strong wind." S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Jerusha seems used to this level of magic. I just summoned a windwhirl. Rustle, rustle¡ª It was strong enough to sway the trees surrounding us violently. I'd always wanted to try this spell, but I knew I could only use it once, and it'd be weaker because of my low mana stat. But given the opportunity, I didn't hesitate to try it. Anyway, not even a minute after manifesting a windwhirl... Poof¡ª Swaaa¡ª I was out of mana, and the spell canceled on its own. "Huff... haaaa¡­" I was exhausted too. "That was fast. Now start meditating!" Giving me no time to rest, Jerusha said that. "..." I silently complied, sitting on top of the big rock in a lotus position. After that... "..." I closed my eyes. "Relax your whole body." I heard Jerusha's voice. I tried to relax myself as much as I could. "Fuuuu¡­" I fixed my breathing, in and out. I erased my thoughts. Then I tried sensing the mana around me... 'Oh...' I could feel it, the swirling mana in the surroundings. It was everywhere, waiting to be absorbed. This part of the forest is especially packed with mana. 'Did Jerusha pick this place for my training?' She's really considerate. I could feel the mana entering my body, and my mana pool getting refilled. And though faint... "I can feel them." The spirits around us. "That's good. Continue what you're doing." Jerusha said when she heard my words. "..." And I followed her instruction. I was so fascinated by this new sensation. And soon... "..." Just focusing on the mana around me... I entered a stupor state. ... ... ... ... ... I don't know how long I was in that suspended state. But after regaining my consciousness, I opened my eyes... "Huh?" And to my shock¡ª "It's morning?!" It was bright as hell now! I looked around, finding Jerusha... But instead of her, I saw a note in front of me. I immediately read it... ===== Wow, you're so talented in meditating, your concentration is on another level! I can't even do it for that long! Anyway, I watched you for more than 3 hours, but I had to go back to the dorm, or else the head maid would scold me. I thought it'd be a shame to disrupt you, since this'll be a big jump in your goal of learning spirit magic, after all. So instead, I left some spirits to guard you and left you this note! I also informed Mister about your absence and the reason why. He told me to tell you good luck and that dinner will be stored for you, so don't worry! Anyway, that's that. See you tomorrow! ¡ªYour master, Jerusha. ===== A frown appeared on my face. "..." I was trying to find something to say... Grumble¡ª But my stomach made a sound first. I'm hungry. So with that, I stood up and walked back to the cabin. ***** "Where have you been? You didn't come back the whole night." Old Man Rey said as soon as he saw me approaching. There's a hint of worry in his voice, which made me feel guilty. "I'm sorry, I was caught up in something." I responded, bowing my head in shame. "Well, I know that. The girl told me last night. But she just said you'd be gone for a few more hours." The old man stated. "I don't know what happened either." I said, and I was being completely honest about it. I didn't expect it to be that long either. "..." The old man just looked at me. But after a brief pause... "Argh! Never mind that. You must be hungry. Eat up now, I made breakfast already." "I was actually on my way to find you." He said that, pointing at the table with a rabbit stew. 'How nostalgic.' He always makes me rabbit stew whenever he's reminded of our meeting. And it's my favorite dish now. Just then... "What are you staring at? School's about to start." Old Man Rey said that, snapping me out of my thoughts. "What?" I asked, confused. "Yesterday, you were already long gone to school by this hour." The old man answered casually. "Shit." I cursed softly. "I'm gonna be late!" Then I exclaimed as I got ready. I ate breakfast, then washed up immediately afterward. I wore a new set of uniforms, and within just a few minutes... "I'm off!" "Good luck." I left the cabin. ... ... "Huff... haaa... huff!" I was running at full speed. I didn't see any students on my way. 'Shit, I'm actually late.' Soon, I reached the entrance of Xapham Hall... I immediately scanned through the schedules displayed outside to find my first class... "Alchemy!" And after finding it... Bam! I dashed through the hallway. I know it's against the rules, but who actually cares? ... ... After a short while... I arrived in front of the alchemy room. "Is everyone here?" I heard a voice coming from the room. Out of panic... Creak¡ª I immediately opened the door! And as soon as I stepped inside... "Now, everyone is." I blurted that out. It came out wrong from what was in my head. Now I sound like a jerk. "..." The whole room went silent. They all looked at me. 'I wanna die.' I thought in embarrassment, I didn't want to be here right now. Though, I kept my calm facade. "Hmm, interesting." Then, the woman in front of the room spoke. I recognized her. She's Professor Jacqueline Orchid. She's in her early 30s, has discerning brown eyes and chestnut hair neatly styled in a low bun. Strict and composed, she wears earth-toned, professional attire, exuding both authority and subtle warmth. And in the game, she was in charge of all the 1st Year Alchemy Classes throughout the academy! "You're late, Mister Raye." Professor Jacqueline said. "And I apologize for that." I responded. Hearing my words, Professor Jacqueline eyed me from head to toe... "I know you from the other professors." She then said, slowly approaching me. "I know all the things you did in the first semester... If you registered for this class because you think it's easy to cheat in, then you're making a grave mistake." She added, squinting her eyes at me. "I didn't think of that. I'm serious about learning alchemy." I replied, looking straight back at her. "Is that so? Then wouldn't you have basic alchemy knowledge if that were true?" Professor Jacqueline asked. "Be my guest." I said. And at my response... "Which is better to stabilize a volatile mixture. Earthroot Powder or Skyroot Essence?" The professor asked me that question. And with confidence... "Earthroot Powder, as earth elements provide stability." I immediately answered. "..." "..." This silenced Professor Jacqueline and the students expecting me not to answer that question. "May I take a seat now, so you could start the class?" I asked. And with a bit of reluctance... "Go ahead." The professor let me go. And with that, I found myself a seat. Chapter 30 30 - Earlier and More Except for the start of the class, the alchemy session went on peacefully with nothing big happening.I just sat in the corner, listening to the lesson. Professor Jacqueline kept eyeing me throughout the class, checking if I was doing something shady. But I just let her, I can't blame her or stop her anyway. And after two whole hours¡­ "That's all for today, class dismissed." The class came to an end. "What's my next class again?" I asked myself as I stood up from my seat. I hadn't looked at my full schedule, so I planned to check it again later. 'There's an hour of free time, what should I do?' I initially thought of going back to the cabin, but that'd be too tiring and time-consuming. So instead¡­ "I should visit Kyle." I decided on that. It's been a long time since I checked on him. 'I wonder how he's doing.' With that, I left the classroom and immediately headed to Kyle's store. ***** Tap- tap- tap¡ª On my way to Kyle's store¡­ "Where are we headed again?" Devin asked as he walked beside me. S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Ugh..." I groaned in annoyance. I didn't invite him, he just saw me leaving Xapham Hall and decided to come with me. "¡­" I've been ignoring him since earlier. "Ah! I heard you made a flashy entrance on your first day in Alchemy Class." But when Devin said that¡­ Tap¡ª My steps halted, and I turned to him. "What?" I asked him. And with a carefree expression on his face¡­ "There's a rumor that you made a flashy entrance by attending the class late and getting into a fight with the professor." He explained that to me. A frown appeared on my face. 'I can't believe it, there are already rumors about it?' I thought they would lose interest in me after being silent for a month, but it seems they hate Raye more than I thought. "Haaa¡­" I sighed in resignation, shaking my head. "It's nothing big." I said. Then I started telling Devin what actually happened to make him shut up. ... ¡­ "Well, that's a pretty flashy entrance if you ask me." Devin said after hearing my story. "Whatever. What I'm saying is that it wasn't intentional." I responded. I didn't tell him the reason I was late, I just think there's no need to. Then, as we were walking¡­ "Catch him!" "Stop right there!" Bam! Tap- tap- tap¡ª I heard a commotion nearby. Looking in its direction¡­ "Oh?" I saw Leon running after a guy. Not far behind him, there was a beautiful young woman with silky-long black hair and obsidian-like eyes, she's holding a big staff as she follows after Leon. I immediately recognized the young woman, it was Aria Themis¡ªthe main heroine in the game. She's from the same village as Leon and the protagonist's childhood friend. Anyway, looking at them¡­ 'The game story is proceeding on time, that's good.' I thought about that. Act I: The Creepy Stalker. That's probably ongoing right now, seeing Leon angrily chasing someone. In this part of the game, Aria keeps receiving death threats and feels like she's being watched. After Leon learned of this, he became angry and took charge of solving the matter. 'Soon, they'll find out the person behind this is just an obsessed noble from the second-year magic course.' He was so in love with Aria that he tried to scare her, hoping that she would rely on him. But when Leon entered the scene, he became furious and really tried to do shady stuff. Anyway¡­ 'That's that, I'll leave it to them.' I don't plan to involve myself in that. So, I went on my way and started walking toward Kyle's store again. "That Leon guy is always doing crazy things ever since he got admitted. It's like he's some protagonist of a story or something." Devin said as he followed me, he seems excited talking about it too. 'This guy is sharp even though he's stupid.' I thought. 'I don't want him getting involved in the game story because of curiosity and messing it up.' After all, this isn't like a game, everyone in this world has their own consciousness and will. They have their own life. It's not just me that can be an unexpected variable. Anyone can. 'This is reality now.' The people here aren't just NPCs who say the same thing over and over and just stay in their place. I need to keep that in mind. So to shift Devin's attention away from Leon... "Don't mind him, let's just go. I'll treat you to some smoked beef." I said that. "Really? Thanks!" Which worked like a charm. ***** A few minutes later, Devin and I reached Kyle's store. "Ah, Brother Raye!" Kyle greeted me. He started calling me brother after we ate together on the first day of the class placement test. "How're things going here?" I asked as soon as Kyle approached us. "Never been this good before!" He exclaimed excitedly. "After advertising like you said, customers kept coming like floods. I don't actually need to stay super late now!" He added with a bright smile on his face. "Ah, by the way, this is Devin, a classmate of mine." Then I introduced Devin to him. "Hello." Devin said. "Hello, I'm Kyle Larson." Kyle introduced himself. They shook hands, and after that¡­ "Can you make us something, Kyle?" I asked him. "I'll pay." I added. And at my words¡­ "Ah, wait!" Kyle's eyes widened as if he just remembered something. Then, with a grin on his face¡­ "Tadah!" He handed me a small cloth bag. "...?" I was confused at first. "Huh?" But when I felt the bag's texture, I immediately realized what was inside. Looking at Kyle, surprised¡­ "It's early." I mumbled. Kyle shook his head at my words. Then, smiling at me¡­ "I wanted to surprise you, so I decided to give it earlier than we promised!" He declared. "Huh, what's happening?" Devin asked, looking back and forth between us. I ignored him and focused on the bag in my hand. Opening it up¡­ "¡­" It was full of gold coins, approximately 20 of them. 'It's more than in the game.' I thought. Looking up at Kyle¡­ I felt kinda proud, I knew he would succeed, but still seeing it now fills me up with happiness. "I told you, my money isn't wasted on you." I said to Kyle, smiling softly him. "Thanks." Flustered, Kyle thanked me. And with that¡­ "We should all eat together, my treat!" I declared. And even though he had no idea what was happening¡­ "WHOOAAAAHH!!!" Devin was excited when he heard my words. "Free food!" He exclaimed. 'I can't believe he's a noble.' Chapter 31 31 - A Glimpse of Red "Thanks for the treat!"Devin said as we parted ways. We were back in Xapham Hall and on our way to our next class. "You're welcome." I simply replied, then went on my way. ... ... My next class was Magic Engineering, one of the classes I put on my form. I hadn't actually tried this course before when I was playing Brave Hearts, so I'm very new to this. As to why I wanted to take this class, it's because I want to learn how to make artifacts. I don't have that much mana, so they'll be a big help in surviving in this world. 'Also, they sell for a lot of money.' For someone like me, this is the perfect class to excel at. Anyway, arriving in front of the room where the class would be held... Creak¡ª I opened the door and entered. The professor hadn't arrived yet, so I went and took a seat in the far corner of the room. Waiting for the class to start, I thought to myself... 'I'm all over the place again.' After my match with Leon, I felt lost. I don't know what I should do next, I'm doing everything aimlessly. 'I know I want to graduate, but that's my final goal.' I need short-term goals that will help me achieve that, slowly building my way up there. As I was thinking of that... Creak¡ª "Hello everyone, please take a seat so we can start." The professor assigned to our class appeared. So I decided to think about this later, after school. ***** My second class went on peacefully, I learned the fundamentals needed for magic engineering, and I'm really interested in it. The same for my last class, Runes and Ancient Symbols. It's a class that's nowhere in the game, but the topic discussed was actually fascinating. The class was about constructing spells by using the mana in the surroundings. It takes longer than using your own mana and it's much weaker, so it wasn't popular in the magic course... 'But for someone like me with low mana, this could be very helpful.' So I made sure to listen properly. Anyway... I'm currently on my way back to the cabin. It's around 6 P.M. now. I'm holding a bag of fruits and vegetables, they're gifts for the old man. I initially thought of roasted beef skewers, but we've been eating meat a lot these days, so I decided on these. 'I even bought him new hunting clothes.' With all this, I spent about 5 gold coins. Which leaves me roughly 15 gold coins from what I received from Kyle, and currently... "I have about 55 gold coins." I'm saving them in case of an emergency. Moving on... The cabin came into sight. So, excitedly... Bam! I ran toward it. Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ... ... "Oh, you're back." Old Man Rey greeted me as usual. "..." But I couldn't reply immediately. Because beside him... "Hello!" ...was Jerusha. "What are you doing here?" I asked. "For your next lesson!" She replied immediately. "You're way too early." I told her. "Who cares? She could eat with us before you two go on your way." The old man then intervened. "Really? Thanks!" And Jerusha responded. "Wha..." I looked at the old man in shock, he wasn't this kind when we first met! 'Why is he like this?' I asked in my head, confused. But then... 'Huh?' I saw him wink at me. Then it hit me... 'He thinks we're a thing.' That's why he's doing this¡ªto supposedly help me with her. I tried to explain to the old man that he's misunderstanding things... "She's not my¡ª" "Shush." But he didn't let me. "Make dinner, we're gonna prepare the table." He said. Then he approached me... "Don't worry, I got you." And whispered that. "Let's go inside, Jerusha. You could rest in Raye's room." "Ah no, I'll help!" Then they both went inside. Meanwhile... "..." I just shut my mouth. 'He's gone crazy.' I thought as I prepared the ingredients. ***** It didn't take me long to cook dinner, and after I was done... "Here." I placed a hot pot in the middle of the table. Then, opening its lid... Swaa~ "Wowwww!" "Ohhh, what's that, kid?" A salivating aroma hit our noses. "It's vegetable beef soup." I said. "We have vegetables?" The old man asked. And with a grin on my face... "I bought some on the way." I replied, bragging. "Also, I have this." Then I went and handed him a bag. Looking inside it... "Oh, fruits." The old man was excited to see that. But upon closer look... "Hmm?" He noticed something different. Reaching out and taking it out... "What..." Old Man Rey was surprised by a new set of hunting clothes. "Wear this when we go to the forest. This will protect you from bugs and itchy plants, and it'll also keep you warm." I said with a smug smile. But my smugness quickly disappeared... "Thank you." The old man thanked me, his voice quivering. "..." I just smiled at him softly. But that faded too... "...!" I saw Jerusha looking at me with a shocked expression. 'I forgot about her.' Now I'm a bit embarrassed. So, to move on... "That's that, let's eat!" I suggested, and we all started eating after that. As we eat, the old man keeps giving weird hints to Jerusha about me. I just let him because he look so happy, though. ... ... After eating, the old man went to bed as usual. On the other hand, Jerusha and I returned to the northern forest where we held the lesson yesterday. "You're really so different from the rumors." Jerusha said as I sat on top of the big rock. "..." I just remained silent, not saying anything about it. I'm still embarrassed from earlier. But then... "Oh, I heard you meditated till morning from the spirits." Jerusha mentioned that. "Ah!" That made me immediately turn my head to her. "Yeah, what's the deal with that?" I asked. "I don't know." But Jerusha just shrugged. "I can't meditate for that long, you're really something else." She added. "..." I became silent, looking at my hands and frowning. Though, suddenly... "After meditating for that long, I wouldn't be surprised if you could see spirits now," Jerusha stated that. "Huh?" I looked back up at her, excited. And seeing me like that... "Why don't you try?" Jerusha suggested. "Okay, what should I do?" I immediately asked her. And casually... "Just concentrate on the mana around us, try to see them." Jerusha instructed. "...?" I didn't get what she meant. But I tried, nevertheless... I closed my eyes and focused on the mana in the air. And after a while... "Fuuu..." I exhaled heavily and slowly opened my eyes. And upon doing so... "Huh?" I was greeted by nothing but Jerusha, looking at me expectantly. "How did it go?" She asked. Disappointed, I shook my head. "Ohh..." She was pretty disappointed too, I could tell. I wasn't really expecting it to be that easy, but it's still frustrating. "..." I just clenched my hands into fist in silence. But then... -Meep! I heard a strange noise. "Huh?" -Meep! I heard it again. I looked around, searching for where it was coming from. "What are you doing?" Jerusha asked, but I ignored her. -Meep! And the third time I heard it... I finally saw where it was coming from. "..." -Meep! Meep! There was a small, red-looking slime on the ground, near the foot of the rock I was sitting on. "A spirit." It was a spirit. "I can see a spirit!" I exclaimed in excitement. Chapter 32 32 - The Spark of Partnership "I can see a spirit!"Although not as magical as when Jerusha showed them to me, I was still happy. "What?!" Jerusha exclaimed after hearing my words. "What spirit can you see?" She asked, looking around. 'She's probably looking at the spirits around us, wondering who I am seeing.' Slowly, I pointed at the small red slime jumping up and down on the ground. -Meep! It was cute as fuck. Following my gaze, Jerusha saw where I was pointing. And there, she saw the same thing I was seeing... "Awwwww, how cute." Jerusha squealed. "..." I ignored her. Then I placed my hand palm-up near the slime. And as a response... -Meep! The slime jumped onto it. It was really small, it fit my palm perfectly. I pulled my hand back and looked at the spirit closer... -Meep! Meep! It started jumping excitedly. It made me smile. Looking at Jerusha... "What is this?" I asked her. The slime looked at Jerusha too. Then, excitedly... "That's a newly formed spirit! A baby, you might say." "That one is an element slime, and based on the color, it's a fire type!" She explained. I looked back at the spirit on my palm. It was so innocent-looking and cute. "It's the only one you can see right now with your mana sensitivity. Actually, I think that slime used a bit of its own mana to show itself to you." Jerusha mumbled. "But with just a little more meditation, you could see the low-class spirits. And after that, you could form your first contract with them!" Then she declared, she was really excited for me. I was happy to hear that too, but with a slight frown on my face... "How about this one?" I asked Jerusha, referring to the red slime. "Huh?" She was confused. So, to clarify things... "Can't I just form my first contract with this little one?" I rephrased my question. "..." Jerusha was speechless upon hearing my words. She opened her mouth, but no words came out. The slime and I just looked at her in silence. Then, after a brief moment... "You can." Jerusha said. It made me glad. Though... "But just so you know, with your current mana, you can only have one contract with a lower-class spirit. And that slime in front of you is the lowest in the lower-class." She added. "Do you still want to continue?" Jerusha asked, waiting for my response. 'The lowest of the low, huh...' I thought, looking at the slime in my hand. 'Aren't we peas in the same pod?' And with a smile on my face... "Yeah, I want to." I answered Jerusha. ***** "You just need to feed it with your mana." Jerusha instructed. We were starting the contract-making. "First, both parties must be willing, the spirit mustn't reject your mana." "Second, your mana must be high enough to provide some to the spirit daily." "And lastly, the compatibility rate between you two... This is the most important part. Without this, everything else will be hard, or worse, the contract could fail." She explained, making sure to tell me everything I needed to know. And after all that... "You can start now." Jerusha stated. "Okay." I replied as I nodded. -Meep! The slime did the same while on top of my palm. 'Cute.' I thought. Anyway, I closed my eyes. And carefully... Swaaaaah~ I started pouring mana into the slime spirit. "That's good, continue it." I heard Jerusha, and I followed her words. I continued. "..." A second passed, two, three... "...?" But nothing happened. Jerusha said I might feel a bit of resistance, so I prepared myself. But it didn't come. Nevertheless, I moved on and continued what I was doing. ... And after about half an hour... "Haaah..." I was out of mana. "Ugh..." I'm exhausted and sleepy. Slowly, I opened my eyes. "..." And Jerusha's face greeted me. 'Too close.' I thought as I backed away slightly. "How did it go?" I asked. Then silently, while smiling ear to ear... "Look." Jerusha pointed at my palm. And there... -Meep! I saw the slime, much redder than before! And unconsciously, I felt a strong connection between us! "I succeeded!" I exclaimed in excitement. "You did it! Well done!" Jerusha said, acting like a proud teacher. I just let her be, she helped me with all this, after all. "Thanks." I said to her. "You're welcome!" She replied happily. "Ah!" Then she seemed to remember something... "Did you know you both have a very high compatibility rate?" She suddenly said. "What?" "I was surprised as well. I didn't even have that high compatibility with my first spirit." Jerusha rambled. "This means that you both can get stronger fast!" She exclaimed. Hearing her words... "I'm glad to hear that." -Meep! I replied as I patted the slime in my hand. "What are you naming it?" Jerusha then asked me. "It doesn't have one?" I asked back, surprised. Then, shaking her head... "It's a newly born spirit, it doesn't have a name yet. So, you can give it one." Jerusha said that. "Is that so...?" Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. I looked at the slime. -Meep! After that... "Hmm..." I thought long and hard. Upon entering a contract with the slime spirit, I came to know that it's a boy and only a few months old. And because I don't like to complicate things... "Why not Pyro?" I gave it a simple name. -Meep! The slime responded positively. I could feel his feelings now. "That's a cute name." Jerusha responded, waving hi to Pyro. "With that done, I'll give you both an assignment." Then she suddenly said that to the both of us. "Huh?" -Meep? Pyro and I were both confused by her words. Seeing us like that, Jerusha laughed a little. "It's nothing big. I just want you both to create a special skill." She added. "What?" I still didn't get it. So, to fix that... "Strengthen your bond with Pyro and make a skill between you two." Jerusha simplified her words. "Like this." Then she opened her right hand. And then... SWAAAAAHHH¡ª An enormous trident made of water appeared in the air. "!" My eyes widened at the sight of it. I could feel the surging mana from it. It made me sweat like bullets! And just a few moments after that appeared... Poof¡ª It simply vanished in thin air. "I didn't fire it because I don't want to cause a mess in the forest." I heard Jerusha said. "..." I was still speechless. And while I was like that, Jerusha casually stood up and patted her clothes clean. "I'll leave now, it's getting late." She said, walking away. "Ah!" But she stopped in her tracks and looked back. And with a sweet smile... "Congrats on your first contract with a spirit." She said that softly. Chapter 33 33 - A Day with Pyro After Jerusha left, I immediately headed back to the cabin.Pyro came home with me. And as soon as I lay on the bed... "..." I immediately fell asleep. I was already exhausted, after all. ***** The next morning... "Haaa..." I woke up feeling kind of refreshed. S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. -Meep! Pyro greeted me. "Good morning to you too." I replied, smiling at him. After that, I fixed my bed and headed outside. I was going to make breakfast for the old man and myself. And as I was in the middle of doing so... "Early again, huh." The old man appeared, clearly just waking up. "Good morning." I greeted him. "Hmm." The old man nodded sleepily as a response. But then... "Huh?" He suddenly became sober. "What's that?" He asked, pointing at my shoulder... To be exact, he's pointing at Pyro. 'Oh, I remember Jerusha saying spirits would be visible to most people upon making a contract with someone.' Though if they wanted to, spirits could hide themselves and would only be visible to those with high mana sensitivity. Anyway... "A spirit." I answered the old man's question casually. "..." He was speechless, rubbing his eyes as if to check whether he was hallucinating. Soon, though... "Argh! Whatever!" He gave up trying to understand and moved on. "His name is Pyro, by the way." I said to the old man. And after that... "Breakfast is ready." We ate breakfast together. -Meep! Pyro joined us, feeding off my mana. ***** After eating, I immediately washed myself in the nearby river. I then put on my uniform and went on my way to the academy. -Meep! Pyro was with me, of course. "Hide yourself." I said to Pyro as I ran through the halls of Xapham Hall. -Meep! He replied, complying. Fwiif~ After that, his presence immediately became hard to detect. "That's good." I mumbled with a slight smile. And with that, I attended my first class. 'Alchemy' ... ... Unlike yesterday, the Alchemy class started peacefully. Professor Jacqueline discussed the effects of herbs and how to prepare them properly. It was something I already knew from the game, so it was relatively easy. I listened well to the lectures and answered questions. I actively participated in the class to show that I'm serious about learning, and soon enough... "Good job, Raye." Professor Jacqueline started warming up to me! 'Let's keep this up.' I thought to myself as I continued listening to the lesson. And after a few hours... "That's all for today, you are all dismissed." The class came to an end peacefully as well. ***** "That's cute." Devin said, pointing at Pyro, who was resting on my shoulder. "You can see him?" I asked, frowning at him. "It was hard, but I could feel something on your shoulder. So I concentrated really hard, then I saw that." Devin explained. "Why? Am I not supposed to?" And then he asked. "..." I was speechless. He did something I struggled to do in a matter of minutes! 'This guy is something else.' I thought. Moving on, I shook my head... "No, I was just surprised." Then I answered his question. "This guy's name is Pyro, a spirit I'm contracted with." I added, kind of bragging. Then, with a smile on his face... "Hi, Pyro." Devin said, waving at Pyro on my shoulders. -Meep! Pyro greeted him back. "Wow, you're contracted with a spirit now. That's so cool!" Devin exclaimed, turning his attention back to me. He genuinely looks surprised and impressed. "Meh." I just shrugged my shoulders at his words. I didn't do something noteworthy, there's a lot of spirit mages in this academy, after all. And all of them are stronger than me... 'I'm nothing special.' Anyway... Devin and I were on our way to Kyle. It was lunchtime again, and we planned to eat there. It's not fun being alone, so I just let Devin come with me whenever. His company isn't too bad once you get used to how loud he is. ***** After lunch, Devin and I went back to Xapham Hall to take our remaining classes. I listened well to the lessons¡ªthey were as interesting as yesterday's. I thought I'd be bored having to go to school again at my age, but the academy's subjects really fascinate me. Anyway, after school... I immediately headed to the library. And right now, I'm reading books about spirit magic, hoping they could help me with the assignment Jerusha left for Pyro and me. 'She gave me until Sunday to create a skill with Pyro.' Jerusha said she had something to do for a while and wouldn't be able to meet me. 'Though, I know she's helping the main character solve the first act, given that she's in the same year as the mastermind.' Moving on... "..." I continued reading. -Meep! I let Pyro jump around the study table. Just then... "A spirit, huh." I heard a familiar voice. It was Lena. "Got contracted with that little guy recently?" She asked. "How did you know?" -Meep? I asked back, as did Pyro. Then with a smirk on her face... "The books you're reading make it obvious." Lena answered. 'Really observant.' I thought, nodding at her. "You're right." -Meep! I replied to her, as did Pyro. "Of course, I'm always right." Lena declared. "..." I just looked at her for a few seconds, staring in disbelief. Fwip- Then I went back to reading. "Hey, stop ignoring me!" Lena exclaimed, but I focused on the book in front of me. ***** After spending a few hours in the library, I headed back to the cabin. There... "Right on time, dinner's ready." The old man said as I caught him preparing the table. "Let me help." I said, giving him a hand. -Meep! Pyro just accompanied me the whole time. After that, we ate dinner¡ªthe three of us, with Pyro feeding off my mana again. ... ... The old man and I talked about what happened at school while we ate. Today was just a normal day, so there wasn't much to talk about. And after having dinner... "I'll be on my way." He headed to bed. "Rest well." I said to him before leaving the cabin and entering the northern forest. ***** At the forest... "Let's start, Pyro." -Meep! Pyro and I practiced and experimented on a lot of things, trying to create a special skill. But after about an hour... Poof- "..." -... We didn't make any progress. "This is hard." I mumbled. -Meep... Pyro agreed, looking as dejected as me while perched on my right shoulder. Nevertheless... "Let's try again." -Meep! We didn't stop. We continued, again and again! Until my mana pool was drained and I was exhausted. ... Around 11 P.M. "Ugh, sleepy." I mumbled as I returned back to the cabin. -Meep... Pyro was tired as well. I immediately went to bed, and within seconds of closing my eyes... "..." I fell asleep. ... .... This new routine with Pyro continued for days. Before I knew it... Sunday arrived. Chapter 34 34 - With a Bang! Sunday morning..."Haaaah..." Raye woke up with a yawn, then he started fixing his bed. As he was doing so... -Meep... Pyro hopped on his shoulder, still looking sleepy. Then they went outside the cabin and started preparing breakfast. "Morning." The Old Man, Rey, came out of the cabin not long after them. "Good morning." -Meep! Raye and Pyro greeted him. And after brewing two coffees and slicing up some bread... "Let's eat." "Hmm, okay." -Meep! The three of them ate breakfast together. ***** After that, Raye's day proceeded like how it was during the sembreak... He chopped logs for an hour to store firewood, then he went to the northern forest with the old man to check on the traps. They also hunted small animals on their way back to the cabin... And back in the cabin, the old man processed the meat from their hunt¡ªthey got two deer and three rabbits. Meanwhile, Raye started making lunch in the meantime... After finishing all of that, the two of them had lunch together. -Meep! With Pyro, of course. Then, Raye washed himself up in the nearby river. And after that... He went to the library and studied Alchemy and Magic Engineering for hours. And around 5 P.M. Raye came back to the cabin with the intention to continue with the repairs. His day was moving naturally¡ªit was obvious that he was used to this. Raye's schedule was so systematic that he fully utilized his time properly, making him so productive. (I wish I could be like that too...) S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Moving on, after preparing the tools and materials needed for the repairs... Tak- tak- tak... Raye started without wasting any second. ... ***** Around 8 P.M. Tak- tak- tak¡ª As Raye was fixing his walls from the outside of the cabin... "Hello!" He heard a voice behind him. He was familiar with it now that he didn't need to look back to identify who it was. It was Jerusha. -Meep! Pyro greeted her. Raye turned back to face Jerusha and greeted her too. "Hello." And out of the blue... "Oh, it's been a while!" The Old Man, Rey, suddenly appeared and said that. "Hello, mister!" Jerusha then greeted him. And just as usual... "Care to join us for dinner?" She was invited to eat dinner with them by the old man. "Oh, I'd love to!" Jerusha accepted immediately. And at the sideline... "..." Raye was just watching the situation unfold in silence. He was used to it by now. He slightly shook his head with a frown on his face... "I'm gonna make dinner now." Then he said that as he stored back the tools and materials he was just using earlier. "Great, I'll prepare the table." The old man said. "Jerusha, can you help that brat?" Then he requested that to Jerusha. "Sure, no problem!" Jerusha readily answered. "..." Raye just remained silent. By now, he already knew that he wouldn't have any say in the matter anyway. And just like that, the three of them had dinner... -Meep! With Pyro, of course. ... ***** After having dinner... "It's been a while, huh." Raye and Jerusha left together, headed to the northern forest where they held their lessons before. -Meep! Pyro replied to Jerusha instead of Raye. As they were walking, Raye looked at Jerusha... "How was the thing you were doing?" Then he asked that. And smiling ear to ear... "Oh, it went well. Everything was taken care of!" Jerusha answered. Hearing her words... 'That's good.' Raye thought of that. He was relieved. This meant that everything went as it was in the game. Leon and Aria caught the mastermind behind the stalking incidents, and [Act I] finished without a problem. So, moving on... The two of them continued having small talks, catching up to what happened to each other in the past few days. And not long after... "We're finally here." -Meep! "..." They finally reached their destination. ***** (Jerusha's POV) Arriving at the part of the northern forest where Raye meditated before... "Are you ready?" I asked him that. Then, with a confident smirk on his face... "You, are you ready?" Raye asked me the same question. -Meep! Pyro even jumped on and responded too, wearing the same smirk as Raye. 'That's cute.' I thought, seeing how close they had gotten in the past few days. Anyway... "That smirk... I can assume that you two succeeded in the assignment I gave you, right?" I said that. And this time... "Mhm." -Meep! Pyro and Raye answered in unison, both nodding their heads. So without further ado... "Let me see then." I asked them that. Raye looked at me, all smug. And without responding to me... "..." He raised his right hand in front of him, pointing at a tree not far away from us. (Raye was doing a finger gun.) 'Hmm, what is he doing?' I looked at his raised hand. And after that... Swoosh- I felt a small amount of mana being condensed on the tip of his index finger. And it's not just condensing... 'It's rotating really fast.' "..." I remained silent, watching the scene in curiosity. Pyro had his eyes closed, focusing too. 'He's really cute.' And not long after... Shhhh¡ª A small ball of fire lit on the tip of Raye's index finger. 'Oh?' And not just that¡ªthe front of that ball of fire changed and became pointy. It's also still rotating fast. 'I wonder what he will do.' I asked in my head. And just as I thought of that... "[Bang]" I heard Raye's voice. Fwiish- Then the ball of fire on the tip of his finger disappeared. "..." "Huh?" I was confused. 'Did he fail?' I asked, waiting for Raye to try again. But when I looked at the tree where Raye was pointing... "...!" I was surprised. "Wha..." There was now a small burnt hole in its trunk. The hole also went all the way through the tree¡ªand the tree behind it! "..." I was baffled. I didn't know what just happened. My head snapped in Raye's direction, and there, I saw him looking back at me, smirking. I could tell he was pleased to see my reaction. "Gugh..." And although his face annoyed me... "What was that?" I still asked him that¡ªI was really curious. Hearing my question, Raye shrugged his shoulders. And with a carefree expression on his face... "A gun." He answered. -Meep! Pyro was also looking smug¡ªhe's cute though. Anyway... "A gun...?" What's that? I've never heard of that. Chapter 35 35 - One more (Jerusha's POV)"A gun?" I asked. I didn't know what Raye was talking about. "Erm... That was the name of the skill I made with Pyro." Raye then answered, sounding a bit awkward. -Meep! Pyro then followed proudly. I still have a lot of questions about this gun thing... "Can you do it again?" But I put them all aside for now and asked Raye to show this gun skill to me one more time. I wanted to see what just happened. At my request... "Sure." Raye replied without hesitation. "Thank you!" I was super glad to hear his response. S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Raye then raised his right hand again and pointed at the same tree before. And immediately after... Fwoosh¡ª The same small ball of fire appeared on the tip of his index finger. Its front was pointy, and it was rotating really fast. Just then... "[Bang]" I heard Raye's voice. And this time, I didn't miss it. Swiiish¡ª The ball of fire flew out. Thud¡ª Then it hit the tree Raye was pointing at! Thud¡ª It also pierced through and hit the tree behind as well! "..." I was speechless. 'What the heck...' Even with me focusing, it was still fast. 'It will be hard to dodge that.' I thought. And that's not all. The mana used for it was so small, but its damage was comparable to mid-class spells! 'It was all thanks to the rotational force applied to it.' I was able to identify what made Raye's attack so special. But even knowing that, I couldn't fully replicate what he just did. 'The best thing I can do is imitate it.' I didn't know the principle behind his imagery, after all. I really wondered where he referenced this skill of his. Anyway, moving on... "That was an amazing skill. I'm really impressed." I complimented Raye. I didn't expect him to make such an absurd skill, I was really shocked. "Hmm." Hearing my words, Raye just stood there, nodding and looking all smug. -Meep! Pyro was doing the same while perched on his shoulder. 'I'll let them be like that because they really did a good job.' I thought as a small smile appeared on my face. But what Raye said next... "Want to see the next one?" ...made my lips twitch. 'Did I hear him right?' I asked in my head. And to make sure... "You made another one?" I asked Raye, still smiling. "Yeah." -Meep! Raye and Pyro answered, nodding their heads. "We were able to make two." -Meep! They added. "..." I couldn't believe it. With how exceptional the skill Raye had just shown me, I thought he poured all his time into making it. 'But you're saying he was able to make two special skills in less than a week?' Even I wasn't able to do that during my first spirit contract! "So, want to see it or not?" Snapping me out of my thoughts, Raye asked me that. And immediately... "Ah, I want to!" I nodded my head and replied. Seeing me like that... "Then, look." Raye said. Clap¡ª Then he clapped his hands in front of him, both arms stretched out. Swoosh¡ª Mana started gathering from his hands. And this time, the mana being used by Raye was fairly large. "[Lit up]" Raye mumbled. Swaaaaa¡ª "...!" Then a huge fire covered his hands! Fwip¡ª Raye then started pulling back his right hand, leaving the left in front. And as he was doing so... The fire started taking a form! "..." I watched in silence, anticipation slowly building up. And a few moments later... I saw it. The fire... 'A bow and arrow?!' ...took the shape of a bow and an arrow! And when Raye's hand was fully stretched back... "..." His stance was that of an archer, ready to fire an arrow! As I was watching him in awe... "[Shoot]" Raye said that. Swoosh¡ª Then the fire arrow flew out! Boom¡ª! And it hit the tree! Fwoosh¡ª Dust clouds rose from the impact, and dirt flew everywhere. "Ugh..." I shielded my eyes with my right arm. And when things finally calmed down... "..." I lowered my arm and looked at where the arrow hit. And there... "..." I saw the lower part of the tree burning. Its trunk was blown off, and the upper half lay on the ground, burning as well. "Wow..." I was amazed. My head turned to Raye... "Huff... haaaaa..." I saw him catching his breath. He was already out of mana. 'What a shame.' I thought as a frown appeared on my face. 'If Raye had a bigger mana pool, he'd be able to make something even greater than this.' I was sure of it. "What do you think?" "Hmm?" Raye's question brought my attention back to him. He was looking at me now, waiting for my response. I smiled... "You're really talented at this." Then I told him that. Hearing my words... "Fuuuu..." Raye sighed in relief, then closed his eyes. -Meeeep... Pyro did the same. He looked like a deflated balloon. 'Cute.' And after resting for a bit... "Anyway, I'm gonna meditate now." Raye said that. "I'm all out of mana anyway." He added, then he sat on top of a big rock in a lotus position and closed his eyes. Just like that, he started meditating. Looking at Raye... 'I still can't believe it.' The skills he showcased¡ªthe gun and the fire bow and arrow... It was unreal how he came up with them in less than a week. Also, he's contracted to a newborn low-class spirit. 'If this isn't talent, I don't know what is.' -Meep! "Hm?" As I was deep in thought, Pyro jumped off Raye's shoulder and came toward me. -Meep! Meep! I didn't know what he was saying, but he was cute. I picked him up from the ground... "I'll play with you until Raye is done meditating." Then I told him. -Meep! Pyro looked so happy, it seemed like he understood my words. And to make him even happier, I called for a few spirits to play with us. -Meep! ... ... ***** (Raye's POV) Monday morning... "Haaaaa..." I yawned as I walked through Xapham Hall. I was still sleepy after exhausting my mana last night when I demonstrated the skills I came up with in front of Jerusha. But remembering her reactions and words... "Hah, worth it." A smile appeared on my face as I said that. -Meep! Pyro agreed with me. Because our bond had grown stronger, I could now understand him much more clearly. Anyway, I created my special skills by following Jerusha's water trident. Since her special skills were based on a weapon, I based mine on them too. I even tried using a modern weapon as my imagery¡ªthe gun¡ªand I succeeded! 'I got stronger.' I thought. A small smile rested on my face as I felt satisfied with my progress. And at that moment... "Stronger, huh." I decided on my short-term goals. 'I'll raise my grades.' 'I'll get stronger too.' And finally... "I'll go from a third-rate villain to a support character." I declared. Chapter 36 36 - Outdoor Activity [1] With the Brave Hearts being my reality now, my survival greatly depends on the main characters.'Especially on the protagonist¡ªLeon.' So to survive... 'I should go and side with them and make sure the story progresses properly.' That's why I decided it would be better to be a support character working behind the scenes. I've thought long and hard about this before. If I want a scholarship from the academy, then I ought to do something amazing... 'Something that will make the academy think I'm worthy of such support.' Either I get stronger or invent something incredible... But the thing is, if I do that, my presence and name will become much more significant in the academy. And so will my role in the game's story... 'There will be a possibility that I'll regain a role and be forced to participate in the game scenarios again.' So if that's going to happen anyway... "I should be on the main characters' side, at least." I don't want to be a third-rate villain anymore. 'I don't want to fight the main characters!' And while I'm on the good side, I plan to take care of any unexpected variables that might alter the game scenarios. But to be able to do that... "I need to be stronger first." -Meep! Pyro agreed with me, showing his full support. He was resting on top of my right shoulder. "Thanks." I said, patting his head. And after that... Tap- tap- tap¡ª I headed to my first class. ***** "Today, we'll be having an activity outside." Professor Jacqueline announced as soon as the class started. "Line up in front of the room." She instructed. "..." And we all silently complied. We didn't want to get nagged at, after all. We lined up outside the classroom, and once that was all done... We left the Xapham Hall with Professor Jacqueline guiding us. ... ... After a few minutes of walking, we reached the deeper part of the northern forest. 'It's my first time in this part,' I thought, looking around. The trees were bigger and the grass around were taller. This part of the forest was much denser than where the old man and I usually hunt. As I was curiously looking around... "Today, you are tasked to collect ingredients used for alchemy." Professor Jacqueline announced the goal of our activity today. "In this part of the forest, monsters can appear, so be careful." She then added a warning. "Oh no..." S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Is this safe...?" "I hope so..." Her words sparked up worried mumblings from the students, they're scared about their safety. Hearing their concerns... "I'll be grouping you into pairs. It'll be much safer that way." Professor Jacqueline said that. "Phew..." "Then I guess it's fine." The danger is still there, but the idea of not roaming alone in this forest calmed the students down. "Anyway, you'll be graded by the rarity and quality of the ingredients you collect." Professor Jacqueline then explained. And after that... "I'll start grouping you now." Our outdoor activity started. ***** My name is Sofia Vergara, a 1st-year student from C-Class, Magic Course. For my main lessons, I took Cultivating Magic and Alchemy. Today, in my Alchemy class, our professor led us to the deeper parts of the northern forest and tasked us to collect ingredients used for alchemy as part of an activity. I wasn't confident roaming around this part of the forest alone... But when Professor Jacqueline said we'd be paired up. 'Phew...' I felt relieved. I have low combat ability, after all. I don't think I can even win a fight against anyone in this academy. 'Main reason why I'm in C-Class.' I smiled in relief. Though... "Sofia, your partner is Raye," That smile of mine quickly faded when I heard the name of my partner. ... ... Fwip- fwip¡ª Currently, I'm crouching, plucking herbs that are infused with mana. They are basic alchemy ingredients with earth essence and strong healing properties. "..." I'm doing this as quietly as possible... Why? Because of someone, of course! Looking behind me, I could see Raye busy doing something on his own. 'Ugh, please don't kill me.' I prayed in my head, looking at him. I'd heard rumors about him¡ªnasty ones! And because of it, being alone with him is making me nervous. I don't feel any safer at all! 'Ugh, maybe being alone would've been better...' I thought. But after a few seconds... "No." I shook my head. 'I don't need to worry. I'm sure Lycus will help me if I'm in trouble!' I said in my head. Lycus, my childhood friend, is strong. He's also a first-year, but he's in A-Class, Combat Course. 'And every time that I'm in trouble, he comes rushing to help me.' Having him as a friend is really reassuring. 'So I know he will save me from Raye if he tries anything funny!' Thinking about that, I calmed down a little... Though, just then... "Sofia." Raye called out to me. I was so lost in thought that I didn't notice he was now standing in front of me! "Wha?!?!" I exclaimed in panic as I stood up and took a defensive stance! "..." Raye just stared at me in silence. And after a few seconds... "Ugh." His face slowly cringed. 'Ah, his eyes are judging me! He thinks I'm a weirdo!' I was embarrassed. Moving on, Raye shook his head... "Here." Then he handed me something. "Huh?" I was confused. Still, I hesitantly reached out and took it from him. And when I looked at what it was... "?!" My eyes widened. It was herbal roots with a high mana concentration! "These are hard to find... How did you get them?" I asked, looking back up at Raye. And at my question, he simply pointed to his right shoulder. "Hmm?" I noticed a blurry red orb perched there. Squinting my eyes and focusing... -Meep! It became clear. And I saw a small red slime sitting on Raye's shoulder! "Waaah, cute!" I blurted out without thinking. "It's a spirit. His name is Pyro, and he helped me find those roots." Raye then explained. Hearing his words... "..." I regained my composure and nodded my head in response. "Well then, I'll continue my search." Raye said, returning to his task. -Meep! Pyro followed suit. And looking at them two... "..." I was speechless. 'A spirit, huh.' I thought. It is said that spirits reflect their contractor's personality. Watching Raye interact with the slime... "I guess he might not be that bad." I murmured that to myself. I felt myself growing less wary of Raye. Then looking back down at the herbal roots he had collected... 'These are high-quality, collected gently and properly.' I became impressed. Chapter 37 37 - Outdoor Activity [2] {Sofia's POV}Raye and I have been collecting alchemy ingredients for a while now. And so far, we haven't encountered any monsters or animals yet... 'Lucky.' By now, I'm not wary of Raye anymore. The rumors around him might be bad, and they probably exist for a reason... But for now, at least... 'He has no intention of doing something bad.' All he's done so far is collect things not far away from me. He only approached me to hand over the ingredients he found. 'He probably noticed that I'm uncomfortable near him and is intentionally giving me space.' And I really appreciate him for that. Looking at Raye... -Meep! I saw him resting, playing with Pyro. He doesn't really look like a bad guy now, especially with a cute slime beside him. Anyway... "I'm gonna go a bit deeper into the forest." I said that to him. "Be careful. Don't go far." Then Raye casually responded, looking at me with serious eyes. At his words... "Noted." I replied and nodded my head. 'Raye has already contributed a lot. I need to do something too.' I thought to myself. Raye has been finding high quality ingredients non-stop since the start of the activity. On the other, all I found were basic herbal plants... 'If things go on like this, Raye would just carry me to success.' And I don't like that, I'll be embarrassed if I let that happen. So with that... "Here I go." I dove deeper into the forest to find good quality alchemy ingredients. ***** After a few minutes of foraging alone... "These should be enough." I had collected enough ingredients to match Raye's contribution. I stood up and stored them in the small bag Professor Jacqueline handed us at the start of the activity. Then looking around... S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "..." It creeped me out of how silent it was. All I could hear was the rustling leaves¡ªno animals or whatsoever. 'Creepy.' It was kind of dark too, with the tall trees blocking most of the sunlight. "I should probably go back." I mumbled to myself, feeling nervous. I turned back to where I came from... Tap- tap- tap- Then I started walking quietly. Though, as I was doing so... Rustle- rustle- rustle- "!!!" I heard movements not far from me. This made me even more nervous and my heart started racing rapidly. I stopped in my tracks and turned toward the sound. And there... "..." I saw nothing. Though, my instinct is still screaming at me, telling me to hide! "Just to be safe... " So following that feeling, I quietly walked and hid behind a big tree. And literally only after a few moments of doing so... -Grrrr... A disgusting green goblin emerged from where I had heard the noise. "!?" I held my breath at the sight of it. 'I'm in trouble...' I thought. Goblins are small, only about the size of a child. They're not very strong¡ªI could probably defeat one. But the problem is... 'Goblins always travel in groups!' They cover for their weaknesses with sheer numbers! And sure enough... -Graa... -Gruuu! -Grahhhh... A few more goblins appeared after the first one! It didn't stop there. One, two, three, four... Their numbers kept growing. And within a few minutes... ... ... 'Oh no...' There were over a hundred of them now! -Grrr... -Kieeeee! -Graaah! Luckily, they all just passed by my hiding spot. They were probably roaming around, searching for a new settlement. But they were heading toward the safe part of the forest, where civilians hunt and forage... If they reached that area, it could endanger the lives of the normal people that lives within the Zion Academy! 'I need to tell Professor Jacqueline.' I thought. But just then... -GRAAAHHHH!!! I heard an ear-deafening scream behind me! And immediately turning around to look at the source of it... "...!" I saw a goblin, its wooden club raised high, staring straight at me! I'd been spotted! -GRAAHHH!!! It charged at me! Fear and panic took over. My legs froze¡ªI couldn't move. -GAAAAH!!! The goblin then leaped toward me with his weapon in hand. And in fear... "..." I instinctively closed my eyes. "Help..." I whispered under my breath. And soon... Bam! I heard a loud noise in front of me. "..." "Huh?" The goblin's attack didn't hit me though. Confused, I slowly opened my eyes... "Ah..." And there, I saw someone very dear to me. Fierce red eyes that always looked angry, messy long silver hair, and a strong, well-trained body that bulged against his uniform... His broad back really looked so strong and dependable. "Sofia, are you okay?!" It was none other than Lycus, my childhood friend. He really always shows up whenever I'm in trouble... Seeing him here, I became glad. A smile rested on my face... "Lycus!" Then I called out to him, jumping into his arms and burying my face in his chest. "Wha..." Caught off guard, he nearly stumbled back. "Hey, I'm sweaty." He said. But I didn't care. Instead... "Thank you for saving me again." I quietly said that to him. And that's just when I let go of him. Then, with a soft, reassuring smile... "I'll always be there to save you." Lycus declared that casually. "..." I was speechless. My face grew hot, and my heart raced, now, not because of fear... I was happy. Though... -GRAAAHHHH!!! That moment didn't last! -GRRRRRAAAA!!! All the goblins became aware of us because of that little goblin earlier! And they all charged at us with murderous intent! "Sofia, run and call for help." Lycus said, turning his back to me. "What about you?" I asked. "I'll hold them here. I won't let any of them come after you." Then he replied. Hearing his words... "..." I became worried. Even though Lycus is strong, he can't win alone against so many goblins. But staying here wouldn't help him. 'I'd only be a burden.' I'm aware of that. So biting my lower lip in frustration... "Please stay safe. I'll call for help!" I shouted and ran toward the direction where Professor Jacqueline was supposed to be waiting. 'Someone... Please, help Lycus!' I exclaimed in my head as I ran. ***** {Lycus's POV} "..." Watching Sofia disappear from my sight... "Stay safe." I gently muttered that. Then I turned to face the goblin army. -GRAAAHHHH!!! -Grrrr... They didn't attack right away, clearly wary of me. Looking at their numbers... "Ugh." I groaned. I already know that this would be a pain in the ass. Then, in the back... "Huh?" I noticed some goblins loading bows and crossbows! Realizing that they wouldn't hold a candle against me in close combat, they decided to attack me from afar! Seeing this... "Like I would let you do that." Bam! I rushed toward their army myself. And after reaching the goblin at the very front... -Gra...? SLASH¡ª! I cut it in half with the sharpened claws on my right hand. "Let's get this started, you shitheads." Chapter 38 38 - Outdoor Activity [3] Lycus Fenrath.He was a member of a tribe that worships the Wolf God, Kaelvar. Their tribe members have unique abilities similar to that of a wolf... They could grow their nails like claws at will, their skin is very tough, they're very agile, they have heightened senses, and many more! They all believed it was a blessing from the Wolf God. And because of this... They all fight like wild animals! ***** "GRAAAHHH, YOU FUCKING GOBLINS!" Lycus exclaimed as he tore through the bodies of the goblins in front of him using his claws. -Graaaah! He sensed an attack coming from his behind. And as a response... "HAAAH!!!" He kicked back with his right leg using all of his might! Bam! -Geuk! It hit a goblin trying to ambush him and it died on impact! Though... Thuck! An arrow suddenly appeared from his blind spot and hit his left torso! "Gugk..." Lycus groaned. "FUCK!!!" SLASH-! But he just heavily swung his open left hand horizontally in anger and killed the four goblins in front of him in one go! His thick skin saved him and stopped the arrow from going in deep. And except from the tingling pain oh his left side, he's still as good as before! So with that... "GRAAAAH!!!" BAM! He continued on fighting! ... ... ***** (Lycus' POV) Puck! "Ugh!" Another arrow found its way to me and struck my left arm. This made it the tenth time now that I've been hit. "Shit!" I immediately pulled the arrow out with my right hand and threw it away. Then looking back in front of me... -Kieeeeee!!! -Graaaah!!! I saw the army of goblins throwing mocking laughs at me. I've killed more than forty goblins now, but there are still a lot of them. And they're slowly surrounding me... They look so arrogant, it's annoying. I know why they are like this... "Huff... Haaaa...." It's because of my current state. I've been fighting continuously for about five minutes now, I'm already having trouble catching my breath. I already spent a fair amount of stamina after having to rush here earlier too. And with me alone fighting against this many, there's no moment to rest. I need to always be aware of my surroundings, after all. Even though they're weak... I'm having a lot of trouble right now. I can't also dodge every attack they throw at me as they come from all sides, that's why I sustained some injuries. 'Nothing life-threatening, at least.' Anyway, because of that... My body is becoming heavier as time passes by. 'I wonder if Sofia already got to safety.' I really wish she already met a professor and is in a safe place. Anyway, seeing that I'm slowly catching my breath... -GRAAAAAH!!! Three goblins rushed at me while swinging their weapons. "Fuck..." I cursed. This shitheads are slowly tiring me out. 'One from each side and one from the back.' Anyway, after confirming their locations, I twisted my torso to the left... "Gurgh..." And while gritting my teeth... SWOOSH¡ª! I slashed horizontally using my left claws and rotated my body to the right! SLASH¡ª My attack killed the two goblins coming from the side! And immediately after doing that... Slash! I turned around and killed the one behind me as well with my right claws. 'I'm tired...' I thought as I slowly straightened my posture. But as I was doing so... -GRAAAHHHH!!! A goblin carrying a dagger leaped toward me from my blind spot! "Wha...?!" I didn't notice them before because I was focused on the three goblins! 'Shit!' I exclaimed in my head, realizing that I can't dodge on time. I forcefully twisted my head to the right to at least avoid a fatal injury. Though... 'It'll still cost me an eye, huh.' If only I was prepared and wasn't exhausted, I could've taken care all of these monsters... Seeing the tip of the goblin's dagger get near my left eye and not being able to do anything... I felt bitter. I steeled myself to receive the attack and immediately launch a counter attack after. I even have my hands covered in mana now. But just then, before the dagger could get in contact with me... "[Bang]" I heard a voice behind me. And the next thing I knew... Thud- The goblin that was about to stab my eye was on the ground, dead. "Huh?" It has a hole between its brows. I was confused. -Kieek?! -Kieeee!!? Even the goblins around me are the same. And before I could even process the situation... "[Bang] [Bang] [Bang]¡ª" I heard the voice again. Thud- Thud¡ª And every time I do, a goblin just collapse on the ground, dead! -GRAAAHHHH!!! The goblins then started rushing at me again, thinking that I was doing all of this. They're looking at me with a new vigilance. But before they could even get close to me. "[Bang]" They would just suddenly drop dead on the ground! "What the hell is happening...?" I whispered under my breath. Then looking behind me where I heard the voice in curiosity... "You...?" I saw someone I least expected to see. "It's good to see you too." It was Raye Alvah. He responded to me sarcastically. ***** (Raye's POV) 'Oof, I wasn't planning to show myself.' I thought as I looked at Lycus. Shock was apparent on his face, clearly not expecting me to be here. 'I don't know why I'm here too, to be honest.' Thinking back a little while, Sofia left to gather a bit more of ingredients. I know that she's the childhood friend of Lycus, a main character in the game. So I just let her do her thing, avoiding being fully involved with her. But after a few minutes of being away... I saw her running back in a hurry, she was on the verge of crying as well! Concerned, I stopped her and asked what was wrong. And that's when she told me everything while sobbing... 'Then, she begged me to help Lycus after.' I just told her that I will, and left her the task to inform Professor Jacqueline of the situation. Meanwhile, I went here to check on Lycus... I've been here for about a while now, actually. Just watching the situation unfold, letting Lycus do all the work. And I'm planning to do that till the end... 'If only he didn't put his guard down.' I thought, frowning at Lycus. 'This bastard almost lost his left eye!' If that does happen, it would have a big effect on Lycus' firepower, and so in the story... That's why I decided to get involved. Anyway, moving on... S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Why are you here?" Lycus jumped and softly landed beside me. -Grahhh... -Grrrr... Seeing the goblins wary, I concluded that they wouldn't launch an attack immediately. So, slightly glancing at Lycus... "I'm here as a reinforcement." I answered his question. "Wha¡ª" "Just shut up and fight, I'll cover you from the back." He was about to say something, but I intervened. I don't want to get interrogated, especially in this situation. "..." Lycus seemed to understand my thoughts. He nodded his head and looked back at the army of goblins. And with an annoyed expression on his face... "I'll count on you, then." Bam- He kicked off onto the ground and dashed toward the herd of goblins. Chapter 39 39 - Good Work (Lycus' POV)SLASH! After killing two goblins in front of me with my left claws... "GRAAAH!" SLASH! I went and immediately killed two more with my right! BAM! SPLASH¡ª! Then I jumped to the side and killed another one! I killed one after another... Fighting non-stop just like earlier. The only difference is... "[Bang]" -Kieek?! Raye is covering for me. 'He's killed about twenty goblins now.' I thought, briefly glancing at Raye, who's just standing at the back, watching the scene from afar. It only has been a minute since he joined the fight, I didn't know he was capable of something like this. 'I have to admit it. I'm only doing well right now because of him.' Thanks to Raye's assistance, I'm getting brief breaks here and there, and my stamina isn't draining as fast. Raye handles the goblins while I rest. And because he's there... 'I don't need to worry about my blind spots anymore.' So with that... "Hup!" BAM! I fought like a madman, killing every goblin within my range. And when one of them slips past my guard... "[Bang]" They're taken care of before even reaching me! ***** (Raye's POV) 'This guy is so reckless.' I thought, watching Lycus fight. He's completely ignoring his back because he knows that I'm here to cover for him! "How can he trust me so easily...?" I muttered, frowning. "[Bang]" -Gah!? Thud¡ª Then I shot down a goblin that leaped into the air, trying to ambush Lycus. 'Well, like I can talk. I'm entrusting my safety to him too, after all.' With Lycus at the front, he's making sure no goblins reach me. These monsters aren't stupid¡ªthey already know I'm the one killing them from a distance. That's why they've started targeting me. Though... "Hup!" SLASH¡ª! Lycus is preventing them from succeeding. "Hmm?" Just then, I noticed six goblins at the back, detached from the group fighting Lycus. They were loading bows and crossbows with arrows. "I thought I already killed all the long-range weapon users." I mumbled to myself. "[Bang] [Bang] [Bang]¡ª" Then I shot at them with my left hand while covering Lycus with my right. And after killing them all... "We've won this." I declared that with a shrug. -Meep! Pyro chirped in agreement. ***** After about two minutes... "..." "..." Raye and Lycus stopped moving. They then looked at each other. And to break the awkward silence... "Good work." Raye said that to Lycus. "... You too." Although reluctant, Lycus responded. They had killed every goblin in the area¡ªa total of 136 goblins! And Raye had killed 40% of them. 'I'm tired now.' Raye thought, sitting on the ground. "Haaaah..." He let out a heavy sigh, his mana nearly depleted. -Meep... Pyro, sitting on his shoulder, deflated like a balloon. He was exhausted too. "So you do have a spirit." Lycus remarked, approaching Raye and noticing Pyro. "I'm guessing the skill you used to help me is one of your special abilities?" He asked. Raye looked up at him. "That's right." Then he replied. -Meep! Pyro chirped, as if greeting Lycus. Noticing this... "Ah, hello." Lycus responded to him. 'So everyone can naturally see spirits except me, huh.' Raye thought, watching their interaction. Then after that... "Fuuuuu..." Lycus took a deep breath and sat beside Raye, there's a bit of distance between them. Anyway, there... "..." "..." The two of them waited for a professor to appear. They didn't speak to each other, but the atmosphere wasn't bad. And glancing at Raye... Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. 'I guess he's not as bad as the rumors say.' Lycus thought that to himself. ***** (Raye's POV) After a few minutes of waiting with Lycus... "Lycus!" Sofia appeared behind us. "Sofia?" Lycus immediately turned to her upon hearing her voice. And seeing that Lycus was safe... "..." "Huh?" Sofia ran and hugged Lycus, not minding that he was covered in goblin blood. 'Awkward...' I thought, slowly backing away from them. "I'm glad you're safe." I heard Sofia whisper to Lycus, her voice was shaking. Then with a soft smile on his face... "I'm glad you're safe as well." Lycus replied, patting Sofia's head reassuringly. 'These two are always like this, even in the game.' I thought, frowning slightly as I averted my eyes away from them. And in doing so... "Oh." I met Professor Jacqueline's eyes. "So you were here as well." She said, looking at me. "I came to help Lycus when I heard the situation from Sofia." I immediately replied. Hearing my words, Professor Jacqueline nodded her head... "You did a good job." Then she said that. "Thanks." I simply replied. And by then, Sofia and Lycus had let go of each other already. The professor turned to them... "Good work to you both as well." Then she praised their efforts. Sofia bashfully bowed her head, while Lycus simply nodded. And after all that... "Okay, now let's see." Professor Jacqueline said, examining the area where Lycus had fought. And after taking a good look of it... "..." She went silent. "Hmm?" Curious, Sofia peeked as well. And seeing the scene... "..." She went silent too, though shock was evident on her face. Their reactions were expected. After all, they were looking at a mountain of dead goblins. "You two did all of this? In less than ten minutes?" Professor Jacqueline asked, clearly surprised. And confidently... "We did." Lycus responded. -Meep! Pyro chirped proudly to answer as well. ***** Anyway, after that... Professor Jacqueline dismissed me, Lycus, and Sofia for the day. She said that we should rest. And she will inform the other professors of the situation. So, I decided to come back home to the cabin. But as I was walking out of the forest along with Sofia and Lycus... "Thank you, Raye." Sofia spoke. I looked at her, my eyes widened. I didn't expect her to thank me. Anyway, shrugging my shoulders... "It's nothing." I responded. But just then... "No, you really helped me back there. I would've been in trouble if it wasn't for you." Lycus followed that. And slightly bowing his head... "Thank you." He thanked me as well. "..." I was speechless, I'm even more surprised now. I'm flattered that one of my favorite characters in the game is thanking me. Not wanting to show that... "Sure, you're welcome." I simply replied to Lycus. And after that... "I'll get going then." Tap- tap- tap- I sped up and left them behind. Chapter 40 40 - Rewards After parting ways with Lycus and Sofia...Swoosh¡ª ===== Surprise Event: Goblin Trouble, Double the Rubble! (Complete) ===== A system window appeared in front of me. And after that... Swoosh¡ª ===== Rewards: ----- +5 to all stats +2 levels to Spirit Magic +50 exp to all skills ===== I received some rewards. "So it really was a surprise event, huh." I muttered. I had already guessed as much because what happened earlier wasn't in the game at all. And this just confirmed it. In the game, instances like this would occur, a surprise event would take place, and after completing it, you'd receive a reward. It's just like a sub-quest, to be honest. The only difference is... 'This one doesn't have any conditions to trigger¡ªit just happens whether you like it or not.' Anyway, curious about the changes in my stats... "Status." I decided to open my status window. Swoosh¡ª ===== Name: Raye Alvah Age: 18 Year Level: 1 Race: Human ----- Stamina: 22 Intellect: 24 Mana: 15 Strength: 19 Speed: 20 Talent: 21 Luck: 20 ----- Wind Element: Level 12 (2%) Fire Element: Level 11 (99%) Spirit Magic: Level 7 (67%) Bow: Level 10 (90%) Dagger: Level 10 (89%) Cooking: Level 9 (56%) ... ... ----- Overall Grade: F Growth Rate: S- ===== A new system window appeared, displaying my stats and skills. And after going through its contents... "Haha..." A small laugh escaped my mouth. Then, in disbelief... "I ranked up." I mumbled that to myself. I didn't notice at first, but I went from [F-] rank to [F] rank! Not only that, almost all of my stats are now in the 20s! My skills are leveling up fast too! "..." I was speechless, I don't know what to say. Though, I'm currently smiling ear to ear. I'm so happy to see such improvements in my stats, it's nothing like when I first saw them. And this feeling just confirmed it... 'I like getting stronger.' I like it when I improve and get better. And now that I'm fully aware of this... "I'll get even stronger." I decided to step up my game. -Meep! Pyro, hearing my words, chirped to show his support to me. And looking at him... Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Let's train hard after resting." I said that and patted him on the head. -Meep! ... ... Though, Pyro and I immediately fell asleep as soon as we came back the cabin. We we're tired after after exhausting our mana. ... ***** The next day... "Ugh." I was called into the headmaster's office... I didn't do anything bad. 'It's probably just about the incident yesterday." So I didn't mind it that much. Anyway, as I was walking through the hallway of Xapham Hall... "So you were called too, huh." Lycus appeared behind me. "Hi, Raye!" And Sofia was with him. -Meep! Pyro greeted the two of them. "Morning." And I also did the same. "Good morning." "..." Sofia replied to me with a smile on her face, while Lycus just nodded in response. And with the three of us together, four, including Pyro... Tap- tap- tap¡ª We headed to the headmaster's office. Sofia and Pyro played together along the way... While Lycus and I just watched them silently with smiles on our faces. And soon enough... "We're here." We reached our destination ***** Creak¡ª Opening the doors of the headmaster's office and stepping inside the room... "I've been expecting you three." Headmaster Bryan greeted us. He was sitting behind a table with a pen in his hand and documents in front of him. Anyway, looking at us with a smile... "Take a seat." The headmaster said that. "Thanks." "..." "..." The three of us silently complied. We sat on a soft sofa for three people with me on the left, Lycus on the middle, and Sofia on the right. And as soon as we sat down... "You three must already have an idea why you're here." The headmaster spoke again. He then looked at us. And in response... We just silently nodded our heads in unison. "That's good." The headmaster said as he stood up from his chair. "I don't have to explain it then." He added. Then, with a wave of his hand... Thud¡ª A cloth bag appeared out of thin air and landed on his table. 'Hm? Is that what I think it is?' I thought, looking at the bag. And seeing our curious eyes on it... "It's full of gold coins." The headmaster declared that, smiling. And before we could even speak... "There's a total of eighty gold coins in the bag. It's a reward for you three for responding wonderfully to yesterday's incident." He added that. "Split it among yourselves." His words sounded sweet in my ears, and a smile slowly appeared on my face. Looking over at Lycus and Sofia... I could tell they were shocked by the situation. I was surprised too, but the fact that I'd receive money overshadowed it. "We discovered yesterday that the monsters in the forest are migrating. We don't know the exact reason yet, but they're getting closer to the safe parts of the forest." "It'll be really bad if that does happen." The headmaster continued. Then after glancing at us one by one... "You three helped us discover that, and we were able to prevent it. That's why the other professors and I believe you deserve a reward." He finished his explanation there and waved his right hand. Flick- And after doing so... Swoosh¡ª The bag of gold coins flew in the air and landed on Lycus' lap! 'Telekinesis... That's cool as fuck.' I thought. Then after that... "Lycus, I heard that you handled the army of goblins very well, good job." The headmaster complimented Lycus, he's wearing such a soft smile on his face. "..." A slight frown appeared on my face. And I don't know why, but I'm feeling kinda annoyed. 'I did something too, you know.' I thought, frustrated. I don't want to be in the spotlight... But I don't want my accomplishment to go unnoticed too. But nevertheless... "..." I remained silent, there was no point in speaking, after all. But then... "It wasn't me." It was Lycus who spoke up. "Hm?" The headmaster was taken aback by his words. "..." Even I was taken aback! Then without hesitation in his voice... "Raye was the one who did most of the work yesterday." Lycus declared that. "?!" My eyes widened in surprise, I didn't expect him to say that. Hearing his words... "Hmmm?" The headmaster looked at me. And with a small smile on his face... "Interesting." He whispered that under his breath, showing curiosity about me. Chapter 41 41 - I Already Have A Home "That's all then. You three are excused."The headmaster said as soon as we split the gold coins between us. Lycus and Sofia only took 20 gold coins each and gave me the rest. Hear that... THEY GAVE ME THE 40 GOLD COINS!!! Why, you ask? Well, they actually aren't in need of money¡ªthey're rich¡ªand they said I did the most work anyway. 'Which is a total bullshit.' Just as Lycus would have a hard time fighting the army of goblins without my help... That would be the same for me without him. No, scrap that! I wouldn't even be able to fend them off! I would probably end up running away for my survival! But still, I didn't decline the 40 gold coins... 'I'm not stupid, after all.' Anyway, with the rewards now split between us... "Well then, we'll be leaving." Lycus said to the headmaster. "..." Sofia and I just bowed our heads after. And with that... Tap- tap- tap¡ª We three started walking away. Though, before we could even reach the doors of the room... "Ah, Raye." The headmaster called out to me. Tap¡ª My steps halted. And out of curiosity, Lycus and Sofia stopped in their tracks too. Then, the three of us looked back at the headmaster... "Stay for a bit. I have something to say to you." He said, looking at me with a smile. S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. I glanced at Lycus and Sofia, they were looking at me as well. And after a few moments... I just nodded my head at them. They did the same thing in response. And after that... "See you around." Creak¡ª Thud¡ª Lycus and Sofia left the room. And me... Tap- tap- tap¡ª I walked toward the headmaster's table. I was nervous. Why wouldn't I be? 'With just a single word from this guy, I could get expelled!' Though, I didn't show my unease on the outside... Standing in front of the headmaster's table, I looked down at him, he was sitting. And with a confused expression on my face... "What is it, Headmaster?" I asked that. Then, looking back at me, and without hesitation... "You can go back to the dorms now." The headmaster declared that with a smile. "Huh?" I was surprised. And before I could even say anything about the matter... "I'm lifting your punishments now. I'll give you a free room in the normal dormitory." The headmaster went and added that. "Why are you lifting my punishments now?" I asked him. And with a carefree expression on his face... "Professor Jacqueline and Professor Sariel gave me a report, telling me that you've changed for the better and that your punishments should be lifted now." The headmaster explained. "And after seeing you today, I agree with them." He followed up, waving his hand casually in the air. "..." I was speechless. The headmaster was still talking about giving me a room in a dormitory, but his voice was drowned out by my thoughts. Though, my answer was already set from the start¡ªit's a no-brainer, after all... So as Headmaster Bryan was talking... "What dorm would you like to be i¡ª" "No thanks, I'm fine." I cut him off and gave him my words directly. "Huh?" The headmaster was stunned. He didn't expect me to decline the offer to return to the dormitories. 'But well...' "I already have a home." I said to the headmaster, smiling. "Thank you for the offer though, and thanks for lifting my punishments." I added, shrugging my shoulders and feeling proud. "..." The headmaster just looked at me for a while, not saying anything. But after a few moments... "Okay." He nodded at me. "Is there anything you need then? I ought to give you something if you won't take the room." He followed up. Hearing his offer... I was about to immediately ask for materials to repair the cabin, but I already had more than enough money for that. And so, I decided to think about it for a while. "Hmm..." And after a few moments. "Hah." I decided on something else, a laugh even escaped my mouth. Then with a resolute look rested in my eyes... "I want a week off. I plan to go somewhere." I declared that to the headmaster. ***** Thud- "Haaaa..." I let out a heavy sigh after exiting the headmaster's office. Talking to him was so nerve-racking, it exhausted me immediately. Amd just then... -Meep! Pyro appeared on my shoulders. I instructed him earlier to hide his presence during my time in the headmaster's office. "Hello, Pyro." I said, looking at Pyro and pinching his cheeks. -Meep! Then he playfully jumped up and down. It's really fun watching him. Anyway... 'It's a success.' I've been given permission to be absent for a week. Though, it'll be for the next week... 'But that's fine, I'm not really in a hurry, anyway.' I just decided on it on a whim, after all. And because it's not sudden, I have time to prepare! 'If else, it works out for me.' I thought, shrugging my shoulders. Where would I be going, you ask? Well... It's nothing really big. I'm just planning to enter a dungeon. So with all that sorted out... Tap- tap- tap¡ª I started walking back to my classroom. Professor Jacqueline is probably waiting. ***** Raye attended the alchemy class after that and listened to Professor Jacqueline intently. And mid-class... Professor Jacqueline announced that Raye and Sofia got first place in the outdoor activity yesterday! Not just because of the herbal roots and whatnots they collected... But because of the goblin incident! Goblin's saliva is used in many potions, and so is their blood. And in yesterday's incident, Sofia found their army, and Raye was involved in exterminating them... So Professor Jacqueline gave the points to them after collecting ingredients from the goblin's corpses yesterday! Anyway, the prizes are life potions and mana potions. Raye and Sofia each got 5 pieces of them. And after that, the class ended... And so, Raye's day unfolded normally. Chapter 42 42 - The Departure Following his normal routines every day and occupying himself with training...Raye was able to quickly pass the time. And before he even knew it... It was already Saturday, the day before he leaves for dungeon exploring. ... ***** (Raye's POV) Saturday night... I'm currently in the northern forest, meditating. "..." I have my eyes closed, and my breathing is rhythmic. Though, even with all of that... "Ugh..." I can't focus at all. Why? Well... "Your face is too close." It's because Jerusha won't leave me alone for some reason! "Oh, my bad!" Jerusha said after hearing my words. Then, she slightly backed off. Looking at her... "Do you have something to say?" I asked. And at that question, her eyes twinkled with joy. And excitedly... "Where are you going?" Jerusha asked me. 'So that's what she's curious about, huh.' I thought to myself. "Haaah..." And then I sighed. Looking back at Jerusha... "I'll be dungeon exploring." I casually gave my answer to her question. "What?!" She exclaimed, shock was apparent on her face. "Dungeons are rare. How would you even find one in a week?" Jerusha asked. And hearing her question, I scoffed... 'That's total bullshit.' I thought. They believe that dungeons are rare, but there are a bunch of them in the game. Even when I was just traveling from one city to another, I would occasionally bump into one! 'And I remember all their locations, fortunately.' So I won't have any problem finding one. Anyway, shrugging my shoulders with a smirk on my face... "I already have everything prepared." I confidently said that to Jerusha. And with that, I went back to my training. "Huh..." Jerusha stopped pestering me too. She's just looking at me weirdly now while playing with Pyro. ... ... ... At about 9 P.M. "I'll be going now." Jerusha said that and started walking away. But before she could get far... Tap¡ª She stopped in her tracks and looked back at me. Then, with a sweet smile on her face... "Be careful in the dungeon. Let's continue your lessons after you come back safely." She said that. FWOOSH¡ª And then, she flew away. 'I want to fly too.' I thought, seeing her hovering away in the air. Anyway, I looked at my right shoulder... And there, I saw Pyro, deflated like a balloon. He was tired after playing with some spirits that seemed like pixies¡ªJerusha called for them. "Fuuu..." I'm pretty beat too. So without further ado... "That's enough for today." I headed back to the cabin and rested. ***** The next day... "All done." I finished my preparations. -Meep! Pyro jumped on my right shoulder excitedly. Then, I put everything that I would be bringing in the spatial bag. At about 7 A.M... Creak¡ª I walked out of my room. And immediately after opening the door... "You're all good?" The old man greeted me. Looking at him... "Yep." I simply replied and nodded with a smile. And then... "Here." He handed me something. It looked like some kind of cloth. "Huh?" I was surprised, I didn't expect him to give me something. "..." I quietly took it from him. And upon unfolding it... S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "..." I realized that it was a black cape. "I used that before when I was traveling or hunting. It will shield you from dirt and give you stealth in the dark." The old man said. And without even replying to him... Fwish¡ª I put it on. 'It fits.' I thought, seeing the cape cover me from my shoulders to my ankles. Looking back at Old Man Rey, I smiled and finally responded to him. "Thanks, I like it a lot." I said, and I really meant it. "..." I saw a slight change in the old man's grumpy face, he looked slightly embarrassed and happy. Then after a while... "Meh." He went back to his usual self. He turned his back to me... "I'm going back to sleep." And then he said that. Before entering his room though... "I packed you some food for your travel. It's on the table." He added that. "Thank you, really." I responded. "Be careful, you two." Old Man Rey said, taking a look at me and Pyro one more time. And then... Thud¡ª He entered his room. "..." Watching his door in silence... "Take care too. I'll bring back a gift for you." I mumbled that to myself. -Meep! Pyro said his farewell too. And after that... Tap- tap- tap¡ª I left the cabin with Pyro. ***** I'm now nearing the gate of Zion Academy. Devin already knew about my departure and wished me luck on my journey. Kyle did the same thing. I also told him to send food to the old man daily while I was gone. So without any more hesitation... Tap- tap- tap¡ª I marched toward the gate with confidence. Though... "Raye?" I bumped into someone. "..." It was Lena. "You're leaving?" She asked me. "Yep." And I simply replied. "How long?" She followed with another question. "A week." And I answered immediately. After that, she nodded her head... "Hmm, take care." Then she said that to me. "Thanks." I replied. And after our brief and weird exchange... "See you later." "Yeah, see you." -Meep! We parted ways, and I left the academy. ***** Outside the academy, someone was waiting for me... "Oh, just right on time." He said after seeing me. "..." I just nodded my head at him. This fatso is a merchant who is going to another city. He has a carriage, and his destination is near mine... So I decided to escort him. He immediately accepted after knowing that I'm a student from Zion Academy. As a matter of fact, he even went and adjusted his schedule to mine. Anyway... "Sir, we're leaving." The merchant approached me and said that. Looking at him... "Okay." I replied. -Meep! And Pyro followed suit. I went into one of the carriages carrying his merchandise... And with that... "Let's depart!" The merchant declared. -Neiiighh!!! Tak- tak- tak- tak¡ª And we started moving. Chapter 43 43 - Bandit Trouble "..."It has been a few hours since we departed. Currently, we're in a mountain forest. Nothing much has happened, and I'm not complaining. Including me, there are a total of eight escorts guarding the five carriages we have. So I'm not really pressured to take action all the time... And so, the peaceful travel continued. Or so I wished... "Bandits!" We were ambushed by mountain bandits. "Let's work, Pyro." I said, glancing at the cute slime perched on my right shoulder. And brightly... -Meep! Pyro responded. I immediately left the carriage after that. And outside... "..." Chaos was unfolding. There were more than 20 attackers, and our side was quickly being pushed back! 'Shit.' I thought as a frown appeared on my face. And not long after... "HAAAHHH!!!" A bandit came charging in my direction. He was swinging a bloodied sword in the air. "Haaa..." I sighed. "[Wind Blast]" Fwoosh¡ª "GAAAHHH!!!" And then I sent him flying away. Bam! "Urgh...!" He slammed into a tree and passed out. Just then... "Young sir, please help us!" The merchant appeared, exclaiming that. Looking at him, I could see how stressed he was at the situation. "Don't worry, I'll take care of it." I reassured him. 'I need a ride, after all.' Tap¡ª And then I stepped down from the carriage. "..." I scanned the surroundings. I marked the positions of my allies. Each of them was fighting at least three enemies at once. After that, I turned my hands into finger guns, carefully aiming them at the enemies. "Haaa..." I exhaled deeply, closing my eyes. And after opening them back... "[Bang]!" I cast my first spell. "Gurgh?!" It hit an enemy fighting one of the escorts in the right leg. And because of that... Slash¡ª "Gah!" The escort on my side was able to take him out. I didn't stop there... "[Bang]" "Ugh?!" I shot another enemy in the hand as he tried to swing at one of the escorts. Unable to complete the swing... Phuck¡ª The escort stabbed him in the stomach, killing him. After that... "[Bang] [Bang] [Bang]¡ª" I continued assisting the escorts from the back. And before long... 'We're winning.' I thought of that as the tide of battle shifted in our favor. However... "Target that white-haired bastard! He's the one attacking from a distance!" I had been discovered by the enemies. "GAHHHH!!!" "So it was you, you fucker!" "Bastard!" Five bandits immediately rushed at me. And looking at them... "What a pain." I muttered that to myself. And when they got close... "[Gust]" I cast that spell. SWOOSH¡ª A powerful gust of wind swirled around me... "WAHHH?!" "The fuck?!" "Ugh?!" Thud¡ª The wind knocked them off balance, leaving them on their butts. And before they could get back up... "So, you're the leader." I pointing my index finger at the one who had given the order to attack me. And immediately... "[Bang]" I shot him. "Gagk!" The spell struck him between the brows, piercing his brain. Thud¡ª His body collapsed on the ground, dead. And the bandits, seeing their leader defeated... "..." "..." "..." Froze in shock. And not wasting that opportunity... "[Bang]" I shot another bandit in the head. Thud¡ª He dropped dead as well. Then... "[Bang] [Bang]¡ª" I continued shooting at them nonstop! "Gahhh!" "Run back!" "Retreat!" The bandits turned to flee. But when they turned their backs against us... Slash¡ª "Keuk!" Phuck¡ª "Argh...!" The escorts finished them off, not letting a single one of them escape! And seeing that... "I'm done here." I muttered, walking back to the carriage I was in earlier. "Oh, thank you, young sir!" The merchant praised me. "..." Tap- tap- tap¡ª But I just ignored him and walked past. "I'll be resting." I said. Fwip¡ª And then I entered the carriage. Not long after... "We're leaving!" I heard the merchant shout behind me. Then the noncombatants started moving and cleaning up things so we could leave. ... ... ... S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. As soon as I sat down inside the carriage... "Ugh..." I let out a quiet groan. "Huuuu... Huuu... Huuuuuu..." I tried to steady my breathing. My heart was racing, and I couldn't focus. Sweat then began dripping down my face. And this was all because I wasn't used to killing people. "Urgh..." That's why I left the killing to the escorts earlier, only taking out the leader and two others to end the fight. Don't get me wrong... I've killed before¡ªback when I was in the military in my world. I was deployed in a small war, I shot down enemy soldiers. But that doesn't mean I can take a life without guilt! As a matter of fact, I hesitated earlier, and because of that... 'An escort died!' I failed to save him! He was decapitated. And remembering that scene... "Ughhh..." My stomach churned, and I felt like vomiting. Tears welled up in the corners of my eyes. "Haaaaa... Haaa... Haaa..." I worked hard to calm myself. But I just can't stop thinking that I was the one to blame why one of the escorts died! 'I'm so stupid!' I thought. And just then... -Meep... Pyro approached and rubbed his head against my cheek. "Huh?" I glanced at him. And there he was, looking at me, worried. -Meep... He chirped, trying to comfort me. "..." And because of him... "Fuuu..." I was able to calm down. And after that... "..." I patted Pyro's head. -Meep! "Thanks." I whispered softly. "Haaaa..." And then I closed my eyes, trying to rest. ***** A few hours after the encounter with the bandits, we decided to settle in the forest and set up camp. We were exhausted, and several escorts were wounded earlier too. It was also getting dark, so continuing our travel is just plain stupid. And since I wasn't injured or particularly tired, I helped build the camp. Then afterward... "Let's eat!" We all gathered for dinner. The merchant's group had a cook, so we were served a warm meal. And as I was eating... "Thank you for earlier, you saved my life." One of the escorts approached me and said that. I looked up at him. He was older, but clearly fit. "You're welcome." I replied casually. But the thanks didn't stop there. "You were incredible earlier!" "Yeah, so strong despite being so young!" "Thanks for covering our backs." The other escorts joined in, voicing their gratitude. "..." I was caught off guard. And hearing their words... "It was nothing." I simply responded, though deep down, their appreciation made me happy. -Meep! Pyro chirped, clearly pleased that I wasn't feeling down anymore. And with that... I enjoyed my meal with the other escorts, feeling a rare sense of camaraderie. Chapter 44 44 - Warning and Rustling "Haaaaaa..."I yawned after waking up. It has been two days since I left the academy. And now, I'm currently in an inn, renting my own room... No, I haven't reached my destination yet. We're just in a nameless village... Before reaching our destination, we need to pass through this place and another forest. And because we haven't had a comfortable rest for quite a while, we decided to stop by the village and rent a place for the night. After all, we want to be in top shape before entering the forest, which could be full of bandits or even monsters. Also, the merchant rented a room for the escorts to use. It's pretty big, but the fact that I'd have to share it made me rent my own room. I have a few coins to spare, so I didn't mind it that much. Anyway, after waking up... "Good morning, Pyro." I greeted the sleepy Pyro, who was lying on the pillow next to my head. -Meep... Pyro responded quietly. Fwii¡ª Then he hopped onto my right shoulder. I fixed my bed after that. And when I was done... Creak¡ª I exited the room to meet with the others. ***** The inn we're staying at has a restaurant downstairs. And going there myself to get breakfast... I encountered Timmy and Reggie. Just like me, they are escorts for the merchant too. "Good morning." "Morning." They greeted me after seeing me. In the past two days, I'd gotten close to the other escorts, especially these two, because they're near my real age. "Good morning." I greeted them back. -Meep... And Pyro did the same. They could see him. Anyway, I sat down at a table with them, and after that... We ordered our food. Though, as we were waiting for our orders... "Are you guys planning to enter the Mist Forest?" A resident approached us and asked that. It was an old man waiting for his order too. "Yes, is there something wrong, mister?" Reggie asked. And menacingly... "You should be careful." The old man said that. 'He's probably sick in the head.' I thought, looking at him. "There's a terrifying monster living in there." And then the old man added. "What? What's in there?" This time, it was Timmy who asked a question. Looking at him while squinting his eyes... "I don't know, but people go missing there." The old man responded in a whispering tome. "..." Timmy and Reggie fell silent. They were nervous. And just then... "Here's your order." Our food finally arrived. Then, looking at the old man and shaking his head... "Don't take his words seriously. People do go missing in the forest, but it happens rarely. It's probably the doing of a bandit group, not some monster." The server said that. "I'm not lying!" The old man rebutted to the server. And following that... The two of them started arguing. "..." I ignored them and just ate on my own. "Ugh, nevermind." "I'm too hungry for this..." Timmy and Reggie did the same. ... ... "I'm full." I mumbled to myself after eating a simple meal¡ªjust two fried eggs and rice. -Meep! Pyro, now energetic, said the same. He had just eaten his fill of my mana for the day. Anyway, after that... "I'll go on ahead." I excused myself. "Oh, see ya!" "Don't be late later, the boss might get angry." Timmy and Reggie said. At their words, I nodded my head... "Got it." Then I responded. And with that... Tap- tap- tap¡ª S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. I left the inn. ***** Outside the inn... I found myself in a quiet place. After all... "..." I'm currently at the entrance of the so-called Mist Forest. "It does look eerie, not gonna lie." I muttered to myself, looking at the forest and remembering the old man's words earlier in the inn. -Meep... Pyro thought the same way too. Anyway, I looked at the surroundings for a while. And after that... "[Wind Blade]" I started using magic to drain my mana. Fwish¡ª I'm not really far away from the village, but casting magic here wouldn't cause problems for the residents. No one's around, after all. ... ... Thud¡ª After exhausting my mana, I went back to my room. And there... "..." I meditated. -Meep! Meep! Pyro kept guard. I didn't want to skip training, it'd be such a waste. I didn't have anything else to do anyway, with no technology around. ***** After a few hours of meditating... -Meeeep! Pyro chirped loudly and broke me out of my stupor. "Hmm?" I slowly opened my eyes. Looking at Pyro... "Is it time already?" I asked him. -Meep! Then Pyro replied, nodding his head. At his response... "Hup..." I immediately stood up and started preparing my stuff. After I was done with that... Fwip- I wore the cape Old Man Rey gave me. Creak¡ª And then I left the room. Thud¡ª ... ... Going down the inn... "Ah, right on time, young sir!" I saw the merchant we were escorting. The other escorts and group members were with him too. So, without further ado, I approached and joined them. "We're leaving immediately?" I asked. And with slanted eyes and a sly smile... "Of course, time is money, after all." The merchant answered me. "..." 'This guy's such a weirdo.' I thought. Tap- tap- tap¡ª And then I left the inn. Tap- tap- tap¡ª The others followed suit. ***** Outside the inn, we checked the carriages and loaded our stuff into them. And as soon as we were done... "Let's go!" -NEIIIGHHH!!! We resumed our travel. And as we were leaving though... "I warned you!" The old man from earlier this morning appeared and shouted that. "..." I frowned as unease settled over me after hearing his words. But then... "Whatever." I just muttered that and ignored it. ... ... ... A few minutes later... "..." We entered the Mist Forest. And it's creepy as fuck in here, that's for sure. "Oof, maybe that old man was actually telling the truth." Timmy then said. He's in the same carriage as me. Why? Well, he just wants to talk, and I appreciate some company in times like this. Anyway... "..." Reggie just remained silent. He's here as well, for the same reason as Timmy. Just then... -Meep... Pyro voiced out his concern as well. The three of them look really tense. "Let's stay vigilant." I said and patted Pyro on the head. "Got it." "Roger." -Meep. Reggie, Timmy, and Pyro responded in order. They weirdly follow my words well. Moving on... We stayed on guard throughout the journey. ... ... Though... "..." Nothing dangerous actually happened. The night came peacefully, and we decided to set up camp in the forest. We're planning to continue our travel tomorrow. ***** Around 9 P.M. We finished setting up the camp... I sat down on a log. Fwip¡ª I threw a piece of wood not far in front of me. And with a flick of my fingers... "[Ignite]" Fwoosh¡ª I made a small campfire. 'This is nice...' I thought as I felt my body heating up. It's cold as fuck here in the forest, the cape the old man gave me isn't enough. Anyway, as I was resting... "Guess there was nothing to worry about, huh." Timmy approached me and said that. Then he sat beside me. "Maybe the old man was just trying to scare us off." Reggie then appeared and sat on my other side. They look fine now despite being really nervous earlier. "We didn't encounter any monster or bandit on the way. That's new." Timmy stated. And hearing his words... "Yeah, we're really lucky." Reggie followed. They're really happy about the situation. "..." It wasn't the case for me, though. 'It's too quiet.' I thought. Something feels very off. Not encountering any bandit is one thing. But not seeing any monster in a place like this? That's just plain suspicious! 'Also, I haven't seen any animals either.' "There's definitely something wrong here." I whispered to myself. -Meep... And Pyro agreed with my words. Anyway... I kept my thoughts to myself. I don't want to bring unnecessary worry to the others, especially since I can't even back up my words with solid evidence. It's just my gut feeling. Also... "..." "..." Seeing Reggie and Timmy silent, looking around, I know they notice something is amiss too. Even the other escorts are aware of this. So with that... 'Let's just stay alert.' I thought to myself. ... ***** Around 11 P.M. "Reggie, you're up." Raye woke Reggie from his tent. "Hmm? Ah..." Reggie, still sleepy, stretched his whole body and yawned. "Haaaaa..." And after that... "I'm all good now. You can leave it to me." He said that to Raye. Raye, feeling extremely tired... "Got it." He simply responded and started heading to his tent with Pyro. He had just finished his watch duty. And now, he was passing the baton to Reggie to keep an eye out while the others were sleeping. Anyway, entering his tent... "Goodnight." Raye immediately laid down and closed his eyes. -Meep... Pyro did the same. And not long after... "..." -... They fell asleep. They were sleeping really peacefully. They were so tired, after all. And because of that... Rustle, rustle¡ª They didn't hear the movements just outside their camp! Chapter 45 45 - Even Misty Forest.A fairly large forest just beside the nameless village where Raye and the others rested. Before, it was just a foggy forest that was hard to navigate through. There were some monsters residing in it, but they weren't really much of a threat. Even a villager could kill them if they just had proper weapons. But just recently... Something in it changed. The fog covering it disappeared, and so did the monsters living there. And since then... People who went in there would occasionally disappear, never to be found again! What's causing their disappearance? No one knows... With the monsters gone, the villagers couldn't blame them. And that's why rumors circulated that a terrifying creature was kidnapping and killing people from time to time! Some even believed that the forest was cursed! Though, in reality, the real reason for the disappearances... -Grrrrrrr... Was a 3-meter-tall orc! And right now... -Grrrr... That orc is lurking around the camp where Raye and the others were! ***** (Reggie's POV) Grrrr... "Ugh, I need something to eat." I mumbled as I felt my stomach grumble. I'm currently on watch duty, and so far, nothing out of the ordinary has happened. And hey, I'm not complaining. Anyway, aside from being creepy as hell... "It's cold as fuck in this forest at this time." So with that... I started collecting some dried wood, grass, and sticks. And after that... Tak- tak- tak¡ª I took two shiny rocks and struck them against each other, hoping that the sparks from their clash would light up a fire on the dried grass. I can't use magic like Raye, after all. Tak- tak- tak¡ª ... Then finally, after about a minute... Fwoosh¡ª I managed to start a fire. "Fuuuu..." I blew hot breath on my palms to warm them. Then after that... "Brrrr..." I tucked my hands under my armpits. "It's so quiet, this is nice." I thought. As peaceful it was, I decided look around. And when I turned to look behind me... "Wha...?!" Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. -Grrrrr! I saw a 3-meter-tall monster! And before I could even let the others know... -GRAAAAAHH!!! Swoosh¡ª It swung its right hand and attacked me! SPLASH¡ª! "Huh...?" I felt something on my abdomen. And looking down... "..." I saw a big chunk of my stomach missing. A lot of my blood was dripping onto the ground. And immediately, as I realized that... 'Everyone... run...' Thud¡ª I collapsed on the ground and lost consciousness. ***** (Timmy's POV) "Hmm, what was that?" I asked myself as soon as I opened my eyes. I just heard something outside. Like some kind of wild animal or something. So, still feeling sleepy... "Haaaa..." I went out of my tent to check what was going on. Though, what greeted me horrified me... "Reggie...?" Reggie's body was on the ground, lifeless. And feasting on it... -Guurgh... Was a 3-meter-tall orc! And feeling my gaze... It looked my way! "Shit." I muttered in shock. And following that... "We're under attack!" I exclaimed that from the bottom of my lungs! -GRAAAAAHH!!! The orc started running toward me. And in response... "Fuck!" I ran away from it after retrieving my axes. ***** (Raye's POV) "We're under attack!" "Huh?" I immediately woke up and stood as soon as I heard Timmy's voice. -Meep? Even Pyro was shocked. Anyway... Fwip¡ª I wore my cape. Then I immediately went outside of my tent. And there... "...?!" -GRAAHHHH!!! I saw a grey, ripped, 3-meter-tall orc! "FUUUUCKKK!!!" It was chasing Timmy with bloodshot eyes, swinging his hands at him! 'What the fuck is an orc doing here?!' I exclaimed in my head, completely terrified. And as I was panicking, my eyes landed on something... "Huh?" I saw Reggie's body. He was on the ground, and I immediately realized that he was dead... I mean, why wouldn't I? His lower body was missing and all... "Urghh...!" I felt my stomach twist at the gruesome sight. "Pyro..." -Meep?! I grabbed Pyro and put him in my spatial bag so that he wouldn't see it. My body was shaking, fear struck me as I realize that could be me who's dead. My stomach churned even more. But still, I know that not doing anything will just lead me to my death. And so, I looked around... I saw the other four escorts coming out of their tents. They were horrified by the situation and Reggie's body. "..." But we all knew what we had to do... 'We need to kill that thing before it kills us!' I thought. Then I immediately aimed my index finger at the running orc, and when my hands stopped shaking... "[Bang]!" I shot a spell. Psh¡ª It hit the orc on the right temple of its head... -Grrr...? But it didn't pierce through. Heck, the orc wasn't even hurt! "Shit." I mumbled as I saw the orc stop chasing Timmy and look in my direction. Thud¡ª It took a strong step toward me, showing aggression. But before it could take another... "DIEEE!!!" "YOU FUCKING MONSTER!!!" Phuck! Puk¡ª Two of the escorts wielding spears sneaked up behind the orc and stabbed it in the back! And following that... "HAAAA!!!" "THIS IS FOR REGGIE!!!" SLASH¡ª The other two, who were sword users, swung their swords at the orc with all their might! They didn't stop after that... SWOOSH¡ª PHUCK¡ª They continued attacking, not sparing a second. Seeing them like that... "This could work." I mumbled to myself as a small smile appeared on my face. 'I need to help them.' I thought as I aimed my fingers back at the orc. But just then... -GRAAAHHHH!!! The orc let out an ear-deafening howl! "UGHHH?!" It was so loud that even after covering my ears with my hands, I still felt dizzy! ""GAAHHH!!!"" The four escorts who were attacking it were paralyzed by the sound, being so close to the orc. Thud¡ª They kneeled on the ground, writhing in pain as they tried to cover their ears. And as they were doing that... BAM¡ª The orc punched one of the escorts! SPLASH¡ª "..." The escort who received the attack was Lenard. Lenard's upper body was blown away, squashed like ground meat. Spat¡ª His blood flew everywhere. It even hit me on the cheeks, even though I was several meters away. "..." I was frozen in shock. And so were the others. And as we stood there, paralyzed... BAM¡ª The orc killed another escort who had been attacking it earlier, in a similar manner! "Ah..." 'We need to escape.' I immediately thought. There was no way we could defeat that thing with our current manpower! I thought about escaping with the remaining escorts and the merchants, using the horses and carriages. But when I looked at where we had left them... -NEIIIGHHH!!! I saw the merchant and his group already fleeing the scene while the orc was distracted, killing the escorts. They were already far away. They used us as bait and left us behind to die. And looking at them go... "Fucking bastards..." I could only mumble that. I couldn't even feel angry anymore. I just felt completely defeated, knowing I'd probably die here. "Haha..." A hollow laugh escaped my mouth. I was already in despair. But the one who pulled me out of that... "Run!" ...was Timmy. "Huh?" I saw him running toward me desperately. Fwip¡ª He ran past me and immediately grabbed my arm! And as fast as he could... "Hurrgh!" He started running away, pulling me along with him! ... ****** "Haaaa... haaaa... haaaa..." I tried to catch my breath as soon as we stopped running. We had gotten pretty far away, but I doubted we had escaped the orc. Also, I was sure the other two escorts we left behind were dead. "..." I frowned at the thought. Anyway, looking at Timmy... I saw him scanning the surroundings. And after a few seconds... "Ah..." He seemed to have found something. "Why did you save me?" I asked him. Then looking back at me... "I just felt like it." He casually answered. I was about to say something, my mouth half-open. "Shhh..." But Timmy stopped me. And quietly... "It's here." He whispered that to me. As soon as he said that... Thud¡ª I heard heavy footsteps approaching us. "..." I immediately became silent. "Here." Timmy said as he moved. And I silently followed behind him... We tried to hide behind a bush. But not even half a minute later... -Grahahahaha... The orc spotted us! It looked in our direction, laughing disgustingly. It probably smelled the blood of Lenard that attached on our body! Anyway, seeing that... "Guess that wouldn't work, huh." Timmy stepped out of hiding and took a stance. He was holding a battle axe in each hand. He had this confident smirk on his face... "..." But his whole body was trembling slightly, unable to hide his fear. Seeing him like that... 'I'm so pathetic.' I thought to myself. I admired Timmy a little at that moment. Then, with a resolute look in my eyes... "If I don't have any options left, I should at least fight, right?" I stepped out of hiding too and took a stance. "Look to your left." Timmy said randomly. Following his words, I saw a hole in the ground. It was pretty deep. I glanced at Timmy. Then he glanced back at me from the side. "What of it?" I asked him. "You saved me from the bandit before, I would've died back there if it wasn't for you." He said. Then, with a smile on his face... "We're even now." He added that. "Huh?" And before I could even process what he meant by that... Bam! "Keuk!" Timmy kicked me in the stomach! "Gah!" I flew through the air from the sheer force of his kick! The next thing I knew... "AHHHHH!!!" I was falling into the hole I had seen earlier! "This way, you stupid orc!" I heard Timmy's voice. And that was the last thing I remembered... I lost consciousness after that. Chapter 46 46 - Old Mansion I don't know how long I was out, but when I regained consciousness...-Meep! Meeep! I heard Pyro's frantic calls for me. "Ugh..." I groaned as I sat up and opened my eyes. Sharp pain coursed through my entire body, with my back feeling the worst of it. But still, seeing that I was somehow still alive... -MEEEP! Pyro leaped onto me without hesitation. -Meep meep! He rubbed his tiny head against my chest, it was obvious that he had been so worried. "Haha, I'm fine." I said softly, patting his head to reassure him. Though, as my hand stroked Pyro's head... I remembered what happened before I lost consciousness. "..." I fell silent. "..." I don't know what to say. Reggie and Timmy... The two of them¡ªthey were gone... "Fuck." I muttered weakly. Reggie... I'd grown close to him during our travels, especially after that bandit incident on the first day. He felt like an older cousin to me. And remembering his lifeless body on the ground without the lower part... "..." My fists clenched tightly in anger. 'I couldn't save him...' Bam! I slammed my fist into the ground in frustration. Tears welled up on my eyes, blurring the corners of my vision. And it wasn't just Reggie too... 'Even Timmy...' "That idiot..." Timmy had been the glue between me and Reggie, the one who brought us together with his goofy personality. And now, because of him... 'I'm still alive right now.' A wave of guilt washed over me, heavier than the pain in my body. Timmy's sacrifice played over and over in my mind, each replay twisting the knife of regret deeper. 'If only I was strong enough!' I bit my lower lip in annoyance at myself. A small frown formed on my face as grief and anger collided in my head. And just then, I remembered the cause of it all... "That fucking orc..." I muttered. It appeared out of nowhere and massacred our group. My brows knitting together, my hands trembling as I clenched them so hard my knuckles turned white. The grief in my chest was quickly overshadowed by rage. And, consumed by the thirst for revenge... "I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU!!!" I shouted that with everything I had, the sound of my anger echoing into the hole that I was in. ***** Orcs¡­ They are tall, burly creatures with rough, grey skin and scarred bodies from countless battles. Their brutish features¡ªtusked teeth, sharp jaws, and pointed ears¡ªgive them a fearsome and intimidating presence. They're incredibly strong, kinda stupid, but clever enough to outsmart other monsters when it matters. In the game, they are considered mid-stage monsters, roughly classified as C+ rank monsters! In short¡­ Even Leon wouldn't stand a chance against one of them with his current strength! This is why Raye was so surprised to see one before. And this is the very creature he wants to take revenge on! Anyway, Raye had calmed down to a certain degree now¡­ "..." And currently, he's just sitting on the ground, trying to rest. -Meep... Pyro chirped softly and perched on his right shoulder. Looking at Pyro... "Sorry you had to witness that." Raye said that apologetically. He was referring to his outburst earlier after waking up. -Meep! Pyro chirped back, saying it was fine. And hearing that, a small smile formed on Raye's face. "I'm really glad that I have you with me." He said this while gently patting Pyro's head. -Meep! After resting for a while, Raye decided to move on. "Where am I anyway?" Standing up, he looked up at the hole he had fallen into. It was pitch dark, and he quickly realized there was no way he could climb out. The hole was too deep, and the walls were too smooth and crumbled easily to even attempt climbing. And even if by some miracle he managed to climb back to the surface, how would he face the orc waiting above? 'Timmy saved my life, I'm not gonna waste it.' Raye thought resolutely. S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. He still plans to take revenge on the orc later on, though... Anyway, Raye decided to search for another way out. And since it was completely dark around him¡­ "[Light]" He cast that spell to illuminate his surroundings. And immediately, the spell revealed something... "There's a path." Raye mumbled. He saw a narrow, winding path leading into what appeared to be an underground cave. And with no other choice left... "Let's go, Pyro." -Meep! Raye began walking into the cave with Pyro on his shoulder. ***** (Raye's POV) Tap- tap- tap¡ª The sound of my footsteps echoed as I walked along the path I had entered earlier. "..." My thoughts then wandered back to the moment when I thought I was going to die at the hands of the orc. Back then, my life flashed before my eyes. But instead of them being happy memories... 'They were filled with my regrets.' Regrets of not doing my best. Regrets of not even trying. Regrets of hiding from the world. And so many more... I remembered how annoyed I was at myself in that moment. But now that I've survived... I've decided. "I'm gonna live my life without regretting anything." I declared firmly, my voice filled with determination. There's no certainty that I would live for tomorrow, so I need to stop hesitating. 'This will be my payback to Timmy, who saved my life.' I thought of that, and the resolve in my heart grew stronger. Just then... -Meep! Pyro chirped, breaking my train of thoughts. It looked like he'd spotted something. "Hmm?" I turned in the direction Pyro was staring at, squinting in the dim light. "Ah!" And then, I finally saw it¡ªthe end of the path I'd been following all this time! And not even a minute after that... Tap- tap- tap¡ª "I'm out." I reached the end of the tunnel! "..." But what greeted me there left me speechless. "What... the fuck?" I muttered in disbelief. Right in front of me stood something completely unexpected. An old, three-story mansion loomed in the underground cavern. It looked ancient, its structure worn by time, but it still stood strong. And the most bizarre part? It was buried here with me underground! Then, as I was stood there, trying to process what I was seeing... -Grrrr... -Graaw! -Graaaaa¡ª "?!" Low growls echoed through the cavern, sending a chill down my spine! Then immediately looking around... A pack of monstrous wolves emerged from the shadows, their glowing eyes locked onto me as they slowly surrounded me! And feeling their bloodlust... "Shit." All I can do was curse my luck. -Meep... Even Pyro was wondering why all of these were happening to us. Anyway... -GRAAAAAHHH!!! Three monster wolves rushed at me immediately after that! I have my left hand occupied with the spell [Light], so I can only use my right hand. Immediately pointing my index finger on the nearest wolf running at me... "[Bang]" Fwish- I shot it off! It was hit on the head... Thud- And it immediately fell on the ground, dead. After that... "[Wind blade]" Swoosh¡ª I launched a sharp wind toward the two remaining wolves running at me! -Guk! -Gahk! And they were wounded by it, slowing them down drastically! I didn't miss that chance... "[Bang]- [Bang]-" And I immediately shot at them! Thud- They too got hit in their heads, killing them off immediately! I thought the other wolves would hesitate to come at me after that. But instead... -GRAAAAAHH!!! -GRAAAAAAA!!! -AWWOOOOHH!!! They came at me harder, using all of their numbers to attack me! And seeing that... "Fucking hell! Who wrote my goddamn life?!" I could only exclaim in annoyance. "[Gust]!" I hurriedly used that magic and made the force of the wind strong. And in doing so... -GRAHHHH?! I was able to sent the monster wolves around me away, giving me time to breathe! And not wasting that opportunity... "[Bang] [Bang] [Bang]¡ª!" I started shooting them off, killing them one by one! ***** After a few minutes of shooting spells and running away from the monster wolves... "[Bang]!" Thud- I successfully killed all of them. Which is a total of 18 monster wolves, by the way! "Haaaa... Haaa.... Haaaaa..." I was exhausted. Physically, and especially mentally! I was also out of mana... I'm still covered in injuries from the fall earlier, and now this fight with the monster wolves just added more in my body! I feel like passing out now. I was so done, I need somewhere to rest at... 'And obviously, not here outside.' I thought. And then, looking at the old mansion not far away from me... "Fuck it." Tap- tap- tap¡ª I decided to enter it. -Meep... Pyro was hesitating too, but he knows we're really out of choice. Anyway, I arrived at the doors of the mansion. Creak¡ª I immediately opened them up. Tap- And upon stepping inside of it... Swoosh- ===== Achievement: Discover a dungeon that was not in the game! ----- Reward: +5 points to all stats! ===== The system window flashed in front of me. And after reading through its content... "Huh?" All I could do was let out a stupid noise. Chapter 47 47 - Three Rooms Currently, I'm inside the old mansion here underground...I'm just by the doors, sitting in a lotus position. I'm here so that I can leave immediately if something bad happens. -Meeeeep... Pyro is sleeping soundly on my lap. And as for me... "Fuuuu..." I'm doing my best to recover my stamina and mana as quickly as possible. "Fucking hell." I mumbled under my breath. My whole body aches, my wounds sting, and I'm ridiculously sleepy at the moment. I want to sleep, but I can't let my guard down here... And even if I could... 'I'm too thirsty and hungry to actually sleep.' "Ugh, I feel like dying." I whispered to myself. Then, glancing at my side... ===== Achievement: Discover a dungeon that was not in the game! ----- Reward: +5 points to all stats! ===== I saw the system window that appeared earlier. "A dungeon, huh." I muttered, a slight frown on my face. The window's content says this mansion is a dungeon. In short... 'Monsters are here.' And that's why I can't rest here either. Though, it also means that there's a teleportation gate at the end of this mansion that leads back up to the surface. And lastly... "There are rewards for me to get here." I mumbled, wondering what kind of treasures are hidden in this place. Before, I was really reluctant to dive into this place. After all, it's an undiscovered dungeon and it wasn't in the game, so I have no idea what's inside... I can't prepare for them. But I really have no choice in the matter. This is the only way for me to move forward and get out of this place. So now that I'm here anyway and that's the case... "Let's just reap those rewards and get stronger." I decided to make the most out of it. ***** After a few hours... -Meep? Pyro woke up. "Had a good rest?" I asked him. And looking at me with pitying eyes... -Meep. Pyro answered. He said yes. He's probably worried about my condition. And I can't really blame him... My voice was hoarse, and my lips were dry as fuck. There's probably no energy left in my eyes, either. I look like a dried-up zombie now, with blood spattered all over my clothes and the cape Old Man Rey gave me. Anyway, moving on... "Let's go explore this place." I said that as I stood up. I already recovered my stamina. -Meep... Pyro voiced out his concern for me. "Don't worry, I'm still fine." But I just said that to reassure him. -... Pyro remained silent, just looking at me. I could tell he was worried, but I couldn't just stay here forever. So, with that... Tap- tap- tap¡ª I ventured deeper into the mansion. ***** After walking for a while down the hallway of the mansion... I reached its end. And there... I saw three doors leading to different rooms¡ªone on each side and one directly in front of me. And in game logics... "Only one of these doors leads to a safe room." I mumbled confidently, a weak smirk forming on my face. -... Pyro just looked at me weirdly. Anyway, focusing on the doors... "Let's go left." I said that and opened the door on my left. Creak¡ª And immediately after doing so... -Graaahhh... -Grrrr... -Rrrrrrr... I saw a bunch of monster wolves like the ones I fought earlier, except there were more of them this time. So, without hesitation... Thud¡ª I closed the door. "Not that room, huh." I said awkwardly, sweating slightly. -Meep. Pyro agreed with me. Then, looking at him... "Where do you think we should go?" I asked Pyro. -Meep? Pyro chirped, then after thinking for a second... -Meep! He looked at the middle door. "Got it." I replied and headed to the center door. Quietly... Creak¡ª I opened it. "..." And after taking a good look at what was inside... Thud¡ª I immediately shut the door again. 'Nuh uh.' I thought. Inside the middle room were Kobolds! And they're classified as D- rank monsters! "Hmm, maybe not there either." I said, forcing a smile at Pyro. -Meep! Pyro immediately agreed, mimicking my smile. I walked toward the last door, the one on the right. And as I stared at it... 'This should be the safe one... right?' I wondered, doubt creeping into my mind. I was starting to feel scared of what might be waiting inside. But nevertheless, swallowing my fear... "Here I go." Creak¡ª I opened the door. And what greeted me... "Fuck." Made me curse unconsciously. Thud¡ª I shut the door much faster than the previous ones. And there, I stood still for a while... "..." Speechless. -... And so was Pyro. Inside the room just... There was a fucking giant boar monster, sleeping on the floor! "Is that a boss monster?" I asked in shock. But I immediately shook my head and trashed the idea, I'm still at the early stage of the dungeon, after all. So, most probably... That was a mini-boss. "And I need to defeat that thing to move on to the next stage..." I muttered, an annoyed frown on my face. ***** Still standing at the end of the mansion's hallway... "..." I looked at the doors again. 'Left, monster wolves.' 'Middle, Kobolds.' 'And lastly... right, the mini-boss.' I took a mental note of what was behind each door. And after that... "Fuck me." I cursed out loud, massaging the temple of my head in annoyance. There was no door leading to safety, the rooms just got progressively harder as you moved from left to right. And obviously, to advance to the next stage, I needed to clear the mini-boss room. "Fuck that too." All I could do lately was curse my luck. 'Why is this happening to me?!' Anyway, with my current condition and strength... There was no way I could defeat that giant boar. So, what's my plan now? Well... 'So I'd still start at the room on the left, huh.' I figured I'd go through the first two rooms and, hopefully, grow strong enough after clearing them to take on the giant boar. And so, I rested for a bit more before initiating this plan of mine. ... ***** "..." Quietly standing in front of the door on the left... "Fuuuu..." I let out a heavy sigh. I closed my eyes. "..." Then I tried to recall what I'd seen in the room earlier. 'I remember the monster wolves being clumped together in a group.' They were practically sticking to one another. 'And I think there were roughly more than thirty of them inside.' With that in mind... "Okay." I mumbled, opening my eyes. And immediately... Clap¡ª I clapped my hands in front of me, both arms stretched out. With a fierce look in my eyes... "[Lit up]" I murmured. Swaaaaaah¡ª A huge fire appeared from my hands and engulfed them. And pulling my right hand back like I was drawing a bowstring... Fwip¡ª The fire transformed, taking the shape of a bow and arrow! And since maintaining this spell continuously consumed my mana... Bam! I didn't waste ant second and kicked the door in front of me open! -Grrrr? -Awooooh? -Graaah?! The monster wolves turned to me, startled by my sudden entrance. And not missing that sweet opportunity... "[Shoot]" I said that. Swoosh¡ª Then the fire arrow flew... Boom¡ª! And struck five monster wolves! Two of them died instantly on impact... -GRAAAHHH!!! -AWAAAAAAOUUUH!!! -GAAAAAARRGH!!! The other three didn't, but they caught fire, one of them died because of it a little later. Anyway... Fwip¡ª I pulled the string of the fire bow again. And as soon as I did... Fwoosh¡ª It was reloaded with another fire arrow! "..." It drained a huge amount of my mana. And just then... -GRAAAHHHH!!! -AWOOOOUH!!! Ten monster wolves charged at me! I quickly aimed at them. And without hesitation... "[Shoot]" I fired the arrow! Swoosh¡ª Boom¡ª! The arrow killed four of them instantly. Three more caught fire and died shortly after. But the remaining three... -GRAAAHHHH!!! -GAARGH!!! -GRRRRGH!!! They reached me unharmed and leaped toward me! I didn't have time to reload another arrow. Fwish¡ª So I canceled the spell. Fwip¡ª And quickly drew a dagger with my right hand! "Gugh...!" I immediately squatted down. Swoosh¡ª Dodging their attack successfully. And while I was beneath one of them... SLASH¡ª! I swung my dagger upward, slicing open a monster wolf's stomach! Thud¡ª It fell lifelessly to the ground. Tap¡ª The other two safely landed on their paws. "[Bang]¡ª[Bang]¡ª" But I quickly shot them with my left hand! Thud¡ª The bullets struck the backs of their heads, killing them instantly. And with that... 'I killed thirteen monster wolves in less than a minute.' I noted in my head. The corners of my lips curled upward. I couldn't help but feel excited. Looking at the remaining monster wolves, I saw them charging at me. Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. -GRAAAAHHH!!! -AWOOOOOO!!! It seemed like they didn't care if they died anymore, as long as they could take me down with them. Seeing that... Bam! I rushed toward them too! I'm riding my adrenaline rush! But when I got close to them... "[Wind Blade]!" I cast a spell, slashing through most of them and killing two in the process! I wasn't stupid enough to fight them purely in close combat, after all. "Bring it on, motherfuckers!" I exclaimed. Chapter 48 48 - Basic Needs After about half an hour...SLASH¡ª! -Garagh?! Thud¡ª I killed the last monster wolf in the room with my dagger. "Huff... huff... haaaaa..." I was breathing heavily, and my body trembled with exhaustion. Concerned about my condition... -Meep! Pyro urged me to rest. Which is exactly what I did... "Fuuuu..." I exhaled deeply. Thud¡ª And then I let my body collapse onto the floor. 'That hurts.' I thought as my back slammed on the ground. Anyway, I closed my eyes after that... "..." And I immediately fell asleep. ***** Feeling hungry... "Ugh..." I woke up not long after. Still, I felt like I had been asleep for an entire hour. I recovered some of my stamina too. Moving on... -Meep! Pyro greeted me, looking incredibly proud. Then looking at him... "Did you protect me while I was out?" I asked. And with a smug smile... -Meep! Pyro responded. He said yes. 'He's really cute.' I thought. "Thank you." And then I weakly said that while patting Pyro's head. Anyway, except that, I haven't moved yet¡ªI literally couldn't. I was too tired and too hungry to move. And noticing this... -Meep... Pyro grew worried about me. "No worries, I'm fine." I assured him with a smile on my face. And just then... "Huh?" I smelled something. It wasn't great, but it reminded me of the meat Kyle roasts back in the academy. And because of that... "..." My mouth began to water, and my hunger intensified! I weakly looked around, following the scent of it... And there... "...?" My eyes landed on a monster wolf's corpse. Specifically, the one that had been set on fire by my skill earlier! "..." I stared silently at the charred corpse, wondering if it was okay to take a bite out of it. And less than ten seconds later... "Fuck it." I muttered that, slowly sitting up. "I'll die of hunger sooner or later, anyway. Might as well try anything at this point." I added. -Meep? Pyro chirped, curious about what I was talking about. But I didn't have the energy to reply. I was saving my strength. And so, I focused on standing, and after a while... "Haaaa..." I finally got to my feet. My knees shook, and my whole body felt heavy. Slowly... "Ugh..." I made my way to the burnt monster wolf corpse. And upon reaching it... Slash¡ª I cut off a chunk of its meat. "..." Then, holding the meat in my left hand... "[Lit up]." I said that. Swaaa¡ª A small fire engulfed my hand and the meat after that. Using mana right now for this only made me hungrier. I felt like I could pass out at any moment. But nevertheless, I continued. And when I thought the meat was roasted enough... Pssh¡ª I canceled the spell. And immediately... Gulp¡ª I took a bite on the meat. Seeing that... -... Pyro looked at me in shock And as expected... The meat was nowhere near as good as Kyle's roasted meat. Heck, it didn't even taste like anything! 'It's horrible...' It felt like chewing on pre-masticated rubbery meat! Which is disgusting, by the way! But still... 'I think it's edible.' And so with that... Gulp¡ª I kept eating. With every bite, my hunger subsided a little. I ignored the texture and the taste of the monster wolf meat... All I focused on was recovering my strength. ***** After a few minutes of eating the meat from a dead monster wolf... "I'm full." I mumbled that, tapping my stomach lightly. I wasn't hungry anymore. Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. I wasn't exactly full, as I had just claimed... But I at least had eaten enough to recover my strength. "This'll be my source of food for a while, huh." I muttered, looking at the corpses of the monster wolves scattered throughout the room. -Meep? Pyro chirped, asking if I was feeling okay. He was watching me with a worried expression earlier as I eat the monster's meat. 'He's not sure if it was safe to me, after all.' And that led him to ask me that question. Anyway, with now a bit more energy... "Yeah, I'm feeling much better than before." I responded to Pyro. And this time, I wasn't lying, I really did feel much better after eating. Though... 'I'm still thirsty.' My lips were chapped, and talking was a struggle. Just like food, I don't have any water on me when I fell into the hole and came here. But now that I had realized I needed to use anything and everything around me to survive... I started looking around the room. "..." And after a while... "There." I found a small cup made of metal rolling on the floor. It was old and dusty, but it was to be expected if it is in this kind of places. Anyway... 'With just a few cleaning... It'll be good as new.' I thought, looking at the cup and grabbing it. "This is exactly what I need." I muttered, the corners of my lips curling into a smile. Then, curious... -Meep? Pyro asked me what I planned to do with the cup. And instead of answering him... "Heh." I just smirked at him. And while wearing that same smirk on my face... "You'll find out later." I said that to Pyro. ***** After taking the cup with me and piling the corpses of the monster wolves in one corner... Creak¡ª I left the room. And immediately after doing so... Tap- tap- tap¡ª I walked back into the hallway. Pyro and I had small talks along the way. They weren't anything important¡ªjust idle chatter to keep ourselves entertained. Then finally, after a while... "Phew..." I found myself back at the entrance of the dungeon mansion. And without hesitation... Tap¡ª I exited the place in a hurry. ... Outside the mansion... "..." I saw the corpses of the monster wolves I had encountered earlier. And since they're now my main source of food... "Let's put them inside." I started moving them into the dungeon mansion one by one. ... ... After about half an hour... "Haaaa... All done..." I had moved all the monster corpses inside the mansion. And with that task complete... "It's time for me to go back to the main objective." The only reason I left the dungeon earlier was to find water. And the reason I'm outside is because, when I first got to this area... I noticed the ground on the left side of the mansion looked kind of wet. I guessed it might be water that caused it... And so, without further ado... Tap- tap- tap¡ª I headed in that direction. ***** After arriving at the left side of the mansion, near the far back... "Haha..." A small laugh escaped my mouth, and a full-on smile spread across my face! -Meep! Even Pyro seemed excited about what he was seeing. After all, in front of us... There was a small spring! And it was full of water! I didn't waste any time after that... Swish¡ª I immediately scooped up a cupful of water using the metal cup. And while holding the cup in my right hand... "[Lit up]" I mumbled those words again, and a small flame instantly engulfed my hand! This time, the fire didn't swallow the cup like it did with the monster's meat earlier¡ªit just formed a glove of fire around my hand. And using my hand as a makeshift stove... I heated the cup and started boiling the spring water inside it. That's right¡ªI was disinfecting it. ... After a few minutes... "This should be enough." Psssh¡ª I stopped the fire and let the water cool for a bit. And once it was cool enough... Gulp¡ª I drank the entire cupful in one drinking. "Huuu..." It wasn't as refreshing as I'd hoped, probably because it wasn't cold. But it still subdued my thirst! And so... "One more." I repeated the process a few more times: scooping water from the spring, boiling it for a bit, and then drinking it. -Meep! I even gave Pyro a drink too. Unlike me, he seemed to enjoy the fact that the water was warm rather than cold. Anyway, just like that... "Haaaaaaa..." I finally quenched my thirst. "Thank God, I thought I'd have to use water magic just to drink something." I mumbled to myself. Though the idea of using water magic to produce drinking water might sound practical... It wasn't a good solution. Elements created by magic are primarily made of mana¡ªthey're completely different from the real thing. Drinking water created with magic wouldn't help at all, it wouldn't even refill my mana since that's not how absorption works. If anything, my body might reject it and cause complications! Anyway, that's that... With the monster wolves' corpses and this spring here, I now had the basic resources I needed to survive. So now, all that was left was to clear the dungeon. "Looks like I'll be out of the academy for more than a week." I mumbled, staring at the massive mansion in front of me. There's just no way I could clear that place before my one week vacation ends. Chapter 49 49 - The Middle Room After drinking some more water...I went back inside the dungeon and rested by the door. By now, I had kind of confirmed that the hallway was a safe zone. And so... Taking out a few dirty clothes from my spatial storage, I used them as a pillow. I laid down the cape Old Man Rey gave me and used it as something to lie on. And with that... "Finally, I can rest." I closed my eyes, trying to fall asleep. -Meep! Pyro was going to keep an eye out and wake me up in case a monster appeared. "Thank you." I told him while I had my eyes closed. And happily... -Meep! Pyro replied, saying that I should rest now. And after that... "..." I fell asleep not long after. ***** "Huh?" A stupid noise came out of my mouth as I slowly opened my eyes. I was so tired that I didn't even register that I had fallen asleep! It just felt like my whole body shut down and started back up again right now. Anyway... -Meep! Pyro greeted me. He was so happy to see me awake. And looking at him, he looked so tired... A frown appeared on my face seeing him like that. 'Looks like I was out for a long time.' I thought. "Sorry for leaving you on guard. It must've been really lonely, huh?" I said to Pyro, patting his head. -Meep... Pyro said it was fine, but I still felt guilty. 'He's still just a kid.' "Hup." I sat up and gently took hold of Pyro. "Here." Then I started feeding my mana to Pyro. His complexion improved immediately after doing so. And after that... "You can rest now. Good job." I said that to Pyro. -Meep. Pyro proudly replied, and then he closed his eyes. And not long after... -... He fell asleep. I felt really bad that he had to endure this situation because he's stuck with me. A bitter smile spread across my face. And slowly... Fwip¡ª I put Pyro inside the spatial bag. "I should really do something for Pyro once I get out of this place." I mumbled to myself. Pyro had stayed up for hours, on his own, without any company, just to guard me. And because of him, I also got stronger. That's why... "Let's get this dungeon over with already so we can go home." ***** Going back to the end of the hallway, where the three doors were... I looked at the left room again. Inside, I saw monster wolves again. There were only a few of them this time. Only five of them. They were curiously looking at the mountain of monster wolf corpses. 'So new monsters do still spawn in dungeons after some time, just like in the game.' I thought to myself. I don't know the logic behind it, nor do I care at the moment. It's not gonna help me out, anyway. If anything... 'I should be glad that I won't have to worry about running out of monster wolf meat.' And so... Creak¡ª I silently walked into the room. And before the monster wolves could notice me... "[Bang]- [Bang]- [Bang]¡ª" Thu¡ª I shot three of them dead. -Graa?! -Awoou?! The remaining two were surprised by the sudden deaths of their pack members. And they looked in my direction. "Stay here for a while..." I placed the spatial bag on the floor so that Pyro could sleep comfortably. And when I looked back up again... -GRAAAW!!! -GRRRRRR!!! I saw the two wolves running at me. Fwip- I immediately took out my dagger. Bam- One of the wolves leaped in the air, trying to bite my face... -GRAAAAAH!!! While the other one didn't, it was trying to bite off my legs. As a response... Swoosh¡ª I rotated my body backward to the left! Fwish- Which allowed me to dodge the one in the air! And using my spinning momentum... Phuck¡ª! -GRAA!? I stabbed the side of the wolf! Then, while my dagger was still lodged in its body... SLASH¡ª I slashed it downward! -AROOOO!!! It opened the stomach of the wolf in the air and splashed blood on me, but I didn't care. I continued my slash downward... BAM! And my closed fist hit the other wolf that was attacking me from below! -GARGH?! It was hit on top of its head, stunning it. And while it was like that... "Die." I immediately flipped the dagger in my hand... Phuck! And stabbed it in the head where I had hit it! And just like that... Thud¡ª I killed the two of them, their bodies falling to the ground at the same time. "I'm getting used to this." I mumbled, looking at the monster wolves' dead bodies. Anyway, I added their bodies along with the other three to the mountain of monster wolves' corpses. And after that... "I'm back." I picked up the spatial bag. Creak¡ª Thud- And left the room. ***** Now that Raye was back at the end of the hallway... He looked inside the middle room where the Kobolds were. And there, he counted how many Kobolds were inside. 'There are eight of them.' All of them were wearing light leather armor, and they each had their respective weapons. Kobolds are small, scaly humanoids with sharp claws and glowing eyes. Their wiry frames and whip-like tails gave them a distinctly reptilian appearance. They moved with a skittish, cunning energy, always alert to their surroundings. They are classified as E- rank monsters. But if they got their hands on proper equipment and weapons, their rank could increase up to D- rank! Kobolds are very smart monsters, that's why. And although physically weak, they're stronger than the monster wolves and goblins, the ones that Raye had fought in the past. Also, they have strong magic resistance! Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. That's why Raye doesn't want to fight them! "This'll be annoying." Raye mumbled to himself. He could only use low-rank spells. And now that he's in a situation where he can't rely on those... "Fuck it." He entered the middle room with a dagger in his right hand. Tap¡ª As soon as Raye entered the room... -Eeeeerk! -Chrrrrk? -Hisss...? The Kobolds immediately noticed his presence. "I can't even do a surprise attack, fuck this." Raye cursed, then he put his spatial bag down near the door. Luckily, because of their intelligence, the Kobolds stayed vigilant and didn't attack immediately. Instead... -Hissss¡ª -Chrrk¡ª They slowly surrounded Raye. "..." Seeing this, Raye frowned. Fortunately, the Kobolds only had close-range weapons, so they couldn't attack him from a distance. Looking at the Kobolds... "[Lit up]" Raye muttered. Swaaa¡ª And his left hand was engulfed with fire! And after that... Bam! He kicked off the ground and rushed at the Kobold in the middle! -Chrrck?! Upon nearing the Kobold... Fwish¡ª Raye quickly slashed horizontally at it with his dagger! Clang! It was blocked; the Kobold was able to immediately raise his small sword and defend himself. Though, Raye had already expected that. So, with his left hand clenched into a fist and covered in fire... Bam! Raye punched out and hit the Kobold in the jaw! -Ergh?! It made the Kobold stumble back, but because Raye lacked strength, he wasn't able to knock it out! But following that... "Gurgh...!" Raye jumped forward and put all of his weight into the Kobold! Thud¡ª -Chrk! "Argh!" They fell to the ground. And with Raye on top of the Kobold... Fwish¡ª He heavily brought the dagger down with all of his might. Phuck! And stabbed the Kobold straight in its left eye! -EEEEK!!! And to finish it off... SLASH! Raye dragged his dagger down while it was still stabbed in! Opening a big wound on the Kobold's face... -... And killing it. "You're too loud." Raye mumbled, retrieving his dagger. But he had no time to rest. Swoosh¡ª "?!" He caught a glance at his side and saw an axe nearing his face! "Shit!" Fwish- Raye immediately ducked his head and narrowly avoided the attack. Bam- And then he kicked off and did a donkey roll to get away from the Kobold! Which was a good move because the other Kobolds were coming at him from behind too! They were just a moment too late to kill Raye! "Bunch of little shits." Raye grumbled as he stood up. On the other hand, the Kobolds smirked in pleasure. After watching Raye fight that one Kobold earlier, the other Kobolds realized something... They were stronger than Raye! So if they just jumped on him... They were sure to win! Raye knew this as well... But he already thought of a plan for this. At least, it would allow him to fight the Kobolds one at a time! So without further ado... "Huff!" Raye ran at the right corner of the room! And there... "Come at me, fuckers." He stood and provoked them. Raye thought that by standing in a corner, he wouldn't have a Kobold sneak an attack behind him. And he could see all of his enemies as well. Though he wouldn't have an escape... This was the best thing he could do at the moment. 'I'm really glad they don't have a long-range weapon.' Raye thought... But he soon frowned after seeing the Kobolds pick up stones. "Oh, for fuck's sake." Raye cursed. Chapter 50 50 - Nothing Much After picking up some stones...Fwish¡ª Swish¡ª The Kobolds started throwing them at Raye! "Fuck this!" Raye exclaimed. Tang¡ª! Fwoosh¡ª Then he started parrying the stones and dodging them! Though... Thud¡ª "Argh?!" One stone still hit him in the head. "So that's how you want to play, huh..." This pissed Raye off. And with an annoyed expression on his face... "[Bang] [Bang] [Bang]¡ª!" He started randomly shooting at the Kobolds! Yes, the Kobolds had magic resistance... Psh¡ª psh¡ª psh¡ª -Eeeek?! -Chuurck!!! -Hisss?! But the force and impact of Raye's attack still hurt them! To them, it felt like being shot with an airgun! And then it happened... Bang! Phuck¡ª -EEEIIIIIK!!! One of the Kobolds got shot in the eye, and the bullet pierced through its brain! And after some seconds later... Thud¡ª That Kobold collapsed on the ground, dead! "..." Raye was surprised. He'd gotten lucky. 'Sweet, I didn't expect that.' Raye thought. -... -... -... Even the other Kobolds went silent. Now that they realized Raye could attack them from afar¡ªand kill them... -SHIIEK!!! -EEEEK!!! -CHIIERK!!! They started charging at him! The Kobolds decided to fight Raye in close combat! "Ugh, finally..." Raye muttered as he took a stance. And when the Kobolds got near... Fwish¡ª Raye raised his left hand, pointing at them. Seeing this... -Eeeeek! The Kobolds stopped and raised their weapons. They expected him to shoot again. Though, it was just a bluff... Bam! Raye kicked off and dashed toward the nearest Kobold! Holding his dagger in a reverse grip in his right hand... Swoosh¡ª Raye swung it horizontally! Clang¡ª! The Kobold blocked it, causing Raye's attack to slide along its blade! But following that... Twack¡ª! Raye kicked the Kobold's right knee with his left foot! Crack¡ª Pop! -EEEIIIKKKK?! The Kobold's knee dislocated, and it let out a pained scream! And while it was distracted by the pain... Fwip¡ª Raye flipped his grip on the dagger... Phuck¡ª! And stabbed the Kobold in the chin! And to make sure... SLASH¡ª! sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Raye swung vertically downward, cutting open the Kobold's throat! Bam¡ª Then he immediately dashed backward, not giving the other Kobolds a chance to sneak up an attack on him! Thud¡ª It happened so fast, Raye killed that one Kobold in about five seconds! -?! The remaining five Kobolds froze in shock. Raye, now back into the corner of the room again... "..." ...silently watched them, waiting for their next move. 'I killed two with surprise attacks and one by luck.' Raye thought. 'Now, it's time for the hard part...' And then he followed. He noticed the Kobolds spreading themselves out, inching closer step by step to him. -Hissss... -Chhhrck... They recognized Raye as cunning as their kind, so they were being extra wary. The Kobolds took their stances. Three held swords, one an axe, and the last a short sword. And after that... -SHIEEEKK!!! Two sword users and the short-sword wielder charged at him! 'I can pull off another surprise attack... I'll make sure to finish it then.' Raye thought. Swish¡ª And then the middle Kobold closed in quickly, swinging its sword vertically! Fwish¡ª Raye turned to his right, narrowly avoiding the attack. Ting¡ª! And then he parried another sword coming from his right with his dagger! 'Now!' Raye thought as he saw the short-sword wielder charging from his left. Opening his mouth... "[Gust]!" Raye cast his magic. SWOOSH¡ª! A powerful wind erupted around him, sending the two Kobolds near him flying! -Eeeeek?! -Eeeeeekkk!! The short-sword wielder stopped mid-charge... -Chhhrck...?! It shielded its eyes from the strong winds using its arms. And while it was vulnerable... Phuck¡ª Raye stabbed that Kobold in the throat! Bam! Then he kicked its body toward the axe-wielding Kobold who hadn't rushed in earlier! -Hisss?! The surprised Kobold caught its comrade's body. And with its hands occupied... "Die!" Raye charged at it, a crazed smile on his face! -SHIEEEKK!!! The Kobold screamed in terror and swung its axe in panic! But with just a little twist of his body to the side... Twack¡ª Raye avoided a fatal injury! He was just hit on his left shoulder blade, and it was shallow! Then, as a response... Phuck¡ª Raye stabbed the Kobold between its eyes! He then left his dagger embedded in its head... Fwip¡ª And immediately grabbed the its axe with his right hand! Then, turning toward the other axe-wielder... Raye saw it trembling in fear. 'I've won this.' Raye thought confidently after seeing its reaction. Fwiiish¡ª Then he threw the axe at the terrified Kobold! -Shiiiek!!! Tang¡ª! The Kobold blocked it with its own axe... "[Wind Blast]!" SWOOSH¡ª -Eeeeek?! But it was still blasted away into a wall! Raye had cast a follow-up magic! BAM! -Ergh?! The Kobold dropped its weapon in pain. And when it looked up... -Chrrck? Raye was already in front of it. Phuck¡ª Raye stabbed the Kobold in the heart. And to ensure its death... "[Lit up]" Raye muttered, igniting his dagger with fire. Shhh¡ª Backing away, he pulled his blade out. Thud¡ª Then the Kobold fell on the ground, lifeless. "Ugh..." Raye wiped the blood off of his face. Then he turned toward the last two Kobolds... Raye saw them staring at him like he was the monster. 'Weirdos.' He thought. "You two are the last ones." Raye said coldly. He just killed three Kobolds in about fifteen seconds. And this fact made the remaining Kobolds fear him! "Let's get this over with already." ***** (Raye's POV) With the remaining Kobolds' minds clouded by fear... Their attacks became predictable. Now that only two were left, they couldn't surround me from all directions anymore. And just now... Thud¡ª I killed another Kobold. It rushed at me blindly in desperation. I dodged its attack and stabbed it in the stomach, setting its insides on fire too using my skill. Then... Looking at the last Kobold... "Come." I provoked it. It looked around, trying to find a way to kill me, or at least escape. But when it found nothing... It accepted its fate and let itself be consumed by anger... -EEEEEEKKKK!!! And then it charged at me. "..." It looked pathetic. 'Though, earlier, it was so arrogant.' I thought, remembering its smirking face when the Kobolds realized that I was physically weaker than them. Anyway, when the Kobold got close... Swoosh¡ª It swung its weapon vertically down. I raised my dagger in response... Clang¡ª! And blocked its attack. Though... Crack¡ª "?!" My dagger cracked! So immediately... Bam! I performed a taekwondo back kick, sending the Kobold to the ground! It landed butt-first, and while it was in that vulnerable position... Phuck¡ª I stabbed it in the face. -EEEEIIIIKKK!!! It let out an ear-deafening cry. It was annoying. "[Lit up]" I said, engulfing the dagger in flames while it remained lodged in its skull. And after that... Thud- The Kobold fell on its back. It was dead. "..." I didn't pull the dagger back out, I just left it there¡ªit was broken anyway. And with that... "Haaaa..." I cleared the middle room where the Kobolds reside. ***** Tap- tap- tap¡ª I walked back to the door. "Hup." And then I picked up the spatial bag from the ground. Looking inside... -Meeeeeeep... meeeep... meeep... I saw Pyro, still sleeping peacefully. "Phew..." A relieved smile spread across my face as I sat on the ground. Then... I rested for a bit. I might've looked fine outwardly, with just minor bruises and scratches... But I was exhausted as fuck. My mana isn't really empty, but I still used quite a lot of them... And Physically, well, I'm tired and my body still aches. My injuries from when I fell into this hole hadn't healed yet, and new ones were just added during my fight with the Kobolds earlier. With my condition, I wouldn't be surprised if my body gives up any second now. 'I need to recover before I face that giant boar.' I thought as I rested my back on the door. And with that... "..." I closed my eyes and started meditating. ***** After a couple of hours... -Meep! Pyro woke up and came out of the spatial bag by himself. Immediately opening my eyes... "Good morning." I greeted him. I have no idea what time is it right now. -Meep! Pyro greeted back, he's really energetic now. He probably recovered most of his strength. I've also recovered some of my strength after meditating. It's not as effective as sleeping, but it still counts as resting, after all. What's more, it improved my mana sensitivity a little. Moving on... "Hup." I stood up. -Meep! And Pyro hopped on my right shoulder. I then walked toward one of the Kobold's corpses... "I'll take this." And took its short-sword. "Hmm..." I hummed, looking at the short-sword's condition. Then, looking around... "I should suit up." I mumbled that, seeing the leather armors worn by the dead Kobolds. -Meep...? On the other hand, Pyro was confused. He was asking me what happened while he was asleep. Pyro was eyeing the dead Kobolds on the ground. Then, looking at him... "Nothing much." I answered casually. Chapter 51 51 - Failed Surprise After taking all the weapons and armors from the dead Kobolds¡­Raye stored them outside the middle room. And there, he took his time selecting armors that fit him and were still in good condition to use... "Hup." Raye wore a leather breastplate, followed by leather vambraces on each of his forearms. Then, after covering them with his cape¡­ "There." He put leather pauldrons on top, protecting his shoulders. Enjoy new tales from empire "Hmm, this is good." Raye mumbled to himself. -Meep! And Pyro agreed with his words. -Meep! Meep! He was saying that Raye looked cool. "Haha, thanks." Raye replied with a smile, patting Pyro's head gently. And then, out of curiosity¡­ 'Status.' He opened his status window. Swoosh¡ª ===== Name: Raye Alvah Age: 18 Year Level: 1 Race: Human ----- Stamina: 28 Intellect: 31 Mana: 21 Strength: 25 Speed: 27 Talent: 28 Luck: 27 ----- Wind Element: Level 12 (67%) Fire Element: Level 12 (9%) Spirit Magic: Level 9 (99%) Bow: Level 11 (19%) Dagger: Level 11 (18%) Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Cooking: Level 9 (86%) ... ... ----- Overall Grade: F+ Growth Rate: S- ===== "I knew it, I ranked up." Raye mumbled to himself, seeing his overall grade increase by one rank. He already had a hunch while fighting the Kobolds, but he was only able to confirm it now. Raye had been wondering why his attacks were effective against monsters two ranks higher than him. But now he could see why¡­ 'I'm just a bit below them, huh.' Turns out the gap between him and the monster became small. It happened when Raye discovered this mansion was a dungeon and received +5 points to all his stats! But still, even with all of this¡­ 'I still don't think I can defeat the giant boar in the last room.' Raye thought to himself. And so, he decided¡­ "I'll farm these two rooms for a while first to get stronger." -Meep! Pyro wholeheartedly agreed with his decision. ***** Bank in the academy... Six days had passed since Raye left. "Huff..." Old Man Rey was chopping logs to be used as firewood for the cabin. He had just returned from hunting in the forest, bringing back a deer and three rabbits. He was storing them, planning to cook them all for Raye when he came back. "Hi, mister!" Just then, Jerusha arrived. "Oh, hello." Old Man Rey greeted her with a smile. Jerusha visited daily to check on the old man while Raye was away, figuring he might be lonely. And since her training place was nearby anyway, it was convenient. "Raye's coming back tomorrow, right?" Jerusha asked excitedly. And with a slight smile on his face... "Yeah." Old Man Rey responded. "I'll finally have someone to do the chores, ha!" Then he added with a laugh. Jerusha just laughed along, she knows that the old man was a tsundere and can't be honest with his feelings. Anyway, as they were talking¡­ "Hello!" "Good afternoon." Devin and Kyle arrived, greeting them! "Oh, you two are here again today." Old Man Rey said, looking at them. "Hello!" While Jerusha greeted them back. And after that¡­ "Here's today's delivery." Kyle handed a container to the old man. Old Man Rey took it casually, smiling at Kyle as if this were normal. Then, looking at inside the container... The old man saw a few roasted beef skewers! Kyle and Devin came by daily to deliver food and help with chores, following Raye's instructions before he left. They're using their free time here, that's why they got close with Jerusha and the old man. "Let me help you, old man!" Devin exclaimed, taking the axe from Old Man Rey. "Oh, thanks." Watching Devin excitedly chop logs... 'Hmm, I can't imagine that brat being friends with someone this energetic.' The old man unconsciously thought of that. 'Anyway, that brat did something unnecessary...' Then he glanced at the container in his hands, filled with roasted beef skewers. And although he thought that¡­ "..." There's a slight smile resting on his face. "I'm excited to see Brother Raye again." Kyle said, smiling sweetly. And with a loud voice¡­ "Me too!" Devin added. "Haha, let's all wait for him tomorrow, then." Jerusha suggested. "Okay!" "I'm in." And the two of them responded immediately. They quickly decided to welcome Raye back to the cabin. "..." The old man didn't say anything, but he thought it was a good idea. So with that... "I'll handle the food!" The old man declared that. ""YEAAAAHHH!!!"" Then Jerusha, Kyle, and Devin responded in unison, excited to throw a small party for Raye! ... ... ... Sunday then arrived¡ªthe day Raye was supposed to return! Inside the cabin were five people. Old Man Rey, Jerusha, Devin, Kyle, and Lena. Jerusha invited Lena, thinking she was friends with Raye. Lena couldn't decline, as her senior practically dragged her here. And so, here she was¡­ 'Hmm, let's just see what he achieved outside the academy.' Lena thought, figuring it wouldn't hurt to stay. And so, the five waited excitedly for Raye. They waited and waited¡­ Until the sun set. Though... Raye didn't return. ***** (Raye's POV) "Ugh, so tired." I mumbled, having just killed three Kobolds in less than a minute. I had been in the dungeon for about eight days now. The academy staff was probably searching for me. 'But I shouldn't rely on them.' After all, Act II should be starting right now¡­ The C-Class and D-Class students would be rebelling, trying to overthrow the A-Class nobles. They would expose the nobles' unjust methods and demand a re-assignment of classes. The academy wouldn't comply at first, leading the students to destroy academy property as an act of rebellion. Though, later on¡­ "The academy would eventually comply and do a proper re-assignment of classes." This is the part where the other main characters will appear and shine. I was sure that everything would go well this time, especially since I wasn't there to cause a butterfly effect. So, I have nothing to worry about. Then, remember about the academy... "I wonder how the old man and the others are doing back there." I mumbled that under my breath. -Meep... Pyro chimed in, saying he missed them. "I feel the same way." I said to him. "Let's get out of here as quickly as possible." I added, smiling at Pyro. -Meep! And Pyro replied enthusiastically, saying we could do it. "..." I patted his head with a smile as I sat on the ground to rest. "I need to get stronger fast." I said. I'm really starting to miss my life in the academy. Chapter 52 52 - The Right Room Just like Raye had thought...The academy couldn't afford to send a team to search for him. After all, chaos was currently unfolding in Zion Academy! And it all started just a few days ago! Students from the lower classes started destroying school property and ambushing students from A-Class! And it wasn't just the freshmen... The chaos extended to the sophomores and tertiary levels as well! Furniture was smashed, walls were defaced, and classrooms were left in ruins. Luckily for Raye, he wasn't missing any classes since they were all canceled due to the rooms being unfit for use. The vandals had left the classrooms in complete disarray. Also, amid this mess... "This needs to stop." Leon decided to step up and get involved. His story was beginning to move toward the next act. ***** On the other hand... "Phaaa..." Discover exclusive tales at empire Raye was enjoying a cup of warm spring water outside the dungeon mansion. It had been ten days since he fell into that hole from the Misty Forest and stumbled upon this place. He had survived so far by eating only monster wolves' meat and drinking water from the spring nearby. Raye also ensured that the monsters in the left and middle rooms didn't grow in number. Whenever their count reached three, he would kill them immediately. By doing this, he managed to sustain fewer and fewer injuries with each fight. And slowly but surely, his major wounds began to heal. And today... "I'm in tip-top shape." Raye felt better than he had since arriving in this dungeon. -Meep meep! Pyro, seemed to share the same feeling. So, to test their condition... Creak¡ª The two of them ventured back into the mansion and entered the middle room again. ... ... Entering the middle room... Tap¡ª Raye wielded a sword in his right hand and a short sword in his left. He has several throwing daggers hung securely from his belt too. All these weapons were from killing Kobolds again and again! Anyway... -Chuurck...? -Eeeek? There are two Kobolds in the room. And upon spotting Raye... -Eeeeeek! -Hissss! They immediately took fighting stances, raising their weapons. "..." Raye paused for a moment, observing the two creatures from a distance. "I really feared these guys before, huh." And then he muttered in disbelief, shaking his head slightly. Raye raised his left hand, pointing directly at the Kobolds. And without any hesitation... "[Bang] [Bang] [Bang]¡ª!" He started shooting at them! -SHIEEEEKK?!! -EEEEEEEKKK!!! The Kobolds panicked, caught off guard by the sudden ranged assault! And as they scrambled for a response... -CHRRCK!!! -HISSSS!!! ...their instinct drove them to rush at Raye, attempting to close the distance! 'And they say Kobolds are smart.' Raye thought with a smirk on his face. And when the first Kobold got within reach... Fwish¡ª Raye thrust his sword forward with precision! -Eeeiik?! The Kobold dodged to its left, narrowly avoiding the blade. But as its focus was on Raye's weapon... "[Wind Blast]!" FWOOSH¡ª Raye cast a magic and sent the Kobold flying backward! -SHIIIEK?! Bam! The creature slammed into the wall with a sickening thud. Ignoring it for now... "..." S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Raye turned his attention to the other Kobold. And with all of his might... SWISH¡ª He unleashed a swift, powerful horizontal slash with his sword! -Eeeekk! CLANG!!! The Kobold managed to block the attack, raising its weapon in time. -Chrrck...? But the sheer force of the strike sent its weapon¡ªand its arms¡ªflying backward! Leaving its chest wide open! Not wasting that opportunity... Phuck¡ª! Raye thrust the short sword in his left hand directly into the Kobold's heart! And without missing a beat... Fwip¡ª He pulled a throwing dagger from his belt. Fwish¡ª And threw it at the Kobold earlier! -Hisssss? Phuck¡ª The dagger struck the Kobold's head, piercing between its eyes and puncturing its brain! The Kobold didn't even notice the dagger flying toward it because it was still recovering from being slammed on the wall! Anyway, just like that... Thud¡ª Raye had defeated two E- rank monsters in a matter of moments! "Oh, that was easy." Raye mumbled, genuinely surprised by how effortless it felt. -Meep meep... Even Pyro seemed taken aback. Not long ago, Raye had struggled to deal with these monsters. But after days of hard-fought battles, he had adapted. And with every encounter, it became easier. 'Then, this just means one thing.' Raye thought, a small, satisfied grin tugging at his lips. "I got stronger, huh." He murmured, unable to hide his pride. ***** (Raye's POV) After confirming my growth by eliminating ten more monster wolves in less than a minute, I felt a surge of confidence. And with that... "Time to change." I swapped out my old armor and weapons for newer, sturdier ones. I had plenty of spares, after all. After gearing up, I ate some monster wolves' meat and drank spring water outside the mansion. Then, I rested. Pyro and I took turns keeping watch, alternating between meditation and light sleep. ... And after a few hours later... "It's time." I said that aloud, my voice steady with determination. -Meep... Pyro replied nervously, hopping onto my shoulder for comfort. "Hmm hmm..." I stretched lightly, loosening up my body. And after a final check of my equipment, I ensured everything was in order. I wasn't hungry, thirsty, or tired. And with nothing holding me back... "..." I turned my gaze toward the door leading to the right room. The door to the mini-boss... That's right. 'It's time to face the Giant Boar.' After days of relentless training and preparation, I felt ready. "..." Standing before the door, I took a deep breath to steady my nerves. "Haaaa..." Creak¡ª I opened the door. And inside... "..." I saw the Giant Boar peacefully sleeping. Its sheer size was enough to make me feel fear. But after calming my racing heart... "Let's go." I declared firmly. -Meep. Pyro responded, his resolve matching mine. Tap¡ª And with that, we stepped into the room. Though, as soon as we entered... Thud! The door behind us, the entrance and our only escape... "..." Immediately closed itself, locking me and Pyro inside the room! Chapter 53 53 - Raging Fire "Bruh, I would've prepared more if only I knew there was no escaping."I jokingly said after trying to open the door and it didn't budge a bit. -Meep... Pyro agreed with my words, nodding his head. Then, as is being trapped in here wasn't enough... -Grrrrrr... I heard a silent growl behind me! "..." I fell silent. -... And so did Pyro. We slowly looking behind us... "Shit." And then, I cursed as I saw the 5-meter-tall Giant Boar awake and glaring at me! -GRAAAHHWW!!! "Ugh?!" It shrieked so loudly that it felt like my eardrums would burst! -Meep?! Even Pyro was in pain! And then... Bam! The Giant Boar hopped toward me! 'That fucker can jump?!' I thought in surprise. "Urghh..." Swish¡ª And then I rolled to my left to avoid being squashed by the gigantic pig! BOOM!!! "Wha...?!" A loud sound echoed when the Giant Boar landed, and the whole room shook! SWOOSH¡ª A strong gust of wind followed due to the impact! "Fucking hell!" I cursed, raising my right arm to shield my eyes from the debris while keeping my gaze fixed on the Giant Boar. I was also trying my best not to be swept away by the wind! And when things calmed down... "Hup!" Bam! I didn't waste time and immediately rushed toward the Giant Boar, trying to counterattack! And when I got near it... "HAAAAH!!!" PHUCK¡ª I thrust the sword in my right hand with all my might and stabbed its right leg! Though... "?!" The blade didn't go deep. I looked up to check on the Giant Boar. And there... -... I saw it casually looking down at me! It wasn't even hurt! "Shit." I mumbled. -GRAAAW!!! Then the Giant Boar tried to crush me with its left hoof! BAM¡ª! I narrowly avoided it by dashing backward. "Huff... haaa..." I thought I was going to die. But there was no time to dwell on it, because... -GRAAAAH!!! The Giant Boar started rushing at me again! 'Fuck!' I grumbled in my head. Bam! And avoided its rush again by rolling to the right! Luckily, the room was big enough to give me space to maneuver. S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. And so... "Huff... huff... haaaa..." I started running away from the Giant Boar while avoiding its attacks! 'I need to find a way to kill that bastard!' I thought while running. ***** After a while... "It's no use..." Raye mumbled, a bit tired. He had been running away from the Giant Boar for about two minutes now... -Meep... Pyro was starting to get worried too. Raye had tried all his spells, but none of them worked on the Giant Boar! The blades of his weapons were also too weak to pierce or slash through the monster's hide properly! He could target its weak spots, like the eyes or mouth, but with their difference in strength... Raye couldn't even get near the Giant Boar properly! 'Is there really no way for me to win this?' His mind was now in shambles. Raye racked his brain, watching the Giant Boar and waiting for its next move. 'Am I still not strong enough?' He started to doubt if he was really ready to face the mini-boss. But then... "No." He shook his head. Clap¡ª! And slapped himself with both hands. -Meep?! Pyro was startled. -Grrr...? Even the Giant Boar was slightly taken aback! Raye ignored them, and with a newfound resolve... 'If I don't have an attack that works on it, then I'll just create one.' He thought of that! Though, it's easier said than done... And Raye was aware of that. So, instead of actually creating a skill from scratch... 'Quick, think of something!' Raye decided to draw inspiration from his previous world! Like when he used the gun to create one of his special skills! 'Something that'll pierce through that monster's thick hide...' 'Something strong!' Raye's thoughts rushed in like a flood in his head, there was no stopping it! He thought of modern weapons, game strategies, and many more! And then, just a moment later... "Ah!" He finally found something! It didn't exist in his previous world, nor was it even a weapon. 'But I'm sure it's possible...' Raye confidently declared in his head. But then, before he could even try this idea of his... -GRAAAW!!! The Giant Boar attacked again! "Fuck!?" Fwish¡ª Raye narrowly dodged by jumping to his side and rolling on the ground! And when he stood up and looked at the monster... He saw it smirking at him! 'This bitch thinks I'm its toy...' Raye grumbled in his head, pissed off. "I'll tear that fucking smile off your face" He declared that with a frown. Then, following that... "Fuuu..." Raye decided to try the idea he had earlier. "Pyro, help me with this one." He said. Though surprised to be suddenly called upon... -Meep! Pyro responded without hesitation! Hearing Pyro's response... Fwish¡ª Raye took a fighting stance and raised his sword and short sword in front of him. And with such deep concentration... Your next chapter is on empire "[Lit on]" Raye muttered. Fwwwp¡ª Fwwp¡ª Sparks began to appear around his swords. "Urgh..." Then soon, when Raye poured a lot of mana in them... FWIISH¡ª The blades lit up and were engulfed in raging fire! They look like those magic swords from fantasy novels and games! "Haha..." Raye laughed at the sight of it. -?! And the Giant Boar's eyes widened in surprise! But because the technique was new, Raye couldn't control it properly... The output was either 100% or 0%. So Raye's mana was being depleted at an alarming rate just by maintaining it! -... Pyro couldn't even speak, it needed all his concentration to keep the fire ablaze! And seeing this... "Hide yourself in a safe corner." Raye said that to Pyro. Silently... Fwish¡ª Pyro jumped off Raye's shoulder, found a safe spot, and disappeared from sight! He hid his presence too! And after making sure Pyro was safe... "Time to counterattack." Raye muttered. Bam! And then he charged at the Giant Boar! ***** (Raye's POV) With my mana draining fast after using an entirely new skill, I knew there was no time to hesitate. Bam! I rushed toward the miniboss, my fiery swords blazing with an intensity that matched my resolve. And when the Giant Boar was within my reach... Swoosh¡ª I swung my sword horizontally from left to right with all the strength I could muster! And for the first time... Slash¡ª -GRAAAA?!! I managed to wound the monster properly! The cut wasn't deep, but it was a start. And I wasn't done yet! Leaning my body forward as far as I could, I shifted my weight to follow up my attack! Fwish¡ª With a decisive thrust, I drove the short sword in my left hand straight into the Giant Boar's chest! Phuck¡ª! And the blade stabbed pretty deep, burning the monster's hide and flesh! Finally, my attacks were working! The Giant Boar staggered for a brief moment, letting out a guttural growl of pain and fury. Seeing the opening, I prepared to strike again. "HAAAAH¡ª!" But before I could finish my follow-up... BAM! "KEUK?!" The miniboss retaliated, kicking me with its massive front leg before I could react! Fwoosh¡ª My body was flung across the room, slamming into the stone wall like a ragdoll. BOOM¡ª! "URRGHHH!!!" The impact knocked the wind out of me, and I felt something crack¡ªribs, maybe? The pain was blinding, but I clenched my teeth and refused to let go of my weapons. 'If I drop these, the fire will die out, and I won't be able to reignite them!' I bit my lip hard enough to draw blood, trying to stay conscious through the agony. And when I looked back up... "?!" I saw the Giant Boar already charging at me again, its massive frame barreling forward like a train! Bam¡ª I ducked just in time, rolling to the right as the monster crashed into the spot I had been moments before! BOOM! The sound of its collision with the wall was deafening, and the ground shook violently! Dust and debris filled the air, making it hard to see, but I forced myself to get back on my feet. "Huff... haaa..." I gripped my swords tightly. And when the dust finally settled... I could see the Giant Boar shaking its head, disoriented from the impact! I didn't miss that opportunity. Phuck¡ª I immediately went and stabbed the left side torso of the Giant Boar! And following that... SLASH¡ª! I twisted my body to the right and swung my sword along while it was still lunged in! -GRAAAAAAAAAWWWL!!! The Giant Boar cried. There was a huge wound on its side, and a lot of blood was flowing out of it! But instead of taking it slow... -GRRRRAAAH!!! The monster went and headbutted me! Tang-! "Urgh...!" I was able to raise both of my weapons in front of me and block its head. But the force behind the attack was too strong! So, to lessen it... Bam¡ª I jumped back! Swoosh¡ª I was sent up in the air! And when I looked down... -Grrrr! The Giant Boar was waiting for me! My heart was racing, and my head was clear for some reason... "..." I was scarily calm. It feels like I can do anything... 'I've won this.' I confidently thought. Swish¡ª I twisted and rotated my body to the right. And using the force of my spin... SWOOSH¡ª! I slashed my sword horizontally when I was near the Giant Boar! CLANG! My blade met its tusk... CRACK¡ª! And the Giant Boar's tusk was crushed! -GRAAAA?! It was shocked. Tap- And I landed safely on the ground. While I was crouching from receiving my body weight upon my landing... FWISH-! I went and quickly slashed horizontally with my short-sword from right to left! -GAAH!!? Cutting the Giant Boar's neck open! And following that... SWISH¡ª! I swung up my right hand vertically along with my sword! SLASH! -GRAAAARGH!!! Opening a big wound from the Giant Boar's chest to its neck! There was a big cross wound now in front of its body, and it's losing a lot of blood! It was sure to be dead soon... But to finish it off. Phuck¡ª I stabbed the middle of the cross wound with my short sword! The monster cried, but I didn't care. PHUCK¡ª! I even went and stabbed my sword too in the same spot! -GRAAAAAAARGAAAWL!!! It shrieked so loudly that I might go deaf for a while. But then, while both my weapons are still stabbed in its body... "[Lit on]" I increased the output of the fire covering my weapons. SWAAAAA¡ª And it raged on violently inside the Giant Boar's body! -GRAAAAWGARRRLGAAAAHHH!!! The monster screamed in pain and started moving violently. Bam! Bam! BAM-! "Urgh...!!!" It attacked me with its front legs and hooves again and again... "Grrrgh...!" But I didn't let go of my weapons! And after a bit later... "..." Shhhh¡ª I pulled back my sword and short-sword. And then... THUD! The body of the Giant Boar fell on the floor, lifeless. "Ugh..." Thud- I fell on the ground too, exhausted. And against my will... "..." I lost consciousness. Chapter 54 54 - Airy Unity I don't know how long I was out..."..." But I immediately opened my eyes after regaining consciousness. And then, I saw Pyro resting on top of my chest. He was looking kind of pale... 'He's overworked.' I thought, a guilty expression on my face. I tried to slowly and silently get up... "Urgh...?!" But my body ached so badly that I couldn't keep quiet. Just slightly moving was already a struggle. -Meep...? Hearing my groan, Pyro opened his eyes and looked at me. And after seeing me awake... -Meep! He excitedly jumped around. I smiled, seeing him so energetic. "Ugh..." I sat up to get comfortable... Just then, I noticed that I was still tightly holding onto my weapons. "Ah..." Their blades were broken. Small parts of them had even turned to dust... 'Is this the side effect of that skill?' I wondered, pertaining to the skill I used to kill the Giant Boar. Anyway, moving on... Fwip¡ª I threw the weapons away. Clank¡ª And their blades split in half upon hitting the ground. I then looked at Pyro, who was eagerly watching me from my side. And with a smile on my face... "Hello there, buddy." I picked him up with my left hand. "Thanks to you, I get to live another day." I said, patting him with my right hand. And proudly... -Meep! Pyro replied. I was still feeling exhausted. And so, I decided to lean against the nearest wall and rest. Pyro did the same, curling up on my lap. And while we were like that... I also started meditating. My mana pool was completely empty, so I figured I might as well. ***** After a couple of hours... "Ugh, much better..." I stood up. I had regained some of my strength, and the aching in my body had eased a little bit. I recovered a bit of my mana as well... Swooo¡ª So I started pouring mana into Pyro. And immediately after doing so... -Meep! His complexion got a lot better. I smiled at that sight. And then, looking around, something caught my eyes... "Ah..." It was the Giant Boar's dead body that was laying on the ground. The sight of it annoyed me... "Huh?" But the smell of it didn't. "..." It smelled like roasted pork meat! "..." My mouth started to water. Grrrr¡ª And my stomach growled. After such a life-threatening fight, I was hungry as fuck! "I need to eat." I immediately headed toward the Giant Boar's body. But before I could reach it... Tonk¡ª "Hm?" My foot hit a small tin jar that is tightly sealed shut. Curiously... "What's this?" I crouched down and picked it up. And at the bottom of the jar... "?!" I saw a rune engraving! I didn't know what it said, but I recognized it from my Rune and Ancient Symbols class! Anyway... Pop¡ª I immediately opened the jar. And inside... "...?" I saw small white crystals. I squinted and sniffed them; they smelled like nothing. I dipped my index finger into the jar and touched it. And when I tasted it... "?!" My eyes widened in surprise. It was salt! "What the hell?!" I exclaimed with a bright smile on my face. I looked around and spotted four more identical tin jars lying on the floor... "Hup!" So I immediately stood up and gathered them all! ... After collecting the jars... I immediately opened three of them. And all of them contained spices¡ªpepper, powdered chili, and soy sauce! "Finally, I can add flavor to the meat." I mumbled, a wide smile was on my face. I started salivating just by the thought of eating seasoned meat. Anyway, moving on... "..." I turned to the last tin jar beside me. I had saved it for last because it had a different rune engraved on its bottom. "I wonder what's inside..." I muttered. -Meep. Pyro looked curious too. So without further ado... Pop¡ª I popped its lid open. And immediately after doing so... SWOOSH¡ª! A strong gust wind burst out of the jar! "Urgh...?!" I shielded my eyes with my left arm. -MEEEEEeeeep...! And Pyro was blown away! "Pyro!" I yelled. I was about to throw the jar away in panic, but out of the blue... Fwip¡ª The wind just suddenly died down. "Huh?" It was unnatural. Thud¡ª Pyro fell on the ground, shocked too. The strong wind just disappeared like it didn't happen in the first place! "..." I looked at the jar in my hand. And when I peeked inside... "..." There was nothing, it was empty. "What the fuck?" I cursed in confusion. -Meep...? Pyro jumped back beside me, equally puzzled. And then, as we were like that... -I'm finally free! We heard a loud but small voice above us. My head immediately snapped toward the source of the sound, and Pyro followed suit. And there... -FREEDOM! We saw a small white chick flying and chirping happily. "..." -... Pyro and I fell silent. Then... -Oh? The chick's eyes landed on us. -Are you the one who freed me? It asked, flying toward me. 'How can it even fly with those tiny wings? Look at them flapping rapidly.' I thought. And when it landed in front of me... "Yes, I was." I answered its question. -Tell me your name. It demanded. "Why not tell me yours first?" And I retorted. Hearing my words... -Hmm... The chick thought for a second, looking at me. But after a while, with a smug smile on its face... -Fine. It answered. Then, almost immediately... -My name is Zephyrus! The chick declared that loudly. And then... -I am a Great Wind Spirit! It added that proudly. ***** -You are lucky to have met me! Zephyrus boastfully said. "Yeah, I'm grateful." And I replied sarcastically while eating roasted Giant Boar meat. 'This is heaven.' I thought, savoring the taste. The meat was so much better with salt and pepper. Meanwhile... -Meep! Pyro was happily jumping around Zephyrus. He was excited to meet someone who wasn't an enemy¡ªand a spirit at that. -This little one sure is energetic, huh. Zephyrus remarked. He's a few centimeters smaller than Pyro. I just couldn't take his words seriously with his cute appearance. Anyway... "You say you're a great spirit, but your mana barely surpasses Pyro's." I said that to Zephyrus. And hearing my words... -Ha?! Zephyrus glared at me, clearly offended. -I'm like this because I was sealed off in a place with no mana for so long! He explained. -I had to use my origin mana just to keep myself from disappearing! And then he added. 'He was really offended, huh.' Experience tales at empire I thought. "So, you'll regain your strength and form after some time?" I asked. And while nodding his head... -That's right. Zephyrus replied. "Hmm..." I pretty much got the gist of his situation now. "By the way, your feet are looking kinda transparent." I said, pointing at Zephyrus' legs. And when he looked down and saw it... -AHHHHH! Zephyrus started screaming in panic. -I'm gonna die! He shouted. "..." I had no idea what to do, so I just watched him silently while eating. -Meep meep... Pyro did the same, taking small bites of the roasted meat in my hand. -AHHHHHHH!!! And then, as if Zephyrus thought of something... -Ah! He stopped running and screaming. -... He then turned to me and stared intently. "..." A slight frown appeared on my face, sensing what was coming. And then it happened... -Make a contract with me! Zephyrus suggested that. ***** Zephyrus was clearly an old spirit, as his high intelligence and fluency in human language showed. And if what he said about being a great spirit was true... Then he belonged to the highest rank of spirits. There was no reason for me to reject a contract with him. The only problem was... 'I'm not sure if I can handle it.' My mana pool was too small. Even so... -Let's start! "Ugh, don't rush me." I decided to give it a try. I had nothing to lose, anyway. And if the contract succeeded... 'It'll help me achieve my goal of getting out of this place.' I thought as I sat in a lotus position. -Haha, you won't regret this! Zephyrus flew and landed on top of my head. -Meep! Pyro kept watch. I felt bad since he'd been doing this a lot lately. "Alright, I'll start." I said, closing my eyes. And after that... Swaaaaaa~ I started pouring mana into Zephyrus, who was perched on my head. But unlike with Pyro before... "...?!" I felt a slight resistance. S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. 'So this is what Jerusha was talking about.' I thought. The resistance isn't that strong, so I continued what was I doing. -That's good! Keep going! Zephyrus encouraged me. "..." I ignored him, focusing on the task. Sweat formed on my forehead as my frown deepened. This was far harder than contracting with Pyro. My mana was being drained quickly. If I lost focus for even a second, the mana would disperse, and the contract would fail. Wrinkles creased my forehead as I fought to stay in control. -Meep! Pyro cheered me on. -Keep going! Zephyrus did too. "Gurgh..." I groaned. 'I can do this!' And then I encouraged myself, keeping my mana steady. ... ... ... And after about half an hour... -Meep! -It's a success! The contract was complete. "Haha..." A tired laugh escaped my mouth. And then... Thud¡ª I collapsed on the ground. 'Again...? I just woke up.' I thought. And once again... "..." I lost consciousness. Chapter 55 55 - Enhanced Immediately after regaining my consciousness..."Ugh...?" I groaned and slowly opened my eyes. And upon doing so... -Meep! -Hello, young human! I found myself staring at Pyro and Zephyrus, their faces absurdly close to mine. Super close, in fact... "Hello, guys." I greeted them as I pushed myself upright, rubbing the back of my neck. We were still inside the right room. The mini boss wouldn't respawn for a long while, and since no other monsters spawned in this area... It was basically a safe zone. Anyway, as I was enjoying the peace... -You're too weak! Zephyrus blurted that out suddenly, his voice cutting through the quiet. "...?" I just looked at him, dumbfounded. -Your mana pool is too low! What a disaster! He continued, his complaints relentless. And hearing his words, a faint frown appeared on my face. "My bad." I muttered. Your journey continues with empire But ignoring my response entirely... -Forget it, come and follow me! Zephyrus declared that and promptly flew off without waiting. "..." I watched him for a moment. But after a while, with a short sigh... "Haaa..." I stood up and went after him. -Meep! Pyro perched himself comfortably on my shoulder... And it wasn't long before we came to a stop. "Hm?" We had reached a wall, and in front of me hung a slightly tilted painting of a woman. "Nice painting." I said absentmindedly, observing it. And then... -Destroy it. Zephyrus's voice broke the moment. "Huh? Why?" I asked, blinking at him. -Just do it. But he gave me no explanation. Just an order. "Fuuuuck..." I sighed but decided to comply. Walking up to the painting, I placed my hands on its frame and gave it a firm pull. "Huh?" But it didn't budge. I tried again, harder this time. "Gurgh...!" But still... "..." Nothing happened! "What the fuck?" I muttered under my breath, glaring at the stubborn thing. 'Now I see why it didn't fall off earlier when the room shook like crazy during my fight with the Giant Boar.' I thought grimly. Then, annoyed, I opened my mouth... "[Wind Blade]" And cast that magic! FWISH¡ª! A sharp gust of wind erupted from my right hand, slicing through the painting cleanly! And maybe because I'm contracted with a wind spirit now... 'Whoa...' The output of my spell got stronger! Moving on... I returned my focus to the now-exposed wall. And there... "Is that a vault?" I saw a tightly shut safe, it was hidden behind the painting. "..." I glanced at Zephyrus, who hovered beside me. -... And he just gestured at the vault wordlessly, urging me to open it. Curious, I placed my hands on the safe and began fiddling with it. I tried various methods to opening it. But even after a few minutes of trying... "...?" I wasn't able to open it! It just made me curse in frustration! And just then... -Just destroy it. Zephyrus's voice came from behind me, unbothered. -Meep! Pyro agreed to his words, nodding enthusiastically. And hearing their words... "Meh." I just shrugged and gave up on finesse and prepared to brute force it. Just in time, there is something I want to try, after all... 'I want to try that skill I used on the Giant Boar again.' The skill I used in my swords to kill the mini boss! Though... 'I don't have a sword right now.' I could go and retrieve one from the spoils I got fighting the Kobolds... I had left them just outside the hallway. 'Nah.' But that's too much effort. So instead... Fwip- I pulled out one of my throwing daggers. "This might work." I muttered, gripping the small weapon. -Ugh, hurry up... Zephyrus groaned impatiently. "Just wait." I retorted. "Fuuuuu..." Then I took a deep breath. And with such high concentration... "[Lit On]" I muttered those words! Fwwp¡ª Fwwwwp¡ª Sparks started appearing from my dagger. And after just a few seconds... SWAAAA¡ª Its blade was engulfed in raging fire! The fire surged violently, licking at the air with a hunger that made it seem alive. "Heh." A small chuckle escaped me as I admired my handiwork. The technique was something I had cobbled together, inspired by the fantasy manhwa and manga I used to read back in my old world. In those stories, they called it weapon aura¡ªan enhancement by channeling mana into a weapon. In my case, I added a little twist, infusing the mana with fire to amplify its cutting power. It was the exact boost I had desperately needed during my earlier battle with the Giant Boar. Anyway, now it just looks like I'm using an elemental sword... But who cares? -That's a decent skill you have there. Zephyrus complimented, looking at the flaming dagger in my hand Hearing his words... -Meep! Pyro chirped in proudly. "..." I ignored the two of them. I took a simple stance instead. And with quickness... Fwish¡ª I slashed the dagger in my hand horizontally! And with that... Thud- The small vault was opened! I cut the top part of it. "Done." I said, looking at Zephyrus. Then, with a smug smile on his face... -Quickly, collect everything from the inside! Zephyrus exclaimed that. "Just give me a sec." I said, placing my left hand inside the vault. And after a few moments... "Hmm?" I got my hands on three yellow pearl looking things. "What are these?" I asked Zephyrus. And excitedly... -Those are enhancement pills, it'll help you increase your mana pool and overall stats! Zephyrus shouted that! ***** 'I can't believe I get to use these on myself.' I thought, looking at the enhancement pills in my hand. 'Though, Zephyrus said that I could only use one of them at the moment.' He said that using all of them immediately would be a waste because it wouldn't be effective. Anyway, moving on... -Sit now and meditate! Zephyrus is now giving me instructions. "..." I silently complied with his words. After all, he's telling me the proper method to consume these enhancement pills... I sat down in a lotus position and closed my eyes. And after that... "..." I started meditating. My breathing became rhythmic and my mind became clear. Then, after a few minutes of being like that... -Now! Eat it! -Meep! I heard Pyro's and Zephyrus' voice. And immediately... Gulp¡ª I swallowed one of the enhancement pills! It was hard, the pill was as big as a pingpong ball! Anyway, after consuming it... "Urgh...?!" SWAAAAA¡ª! My mana started to run wild! And my body started absorbing a huge amount of mana in the surroundings! It was painful! -Concentrate, don't lose your control! Zephyrus exclaimed, his words was easily said that done... This was much harder than when I was making a contract with him! "URRGHHH!!!" My face cringed in pain. I want to stop meditating and start rolling on the ground! It feels like my whole body is on fire! Which was a lot for me to say because I have fire resistance from contracting with Pyro! "ARRRRRGH!!! FUCK!!!" My whole body was covered in sweat, and my throat is dry. I was dehydratedas fuck. -Meep... I heard Pyro's worried voice, but I can't respond to him. I was too focused on controlling the mana entering my body! And then finally, after a few minutes of suffering... SWOOOOSH¡ª! My mana calmed down! Boom! A small explosion sound was heard after that... Swoosh- And a weak shockwave was produced after the excess mana around me dispersed in the air! And when things calmed down... "Haaa... haaaa... haa..." I immediately tried catching my breath. I was exhausted as fuck! I already passed out twice, but with my condition... I wouldn't be surprised if there will be a third time. "Haaaa... Haaa.... Urgh...!" "Fucking hell..." My body aches a lot more now than before. And also, I'm hungry as fuck again! 'I need to eat.' I'm starting to feel dizzy now. And just then... -You did it! -Meep! Pyro and Zephyrus approached me, they were happy for my success. I couldn't really answer them right now verbally... "..." So I just weakly smiled at them. "Ugh..." S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. I then dragged my body that feels heavy as fuck to the nearest wall, and there... "Fuuuuuu..." I leaned against it and rested, looking above the ceiling of the room. And after that... "..." I closed my eyes. Though, I opened them up immediately because I was feeling sleepy. 'I need to eat first.' I thought, but to be able to do that, I need to recover my strength first to move. So while I was resting and doing nothing... 'I might as well check my stats.' I decided to check my stats. And with high curiosity... "Status." I opened my status window. Swoosh¡ª ===== Name: Raye Alvah Age: 18 Year Level: 1 Race: Human ----- Stamina: 33 Intellect: 35 Mana: 27 Strength: 31 Speed: 31 Talent: 30 Luck: 31 ----- Wind Element: Level 12 (80%) Fire Element: Level 12 (69%) Spirit Magic: Level 10 (8%) Bow: Level 11 (59%) Dagger: Level 11 (41%) Cooking: Level 10 (1%) ... ... ----- Overall Grade: E- Growth Rate: S- ===== And what I saw immediately made me feel a lot better! I ranked up, and all my stats are now within the 30s! Well... except the mana stat. Though, its gap with the other stats are slowly closing in! "Haha..." I was so happy about my improvement that I became relaxed. And because of that short moment of relaxation... "..." I fell asleep! And you could say... It's my third time passing out now. Chapter 56 56 - Onto the Second Floor "Ugh, fuck..."Raye cursed as soon as he woke up. -Meep! -What's with you passing out again and again? Are you sick? And just like before, he was greeted by Pyro and Zephyrus. "I'm not sick. I just need a proper break." Raye answered as he slowly stood up. And what he was saying was true! The reason Raye passed out so often was because he couldn't get proper rest¡ªever since he fell in the hole! I mean, how could he? There were monsters everywhere, and there was no safe place to rest! Even when he was sleeping, he couldn't get comfortable because he needed to watch out for unexpected situations! Raye actually just needed to rest! Anyway, moving on... "Ugh, food..." Raye was really hungry when he woke up. He immediately headed toward the Giant Boar's body. And upon reaching it... Swish¡ª He cut off a chunk of its meat and immediately roasted it with Pyro's power. Fwip¡ª Raye didn't forget to season it, of course. And after cooking it... Nom¡ª He immediately started eating. Gulp¡ª -Meep! -I want some too. Pyro and Zephyrus joined him. ***** After eating his fill... Raye left the mansion and headed to the spring to drink water. Outside the mansion... -Ahhh, it's been so long since I've been out of the mansion! Zephyrus exclaimed, flying around excitedly. He didn't care that they were buried underground. -Meep! Pyro jumped on the ground, doing his best to follow Zephyrus. And noticing that... -Have a lift, little one. Swoosh¡ª Zephyrus summoned a gust of wind and carried Pyro with it! And with that, they were now both flying in the air! -Meeeeep! Pyro was having a blast. And seeing that... "..." Raye couldn't help but smile. 'Now, he won't be alone even when I'm resting.' He thought. Then, looking at Zephyrus... "Are you a resident of the mansion or something?" Raye asked that. He was curious about this for a while now. Hearing his question... -Hmm? Zephyrus stopped flying around and looked back at Raye. -You could say that. He said. -To be precise, I was the guardian of this mansion. And he casually added that! Curious and having nothing better to do... "What happened?" Raye followed up with a question. And with a casual smile on his face... -It happened maybe about a hundred years ago... Zephyrus began telling his story. -The residents of this mansion were nobles, and I was like a deity for them. -I protected them from harm and helped them grow. That's why I was given the title of guardian. He said with a bragging tone. -I was the symbol of this land. Zephyrus added, smiling sweetly. But then suddenly, his face turned grim! -Until that demon bastard showed up. Zephyrus mumbled. "..." Raye was surprised. He could feel an unexplainable shift in Zephyrus' presence. Then after a small pause, the story continued... -A fucking demon calling himself a noble invaded our lands. Zephyrus muttered, anger evident in his voice. -He massacred the people and cursed the land in a day. And after that, he attacked the mansion! He exclaimed. "..." Raye could only stay silent and listen to him. -I was about to confront him. -But to protect me from the demon... Zephyrus paused briefly... -The family I was protecting sealed me up in a tin jar so the demon couldn't sense me and I could survive. And then he continued, a frown on his face. -They were apologetic the whole time. After all, they were just leaving it to fate for someone to free me. Zephyrus looked at Raye... -Then you came and freed me. And then he said that. -The next thing I knew, the mansion I once loved had become a dungeon. -That's all. "..." Raye was speechless. He didn't expect such a story from Zephyrus. 'I wonder what would've happened to him if I hadn't transmigrated into this world.' He thought, looking at the flying white chick in the air. "I don't know what to say." Raye said, awkwardly scratching his cheek. And with a small laugh... -Don't worry. Just your presence and the fact that you listened to my story is enough. -Telling you my story made me feel a lot better. Zephyrus said that to Raye reassuringly. And at that very moment... "..." -... The bond between them grew stronger. ***** After their small talk... Raye drank his fill of spring water and returned to the mansion with the others. 'So Zephyrus was a resident of the mansion, huh.' Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. 'No wonder he knew where the enhancement pills were... He probably knows other secret stuff.' Raye thought as he walked toward the end of the hallway. Anyway, after reaching the end... "Hup! All better." Raye suited up again. He changed out his armor since it was heavily damaged from his fight with the Giant Boar. And after that... "This should be enough." He just took a one-handed sword. 'No more dual wielding.' He thought. And with all that done... "I should grind here on the first floor for a little longer." Raye decided to attack the left and middle rooms again. ***** (Raye's POV) I stayed on the first floor for a couple more days. I trained my skills with Pyro, raising my proficiency with them... Experience new tales on empire And honing my control over my new skill. I named it [Blaze], by the way. Also, Zephyrus and I are working on a special skill. 'Flying sounds good...' I thought, remembering the times I saw Jerusha fly away from me. But that kind of skill requires a lot of mana. And as usual... 'I don't have enough.' So with that, I decided to work on something else. ***** It's been 15 days since I left the academy. I've been killing monster wolves and Kobolds these past few days, and now I'm sick of the sight of them. For me, dealing with them has become a chore... You could say that I've now mastered the first floor¡ªif this were a game. I also asked Zephyrus about the items I could acquire to get stronger... But he said there were no more on the 1st floor. After all, this is where they used to greet guests and strangers, so they wouldn't hide things like that here. He said they hid items like that somewhere else where others couldn't enter. And that's understandable. So with no more hesitation... Tap¡ª "Time to go." -Meep! -Finally! I was dying of boredom here on the first floor! I climbed up to the 2nd floor of the mansion with Pyro and Zephyrus. Chapter 57 57 - Five Rooms coming up on the 2nd floor...i was immediately greeted by a fairly large hallway. and there... "ugh..." there were five doors. two on each side and one in the middle. "you've gotta be kidding me." i grumbled, looking at them. -meep... even pyro wasn't happy at the sight of them. on the other hand... -that's the room dedicated to me! zephyrus said, pointing at the middle room with his small wings. he was delighted. i looked at the happy zephyrus with a slight frown on my face... 'it's because you didn't suffer with us on the first floor.' and then i thought that to myself. -meep... pyro was looking at zephyrus weirdly too. though, we just let him be because we know the reason why he's acting like that. so, moving on... "let's check the rooms." i decided to check what was inside the rooms. but before i could even leave my spot... -the first rooms on each side are safe. zephyrus suddenly declared that. "huh?" i looked at him with a questioning gaze. but with just a confident smirk on his face... -go check them. zephyrus said. "..." i stood still for a while, just looking at him. but after a few seconds... "fuck it." tap- tap- tap¡ª i walked toward the first room on my right. gulp¡ª i swallowed a mouthful of saliva, nervous. -gulp... pyro did the same. and after steeling ourselves... creak¡ª i opened the door! and there... "..." i saw what seemed to be a library! "what the heck...?" i muttered in awe. -meep... even pyro was dumbfounded. except for the fact that the books were scattered everywhere... the room was clean! no blood, no dust, and no monsters! -there's a protective charm made by a very famous shaman back in the day, built into the walls of this room and the other one. -though, the charm wasn't strong enough to ward off the vile demon... zephyrus explained as pyro and i stared at the room in silence. looking beside me... "why did they want to protect this room?" i asked zephyrus. -this place holds the very history of the family. it's important to them since everything is recorded here, and there are treasured books inside. and he casually answered. my ears perked up after hearing the word "treasured." 'i'm gonna go look for them later.' i thought as i looked behind me and saw the first room on the left side of the hallway. then, curiously... "what about this?" tap- tap- tap¡ª i approached the opposite room. standing in front of the door... creak¡ª i opened it. and there... "..." i saw a fully furnished bedroom! it was clean and ready to use. there were even two big beds inside! "wow, what is this room?!" i asked excitedly. -it's the room of the children. but the answer i received left me speechless. "..." i already knew the reason why this room was protected with a charm, even without zephyrus telling me. "..." respectfully, i bowed to the room. -meep... pyro copied me. and seeing us like that... -i'm starting to like you more, young human. zephyrus muttered. i ignored him and entered the room. "i'll be using everything here, i'm sorry." i apologized. -don't worry. i'm sure it'll be fine with them. then zephyrus said that reassuringly. "..." i just smiled at his words. and after that... "i can get proper rest here." poof¡ª i laid down on one of the beds. it was soft. it even smelled nice, despite more than a hundred years passing. 'i'm sure there's self-preserving magic cast in this room.' i thought. anyway, with me having a comfortable bed... "haaaaa..." i yawned, becoming sleepy. -meeeeep... pyro felt the same. we both knew we could rest here because of the charm. and then, to top it off... -i'll stay on guard. you two rest. zephyrus said that. he sounded really dependable. "thanks, i'll just sleep for a bit." -meep... pyro and i responded. and after that... "..." -... we two fell asleep. ***** after waking up... "..." i felt refreshed as fuck! -you guys slept like a log for hours. zephyrus said, flying in front of my face. -you must've been really tired, huh. he added. "yeah, really tired." and i nodded my head in response. -meep... pyro was still sleepy, so i just let him be for now. instead, i looked around... and saw a huge-ass cabinet beside the bed. creak¡ª i opened it. and saw that it was full of clothes for nobles, and they were for males! "this is just about my size." i mumbled as i took a comfortable-looking white shirt. i then removed my already ragged clothes. "hup." and changed into the new ones i got from the cabinet. fwip¡ª i equipped my armor back... swoosh¡ª and wore my black cape on top of it all. "i'm all set now." i said. creak¡ª thud¡ª sea??h th§× n??el fire.n§×t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. and then i left the room. i picked up the sleeping pyro on the way and put him in the spatial bag. zephyrus was perched on top of my head, sitting on my hair like it was his nest. -your head is a good nest, you know. i'm just letting him be for the time being. ... anyway, now that i was back in the hallway of the 2nd floor... explore more stories with empire "let's go check the other rooms now." i decided to continue scouting the floor. tap- tap- tap¡ª i immediately headed to the second room on the left, just beside the room i came out of. and standing in front of its door... creak¡ª i opened it. and inside... -kek! -kieek! -ke ke ke... there were six gnolls! gnolls are tall, hyena-like humanoids with coarse fur, sharp-toothed muzzles, and glowing eyes. their wiry frames and clawed limbs exuded savagery, enhanced by scavenged armor adorned with gruesome trophies. they are e- rank monsters. and looking closely, they are all well armed! as a matter of fact... "their equipment is better than mine..." looking at the rusting blade of my sword... "haaaa..." i let out a sigh, disappointed. and then... tap¡ª i entered the room! -what a bold decision. zephyrus said. and with a shrug... "a better equipment would help me a lot." i replied to him. "watch pyro for a while." i then followed, putting my spatial bag on the ground. and with an annoyed tone... -i'm not a babysitter. zephyrus mumbled that as he flew off my head. and without looking back at him... "don't worry, this won't take long." i confidently declared those words. i didn't wait for zephyrus' response anymore. instead, i took a stance... -kieeeeee... -kieeek! -ke ke ke! the gnolls already noticed me as soon as i entered the room earlier. and now... -ke ke ke! they were surrounding me with nasty smirks on their faces. anyway, looking at them with cold eyes... "[lit on]" i mumbled. swoosh¡ª and my sword's blade was immediately engulfed in fire! the fire wasn't raging violently. i had learned how to control its output now. and so, my mana wasn't depleting as fast as before. -kieek?! -kek?! -keeee!! the gnolls were shocked, seeing my skill. they stopped in their tracks, hesitating to approach me. and not missing that opportunity... "[flash]" i immediately used the special skill zephyrus and i created! bam! i kicked off the ground. and in a split second... -kieee? i was already in front of one of the gnolls! slash¡ª! i swung my sword with [blaze] horizontally! tap¡ª and when i landed on the ground... thud¡ª the head of the gnoll i just attacked fell and rolled on the floor. thump! and its body followed after. "hmm, i'm still not used to the speed." i mumbled, looking at the dead gnoll on the ground that i had just killed. Chapter 58 58 - The Ghoul [1] -kieee?!-ke?! -kiek?! the other gnolls were shocked to see one of their own lifeless on the floor! in their eyes, raye had just been at the door, far from them... but he had suddenly disappeared from their sight! and the next time they saw him, he had already killed one of them! -kieeek!!! the gnolls immediately spread out across the room, wary of raye. they planned to attack him from behind when he went after one of them! and noticing this plan of them... "idiots." raye mumbled that to himself. fwip¡ª he then took his stance again. and moments later... swoosh¡ª his legs and feet became covered by spinning gusts of wind! and with a single word... "[flash]" bam! raye kicked off the ground! the gusts of wind blasted downward, drastically increasing his speed! fwish¡ª raye disappeared from the gnolls' sight again! and in less than a second... slash¡ª! he reappeared in front of one of them, cutting it in half with his flaming sword! "you guys aren't fast enough to pull that trick against me." raye said with a smirk on his face. thud¡ª and then the gnoll he attacked fell to the ground, dead. raye had just entered the room, yet he had already killed two gnolls! -kieeee!!! -keeek!! the remaining gnolls panicked. they thought raye could teleport. realizing their ambush wouldn't work, they grew desperate. -kieeeek!!! -kieeeee!!! all the gnolls rushed at raye at once¡ªtwo from behind and two from the front. and calmly... "..." raye waited for them, holding the hilt of his sword firmly. and when they got close... swooosh¡ª raye slashed horizontally, spinning his body in a full circle! clang¡ª! he parried all of their weapons! -kek?! -kieeek!! -kie?! the gnolls' arms were flung upward, leaving them defenseless. and not missing a beat... "[bang] [bang]¡ª" raye fired two point-blank shots, hitting two gnolls in the head with his left hand! then... swish¡ª he immediately twisted his body to the left to face the remaining two. and with all his might... swoosh¡ª he slashed his sword downward diagonally! slash¡ª! raye killed the last two gnolls in one go! thud¡ª and he cleared the room in about a minute! "that was fast." raye muttered, deactivating [blaze]. he's just casually looking at the dead gnolls on the ground. even though the gnolls are the same rank of kobolds, they're much stronger and more savage than them! though, for raye... "i told you i wouldn't take too long." your journey continues with empire the two of them are just the same. killing kobolds and gnolls are just a chore for him now! ***** after killing the gnolls... raye went and immediately collected their armor and weapons. "let's see, this one looks nice." and then, he started swapping his equipment for better ones! "yep, this is better." raye said after equipping himself with new light steel armor. and not just that... "..." he got himself a steel sword that wasn't rusty! more than satisfied, raye smiled. and while smiling... "this will be my grinding place to get equipment." he declared that. -... zephyrus looked at him oddly, pitying the gnolls just a little. anyway, at that moment... -meep! pyro woke up and hopped out of the spatial bag. "good morning, pyro." -hello, little one. raye and zephyrus greeted pyro after seeing him. and happily... -meep meep! pyro greeted them back. ***** after clearing the second room on the left... raye returned to the hallway. pyro sat on his shoulder while zephyrus perched atop his head. outside the hallway.... raye's attention was caught by the door in the middle. "that's your room, right?" he asked zephyrus. and proudly... -yes! zephyrus answered. "..." raye stared at the door for a moment. then after a while, he started frowning... 'my years of gaming experience are telling me another mini-boss is waiting for me in there.' he thought. so with that in mind... "it wouldn't hurt to see what kind of monster it is." tap- tap- tap¡ª raye walked toward the door. "..." and standing before it... "fuuu..." raye took a deep breath. then... creak¡ª he opened the door. and inside... -grrrr... he saw a six-foot-tall cannibal tiger! bam¡ª raye immediately shut the door close. "..." and there, he stood silently in his place. -... even pyro was just as quiet. -that bitch was on my bed! zephyrus exclaimed. but the other two just ignored him. moving on... the cannibal tiger was a monster raye recognized from the game. reddish fur, sturdy skin, sharp fangs, and razor-like claws. its physical strength rivaled a gorilla's, and its speed matched that of a cheetah! and lastly, it was a d- rank monster! "fuck me..." raye grumbled, realizing he needed to face that thing to leave the place. -meep... pyro was disheartened by the idea too. "i might be in this shit hole for more than a month." raye grumbled. ***** after checking the middle room... raye headed to the second room on the right. "i probably wouldn't be surprised by whatever's in this room." he casually muttered. -meep. pyro agreed with his words. -hmm? zephyrus, however, just remained silent on raye's head. he can feel something familiar inside the room but couldn't put his finger on it. -'there's something familiar in there.' zephyrus thought. and just then... creak¡ª raye opened the door. and contrary to his earlier claim... "..." he was surprised of what was inside the room! "..." inside, there was only one monster. and that monster... -... was a ghoul clad in armor, wielding a sword! and based on the pressure it exuded... it was stronger than the cannibal tiger! "what the fuck?" raye unconsciously cursed under his breath. -meep... pyro was wondering why they are so unlucky. and well, zephyrus... s§×ar?h the n??el fire.n§×t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. -'what is that...?' he's looking at the ghoul carefully. the feeling of familiarity that he got earlier, it's aimed toward the ghoul! "looks like i'll be down here for a long time." raye grumbled to himself. he's thinking of the possibility that he'll be stuck here for more than a year! after all... 'i just can't see myself defeating that monster any time now!' Chapter 59 59 - The Ghoul [2] (raye's pov)"..." i was speechless. i was frozen in place as i felt the strong presence coming from the ghoul. my forehead started sweating from nervousness. -... pyro was the same, he was unconsciously holding his breath and doing his best not to get detected by the ghoul. -... i didn't know what was on zephyrus' mind, but he was quiet too. anyway, i was about to back away and close the door... -hm? when the ghoul spotted me! "shit." i cursed and tried to immediately close the door... swoosh¡ª "urgh...?!" but my body stopped moving on its own as a strong pressure pressed down on me! -an intruder, huh. i heard the ghoul say. 'it can talk?!' i was surprised¡ªghouls were supposed to be mindless monsters, after all! anyway, even in that situation... i stayed calm. because i knew that monster couldn't leave the room. it's pretty obvious now, after spending about half a month in this dungeon. monsters can only be seen inside the rooms¡ªit's like their restriction or something, just like in the game. 'that thing can't hurt me here. i'm outside the room.' i confidently thought. though... -meep... "huh?" i then saw pyro lying on the floor, barely inside the room! it seemed like his body stiffened and he fell off my shoulder after being pressed down by the pressure! -i caught one. the ghoul said. fwip¡ª and then it raised its left hand in pyro's direction! and immediately... swoosh¡ª a wind was summoned from the ghoul's hand and carried pyro back to the ghoul! my eyes widened in surprise at that sight. and unconsciously... "[flash]!" bam! i kicked off the ground and used a skill! immediately bringing myself in front of the ghoul! and with both my hands on the hilt of my weapon... "[blaze]!" swoosh¡ª! i swung my flaming sword down with all my might! "haaaaaa!!!" but then... clang¡ª! my attack was easily blocked by the ghoul with its sword! and looking at me with its nonexistent eyes... -weak. the ghoul said that. bam! and punched me in the stomach with its left hand! "keuk...?!" it hurt. i cracked a few of my ribs. thud¡ª i was flung away and landed on my back, lying on the floor! i was about to get up and get ready to face the monster again. -... but before i could even attempt to... swish- "..." the tip of the ghoul's blade was already pointed at my head! -goodbye. the ghoul said as it raised its sword in the air. and seeing that... "fuck..." i cursed and braced myself for what was about to come! swoosh¡ª the ghoul swung its sword down, aiming at me! i was sure i'm dead today. but before its blade could reach me... -ivan, stop! zephyrus exclaimed that. and suddenly... fwip¡ª -... the ghoul stopped moving. "..." and there i was, staring at its blade inches away from my face. the ghoul then looked at zephyrus. and opening its mouth... -zephyrus? the ghoul muttered that in a questioning tone. ***** "are you okay?" i asked pyro. and looking at me with a smile... -meep! he responded, saying he was fine. -meep meep! and then he thanked me for risking my life to save him earlier. "of course, i'd do that. we're partners." i said back to pyro, smiling. anyway, currently... i was sitting on a broken chair with pyro perched on my lap. and in front of me... -hello. ...was the ghoul that almost killed me earlier! his voice was really hoarse¡ªit's scary. "hello." i awkwardly responded to the ghoul. and then... -let me introduce him to you. zephyrus said that, looking at me. and without waiting for my response... -this is ivan wallace, the firstborn and heir of the wallace family, the family i was protecting. zephyrus went and introduce the ghoul to me. -he's the owner of the clothes you're wearing right now. he then added, pointing at my shirt. -it fits you. the ghoul... ivan, said, looking at me. "ah, thanks." i replied. then, after calming down... "my name is raye alvah." i introduced myself. -right, sorry for attacking you earlier, raye. ivan apologized. -i thought you were one of the remnant subordinates of the demon that attacked us before. he added by way of explanation. "don't worry, i understand." i responded. after that... -what happened to you, ivan? zephyrus butted in and asked. and with that... -well, after we sealed you... ivan started telling us about his situation. ... ... ... after a few minutes... -that's all. ivan finished telling his story. so basically, his family and the servants were all killed by the demon that attacked them a hundred years ago. ivan, who was a swordmaster and had learned some spells from zephyrus... tried his best to fight the demon. and in doing so... he was able to cut off its left hand! though ultimately... he was defeated and placed under a curse. the demon ensured he wouldn't die, but his body would continue to rot, and at the end of it all... he would become a mindless monster in this dungeon. he also trapped him in this room with the same curse. -you're pretty lucky you met me while i'm still kind of sane. -i'm starting to get more aggressive, and i've been mindlessly doing stuff lately too. ivan said, looking at me. "yeah, i guess you could say that." and i completely agreed with his words. read exclusive chapters at empire -meep... pyro agreed too. anyway, after that... zephyrus and ivan started talking to each other. sea??h th§× n?vel?ire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "..." they both looked happy catching up to each other. and i was happy for them too. though, just then... 'wait...' a question popped into my mind, and it made me frown. "ivan, sir..." i called out. -just call me ivan. ivan responded. i nodded at his words. then, opening my mouth... "you say you're becoming a monster for this dungeon, but you're just on the second floor... does that mean the final boss of this dungeon is stronger than you?" i asked ivan that question. and hearing my words... swoosh¡ª the atmosphere around ivan became heavy! he was angry! "urgh...?!" it became harder for me to breathe... -meep...! pyro was scared too! and noticing that... fwip¡ª -i'm sorry. ivan controlled his rage and withdrew his aura while apologizing. "koff... koff..." i coughed, finally able to breathe again. and while i was recovering... -anyway, about your question... -the answer is no. i'm way stronger than the final boss. i'm the strongest in this dungeon. ivan answered my question. i was relieved to hear his words. but following that... -raye, i have a favor. ivan mumbled. "huh?" and without waiting for my response... -i want you to kill that motherfucker¡ªthe final boss. ivan said those words in anger. "..." he was so angry that i wasn't able to decline because i was scared he might kill me. so instead... 'fucking hell.' i just cursed my luck in my head. Chapter 60 60 - The Ghoul [3] considering that i'll be fighting the boss monster anyway..."i'll do it." i decided to accept ivan's request. and immediately after doing so, he smiled at me. though, it's weird to see an almost-skeleton face smile. anyway... "can i ask something?" i said to ivan. -sure, what is it? he responded. and hearing that... "why are you so angry at the boss monster?" i asked him that question. -yeah, i was wondering as well. -meep... zephyrus and pyro followed. -... ivan became quiet at my question, and it started to scare me. though... "..." i didn't show it on my face. then finally, after a while... -remember when i said all the servants died? ivan finally spoke. i just nodded at his question. -it's not entirely true... and then ivan declared that! -one of the servants survived. he said. then suddenly, his already scary face became even scarier as he got angry! and with that face... -he's the one that led the demon here. he conspired with them to destroy the territory! ivan exclaimed in anger. -for what?! -for a fucking eternal life?! his enraged voice sent shivers down my spine. "..." i just waited in silence, letting ivan calm himself down. -... -... zephyrus and pyro did the same. and after a while... -raye. ivan turned to face me. "yeah?" i responded. -with your current strength, you can't win against that bitch. he said. 'his words are starting to get more vile now.' it's kinda funny seeing a skeleton curse. anyway... "well, i already kinda expected the boss to be stronger than me." i replied. hearing my words, ivan nodded his head. and looking me straight in the eyes... -i'll help you get stronger. ivan said that seriously. "huh?" i was stunned. and before i could even respond properly... -i'll teach you how to properly wield the sword. i'll be teaching you our family's techniques. ivan followed up. "wha...?" ***** "hup!" swoosh¡ª swish¡ª fwip¡ª! i swung my sword again and again. and seeing me do that... -wrong! your posture, distribution of strength, hand and feet placement... all wrong! ivan shouted at me. "ugh..." we immediately started training as soon as i accepted his suggestion to teach me. -place your feet and hands like this, and swing like this... swish¡ª! ivan said, demonstrating a simple but clean vertical slash. "..." fwip- i imitated his stance and tried my best to copy his moves, and with that... swish¡ª! i swung my sword straight downward! -that's better. ivan muttered. and his words made me smile. though... -but that's not enough. do it a few more times. my smile immediately disappeared after hearing that. and so... swish¡ª i continued swinging my sword again and again. -meep! pyro cheered for me. -do your best, young man. he might've lost a lot of his strength, but ivan was a very strong swordmaster before. and zephyrus did the same. swish¡ª -no! your hand is holding the hilt too firmly! ivan exclaimed. "ugh..." and i just groaned in annoyance. ... ... after about 8 hours... "haaa... haaa... huff..." i was out of breath, tired from swinging my sword. it felt like my arms were about to fall off. and seeing me like that... -that's enough for today. you should rest first. ivan stopped our training. 'thank god.' i thought. clank¡ª and then i let go of my sword. thud¡ª i immediately sat on the ground, catching my breath. i was so exhausted, hungry, and thirsty. -meep! pyro, concerned about my condition, quickly approached me. "haaa... i'm... huff... fine..." i said to reassure him, but he didn't seem to believe me. -good work. zephyrus said as he flew over. and looking at him... "thanks." i simply replied and nodded my head. ... ... after resting for a while, i headed out of the mansion with zephyrus and pyro. i then drank a lot of water in the spring, and while i was there... i also ate the last stock of giant boar meat i had. 'ugh, my body is killing me...' i thought, feeling pain all over. it felt like my muscles were complaining about being overworked. but even though i want to stop the training... i can't. i need ivan's teaching, after all. 'i need to get strong fast and leave this place.' and so, i need to endure this. ***** after eating and drinking on the 1st floor... i cleaned up the left and middle rooms down there, killing the monster wolves and kobolds. and after doing that... i went back to where ivan was. -you should rest properly, and after that, we'll continue the training. ivan said that as soon as i came back. "yeah, i'm just here to say see you later." and i responded. read exclusive content at empire -meep! -see you later, ivan. pyro and zephyrus followed. and with a smile on his face... -haha, yeah, see you later. ivan replied. "..." oddly enough, he didn't look scary anymore to me. sear?h the novelfire.net* website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. and so, with that... i went back to the 1st room on the left. though, before doing so... "i'll be using your room." i said to ivan. and with a laugh... -feel free to. so rest up properly. ivan said that to me. creak¡ª thud- and i left the room. ... ... and just like that, before i knew it... 10 days had already passed. ... ***** swoosh¡ª -you've really improved a lot. ivan said, seeing me demonstrate the moves he taught me these past days. -you're not really talented, but you make up for it with hard work and pure dedication. he added. and hearing his words... "thanks." all i could do was thank him. "it's all because you're the one that taught me." i added, smiling at him. -is that so? i'm flustered. ivan responded, smiling. "yeah, you don't really look like it." and i jokingly added, seeing his creepy rotting face smile. we'd gotten really close after spending so much time with each other. -meep meep! pyro then approached me and congratulated me on my improvement. -you're not that weak anymore, huh. and zephyrus kind of did the same. and proudly... "haha, thanks." i responded to both of them. "anyway, i should rest now." i added. normally, i would train more until i was exhausted. but today was different. after all... i'm gonna fight the cannibal tiger tomorrow! -rest well. ivan said. and with that... "yeah, i will." creak¡ª thud¡ª i left the room with pyro on my shoulder and zephyrus on my head. Chapter 61 61 - The Cannibal Tiger the next day..."all ready, huh." i woke up early and immediately started preparing for my upcoming battle. i checked my armor, weapons, and even my body's condition. and all of them were great. so, moving on... "are you guys ready?" i asked pyro and zephyrus. -meep! pyro replied proudly. he had complete trust in me to defeat the cannibal tiger. -let's go retrieve my room from that beast! zephyrus was the same. the two of them think that i'll win against the cannibal tiger. it was pressuring, but it made me happy to see them confident in me. anyway, i just nodded my head at them. and after that... creak¡ª thud¡ª the three of us left the room. ***** we didn't head toward the cannibal tiger immediately. we stopped by where ivan was first. though he didn't say much, he just wished me luck... -be careful. and said that. i thought it was pretty cold of him, but i just let it go and left him alone. and now... "..." i'm standing in front of the middle door on the 2nd floor¡ªthe room where the cannibal tiger is. and after calming my beating heart... creak¡ª i opened the door. "pyro, zephyr." i called out their names. and after doing so... -meep! -got it. they got off me and landed inside the room, near the door. they weren't in a condition to fight yet, so they would stay far away from me while i fight the cannibal tiger. anyway, tightly holding the hilt of my sword in my right hand... tap¡ª i stepped inside the room. and immediately after doing so... -grrrr...? the cannibal tiger's attention turned toward me. "hello." i greeted it with a serious expression on my face. ***** the cannibal tiger didn't attack raye immediately. it was observing him, trying to gauge his strength. and knowing that... 'that's smart.' raye thought, complimenting the monster's intelligence. though, he didn't give it a chance to do whatever it wanted. raye raised his left hand and pointed at the cannibal tiger... -??? and while it was looking at him curiously... "[bang]¡ª" he shot it! psh¡ª and the cannibal tiger was hit on the forehead! -garg?! the cannibal tiger was a little hurt, but not injured. though... -graaaah!!! it became annoyed at raye! bam¡ª the angered cannibal tiger charged at raye! s§×arch* the n??elfir§×.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. and just moments later... -graaaaaah!!! its mouth was right in front of his face, wide open! it was trying to bite off his head! explore more stories with empire 'wow, i would've died immediately from this before, huh.' raye thought, looking at the sharp teeth of the monster. swish¡ª and then he spun his body to the left, dodging the attack! and using the force of his rotation... "[blaze]" swoosh¡ª raye slashed horizontally with his flaming sword! -graaaa?!! and it wounded the cannibal tiger on its neck! the wound was small and shallow... 'but ten days ago, i wouldn't even have been able to do something like this.' raye thought, smiling. but while he was like that... -grrrowl!!! the cannibal tiger jumped at him again, now with its front right claw raised in the air! swaaash¡ª! it swung its claw down heavily! and as a response... swiish¡ª raye swung vertically upward with both hands gripping the hilt of his sword! tang¡ª! the monster's claw and raye's blade collided, producing a loud sound like clashing metal! "ugh..." raye groaned as he felt the force of the cannibal tiger's attack reverberate through his arms. but... -grrr?! he successfully deflected the cannibal tiger's attack! its right claw was flung upward, leaving its body defenseless! and not missing that opportunity... "graaaah!!!" raye followed up and attack! swoosh¡ª he swung his flaming sword back down with all his might! slash¡ª! and cut open a big wound on the monster's stomach! -greaaaaaahhhh!!! the cannibal tiger let out an ear deafening cry. bam! and then it jumped back, putting distance between itself and raye! 'you're not escaping.' raye thought. "[flash]" bam! and then he propelled himself toward the cannibal tiger! -grrrah?! the cannibal tiger was surprised to see raye appear in front of it. it hadn't expected him to keep up with its speed! and because of that... -graaaa!!! it couldn't defend itself from raye's attack! phuck¡ª! raye stabbed his flaming sword straight into the cannibal tiger's heart! and just to make sure... "[lit on]" swaaaaaa¡ª raye burned the insides of the monster! 'i won.' he thought. the cannibal tiger is sure to die soon. but out of desperation... -grraaah!! it swiped its left claw horizontally, trying to kill raye along with it! "huh?" raye was surprised by the sudden counterattack. but swiftly... bam¡ª he let go of his sword and jumped backward! swish¡ª narrowly dodging the monster's attack! and while he was mid-air... clap¡ª raye clapped his hands in front of him. "[lit up]" and then he mumbled that! swaaaaa¡ª a raging fire engulfed his hands! fwip¡ª raye pulled back his right hand, and the flames shaped themselves into a bow and arrow! and while aiming at the cannibal tiger's head... "[shoot]" fwiiish¡ª raye fired off the fire arrow! boom! and it exploded upon contact with its target! swoosh¡ª a weak shockwave was produced by the explosion. tap¡ª raye landed safely on the ground. and when things had calmed down... -... raye saw the cannibal tiger's body on the floor, burnt and dead. ***** "that was easy." raye mumbled to himself while retrieving his sword from the cannibal tiger's body. he hadn't expected to win this easily either. -meep... even pyro was shocked, seeing how raye had completely dominated the fight! -umm, huh, i didn't expect it to be that fast either... zephyrus was the same, looking at the cannibal tiger's body to make sure it was really dead. and then, smiling... "..." raye looked at his hands. 'they are gonna be surprised when i come back.' he thought. raye was thinking about old man rey, jerusha, devin, kyle, and lena back at the academy. 'i'll probably catch the attention of the main characters, but who cares at this point?' he added, shrugging his shoulders. "anyway, it's still too early to call it a day." raye said to himself. and then, after that... "the mini-boss on the first floor will respawn today. might as well kill it to get pig meat." raye declared that casually. Chapter 62 62 - Onto the Third Floor "hmm, i haven't had this for a while."raye mumbled. he's eating roasted giant boar meat! he had just killed the giant boar in under two minutes! and while he used up a lot of his mana... "i missed this taste." raye was uninjured! -meep! pyro approached him happily. and with a smile on his face... "here." raye gave him a whole chunk of roasted meat, different from what he was eating. -meep! your journey continues on empire pyro excitedly started devouring it. and then, flying over to eat with pyro... -you've really gotten strong. zephyrus said that to raye. raye looked at him. and with a nod of his head... "yeah, i didn't expect this much of a change either." raye responded. it's been almost a month since he had left the academy. 'by now, act ii should be finished, meaning that classes will continue soon, and the filler arc will start.' raye thought, eating. "i wonder what the old man and the others are doing." and then he mumbled that, curious. he really misses them. and so, thinking about reuniting with them... "i should hurry up and get out of this place." raye declared that. fwip¡ª he stood up. tap- tap- tap¡ª and then he started walking up to the 2nd floor again. and with a resolute expression on his face... 'i should train for the last time with ivan.' raye thought that. -wait for us! -meep! pyro and zephyrus exclaimed, following after him. ***** at the academy, or to be exact... back in the cabin. "..." old man rey is silently sitting on a chair. and it's not just him there... "..." jerusha, devin, kyle, lena, and even lycus are also in the cabin! "..." they were silent, not talking and just looking at old man rey with sad eyes. and as to why lycus was here, well, when he heard about raye's disappearance... he stepped up and proposed to help find him. it was his way of repaying raye for helping him with the goblin problem before. that's right, the people inside the cabin had gathered with one goal. and that is to find raye's whereabouts and bring him back! anyway, the atmosphere inside the cabin was solemn. it was quiet... and the first to break that silence... "the lower class stopped revolting now. the academy compromised with them, and a fair class re-evaluation will take place soon." was lena. "in three days, the academy's security will return to normal, and so... we can finally leave and search for raye outside." she added in a serious tone. lena worked with leon to stop the students from the lower class from destroying the classrooms and facilities. she also helped convince the academy to hear out the protests of the students and conduct another re-evaluation. and so, because of her, act ii ended much faster without a problem. lena did all of this for their plan to search for raye! they couldn't leave zion academy with such chaos happening, after all. the staff decided to lock down the academy to prevent revolting students from getting help from the outside. "thank you, lena." jerusha said, looking at lena. and lena just nodded at her. just then... "i'll handle all the expenses." kyle spoke. "don't worry about the price, i can handle it." and declared that with confidence! kyle, who was really worried about raye, did his best to gather money. and in doing so, his superior business skills awakened, his store is blooming now! anyway, jerusha nodded at kyle. and then, opening her mouth... "me, devin, and lycus will go look for him." jerusha said that. "i'm sure that guy is okay." devin mumbled. "i agree, he's not weak." and lycus followed. "i'll stay here and try to get help from the academy to search for raye." lena then declared. and so, with all their roles decided... "we'll leave in three days, get ready." jerusha said that. and looking at all of them... "..." a weak smile appeared on old man rey's face. 'brat, you have good friends, so you better be safe.' he thought. and then, opening his mouth... "thank you." the old man thanked jerusha and the others. "ah, it's nothing." "we're doing this because we're raye's friends." "i'm just here to repay a favor." "..." they were flustered by old man rey's words. then, just smiling at them... "wait here for a bit. i'll make rabbit stew for everyone." the old man said that. ... ***** the 27th day since he left the academy... "fuuu..." raye was now standing in front of a staircase that led up to the 3rd floor. -meep... pyro was perched on his shoulder, nervous. -good luck, young human. and zephyrus was sitting on top of his head, resting. 'ivan said that the boss monster is a ghoul with its mind still intact, just like him.' 'and that it's using their family treasure, so i should be careful.' raye thought, remembering ivan's words. and after preparing himself... "well, here i go." tap- tap- tap¡ª raye headed up to the third floor. ... upon stepping onto the 3rd floor... -grrrr... -graaaah...! -gruuu... "huh?" raye was surprised to see the hallway full of ghouls! they're not inside the room, they're just scattered all over the hallway! and upon sensing raye's presence... -graaaah!!! -grrrr!!! they mindlessly rushed at him! "ugh, i need to fight as soon as i get here?" raye grumbled. slash¡ª! and then he cut down two ghouls with a single diagonal slash! ghouls are just f rank monsters. they're fragile with their rotting bodies, and they are stupid too... ivan was just a special case, retaining his sanity after turning into one. and so... swoosh¡ª slash¡ª! raye handled them easily. he didn't even need to use a skill, just pure swordsmanship! ghouls are basically zombies. a corpse of a once-alive person gets exposed to too much contaminated mana, turning it into one. -these guys were the servants of the family. zephyrus said while still on top of raye's head. slash¡ª! "i know." raye said, cutting down another ghoul. he already got an idea that the ghouls were the servants of this mansion because of their ragged clothes¡ªthey were for maids and such. 'ivan would be devastated to see his people like this.' raye thought. and with a frown on his face... fwip¡ª raye withdrew his sword and went into a back stance. swoosh¡ª gusts of wind covered his legs. -graaa..hh! and looking at the tens of ghouls rushing at him... "[flash]" bam! raye propelled himself at them! swish¡ª his figure disappeared, leaving only an afterimage! and then... slash¡ª! he reappeared at the end of the hallway, at the very back of the horde of ghouls! s§×ar?h the n?vel?ire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. his sword was now drawn, like he had just swung it! and without even looking behind him... "time to clean up this place." raye said that! and after that... thud- thud¡ª thud¡ª the ghouls started dropping to the floor like flies! and ignoring that... tap- tap- tap¡ª raye checked the rooms on the 3rd floor. Chapter 63 63 - The Final Room -oh wow, you just killed 12 ghouls in a flash.zephyrus said to raye as they were looking around. "it's nothing special." raye responded. he said this because ghouls are just slightly stronger than goblins, so he didn't think he did anything impressive. in his mind, he just cleaned up a mess. -meep meep! still, pyro was impressed by raye's prowess. he was excited by his growth! and smiling at him... "you'll get stronger soon too." raye said that to pyro. -meep! pyro proudly puffed his chest out in confidence. "haha..." raye laughed, looking at the cute slime. pyro sometimes made him forget that he was stuck in this dungeon. anyway, after looking around... raye discovered that there were six rooms on the 3rd floor¡ªthree on each side. "this will take a while." raye mumbled. tap- tap- tap¡ª read new chapters at empire and then he started checking the rooms one by one. ... ***** after about an hour... slash¡ª! "ugh..." raye was already in his third room. it's taking him this long... because every room on the floor was filled with ghouls! and so, raye had been fighting non-stop for a while now! -there's just no end to them... zephyrus said. then, looking at the dead ghouls on the ground, who were once the servants of this mansion... -may your souls rest in peace. he added. on the other hand... -meep... s~ea??h the n?vel_fire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. pyro was getting bored at the sight of the ghouls. he didn't like them, they looked scary. though, ivan was an exception for him. "looks like the servant that conspired with the demon and turned into the final boss of this dungeon collected all of the bodies back then and turned them into ghouls." raye mumbled, seeing the sheer number of ghouls rushing at him. -graaaah!! "shush." slash-! -what a wicked man. zephyrus said, pertaining to the final boss. and raye agreed with his words. especially after seeing a lot of child ghouls... anger was building up inside him. slash¡ª so, after killing the last ghoul in the third room... "onto the next one." raye didn't waste a second and immediately proceeded to the next. 'i'll bring you good news, ivan. i'm killing that fucker.' raye thought with a frown on his face. ... ***** and after about half an hour more... slash¡ª! "..." thud¡ª raye cleared the fifth room. the number of ghouls increased as he moved to each room. and in this room alone, he killed about forty ghouls! "the wallace family had a lot of servants, huh." raye said. -well yeah, they needed to take care of me. and zephyrus casually responded. 'oh right, he was treated as a deity back then.' raye thought, looking at the flying white chick in front of his face. and then... thud¡ª "haaaa..." he sat on the ground and decided to rest for a while. raye hadn't used much mana, but he burned plenty of stamina from fighting continuously for an hour and a half. anyway... raye used the tin jar where zephyrus was sealed before, and stored spring water in it. he took it out, and with pyro's help... swaaaa¡ª he started boiling it using his right hand. but raye wasn't done yet... "here we go." he also brought out a good amount of the giant boar's meat! and while holding it in his right hand... "[ignition]" swaaaa¡ª he started cooking it! ... ... after finishing the roasted giant boar's meat with pyro and zephyrus... "hup." raye stood up. he was done resting now. -time for the final battle, huh. fwip¡ª zephyrus said as he flew and landed on top of raye's head. -meep! pyro chirped excitedly, jumping onto raye's right shoulder. and seeing that they were both ready... "let's go." creak¡ª thud¡ª raye left the room with them. ... ***** "this is the last, huh." raye mumbled, standing in front of the final room he hadn't entered yet. "..." he could feel a strong energy inside... "are you guys ready?" raye asked. -meep. -yep. pyro and zephyrus answered. and without further ado... creak¡ª raye opened the door to the room. tap¡ª and then he immediately stepped inside! and there... -oh, a visitor. you're the first in a hundred years! he found someone sitting at the other end of the room. "huh...?" raye was confused, seeing the boss monster. why? because... he didn't look like a ghoul! -hi there, what's your name? the boss monster asked. he had brown hair and blue eyes. the only thing that made him look monstrous was his bluish pale skin and the fangs growing out of his mouth! but other than that, he looked completely human! "so that's what you got in exchange for working with the demon, huh." raye muttered, frowning at him. and hearing that... -hmm, you know about that? so you must've met the other rotting ghoul. the boss monster responded slyly, his tone as if he was teasing raye. -anyway, my name's chris. he introduced himself. and with a nod of his head... "it's so not nice to meet you." fwip¡ª raye replied, taking a fighting stance. -haha, you're a funny one. chris said, and then he continued talking to himself after that. raye didn't listen to him though... -good luck, we're gonna hide now. -meep meep! zephyrus and pyro whispered to raye. "okay, stay safe." and after wishing them safety... raye brought his attention back to the boss monster, chris. and that's when... "huh?" he noticed that chris wasn't sitting on a chair. 'it looks like a person.' raye thought. "what's that?" and then he asked, pointing the tip of his sword at what chris was sitting on. -oh, this? and with a smile on his face... -it's the head of the now-forgotten wallace family! chris declared that and pulled the hair of the person he was sitting on, revealing their face to raye! "ah..." 'he's dead.' raye immediately noticed there was no life in the person's eyes. 'did the demon make it so that his body wouldn't rot, just like with chris?' raye wondered, looking at the human chair. though, while he was doing so... -they are my toys. chris muttered that. "huh?" 'they?' raye thought. and immediately after that... tap- tap- tap¡ª tap- tap- tap¡ª two more mindless ghouls with their bodies attached stepped out! and just like the head of the wallace family, there was no life in their eyes! the ghouls were females... -they are the wife and daughter of my chair. chris said. "..." raye stayed silent. then, looking at the younger female ghoul... -i had lots of fun with them, especially with this one. chris added. "..." raye still didn't say anything. though, after that... -i'm starting to get bored with th¡ª "[flash]" -huh? bam! raye exploded in anger hearing chris's words and he rushed at him mid-sentence! and appearing in front of the seated chris... slash¡ª! -gaaahh?!! raye opened up a huge wound on his chest! Chapter 64 64 - The Final Boss slash¡ª!-gaaahh?!! raye opened up a huge wound on chris' chest. and immediately after that¡­ bam! he kicked off the ground again and rushed at the two female ghouls behind chris! 'these are ivan's mother and sister...' raye thought. and then¡­ 'you both can rest now.' "[blaze]" swoosh¡ª he swung his flaming sword horizontally at them! slash¡ª! and when it hit the two¡­ swaaaa¡ª their bodies started to burn! and seeing this... -you fucking bastard!!! chris exclaimed in rage. then, looking back at him... "you should really learn how to shut up." raye declared that, frowning. -... chris, staring at raye angrily with his wide opened eyes, took something out of his pocket with his right hand. and after that... fwish¡ª! a majestic white spear appeared in that same hand! and looking at it¡­ 'that's the wallace family's treasure.' raye immediately concluded that. -i'm going to kill you... chris muttered in rage, standing up from his human chair. then, bringing his attention back to chris¡­ "come on and try it." raye provoked him! -just as you wish! bam! chris rushed toward raye because of that! and when raye was within his range¡­ fwish¡ª he thrust his spear with his right hand! responding to that¡­ swish¡ª raye swung his sword upward with both hands from a back stance! thunk¡ª! and he deflected the spear's head upward! -wha?! this surprised chris, and before he could even process it... swish¡ª! raye's blade came back down, aiming for his head! -urgh...! bam! chris jumped backward in urgency. though, while he was midair¡­ "[bang] [bang] [bang]¡ª!" raye started shooting at him using his left hand! -fucking¡­! chris cursed. thunk¡ª thunk¡ª thunk¡ª and then he began blocking raye's attacks with his spear! though¡­ psh! -urgh?! chris couldn't block them all! and because he's a ghoul with low durability¡­ psh¡ª! -fuck! the damage done by raye's fire bullets was pretty serious! thunk¡ª thunk¡ª and so, chris decided to focus on protecting his vital parts! a few moments later... tap¡ª he landed on the floor. and immediately after he did¡­ "[flash]" -huh? chris heard raye's voice! and looking back up¡­ bam! -?! he saw raye in front of him with his flaming sword! and without hesitation¡­ fwish¡ª raye thrust his sword with his right hand, aiming for chris' heart! -not so fast! thang¡ª! chris deflected raye's attack to his left using the body of his spear! "?!" raye was surprised. but then¡­ swiish¡ª he spun his body to the right in a full circle! and using the momentum of his spin¡­ slash¡ª! raye swung horizontally! he followed up a counter! -huh?! chris was surprised, but on instinct¡­ fwish¡ª he put his spear on the right side of his body! clang¡ª! and he managed to block raye's follow-up attack! though¡­ -wha¡­?! bam! the force behind raye's attack sent him flying to the left! tap¡ª -gurgh¡­ chris groaned after landing on the ground a few steps away from raye. and then, while he was like that¡­ "are you sure you're a boss monster?" raye asked him that. -what?! chris shouted, looking back at raye. but when he looked at raye¡­ he saw him near his human chair! and with a clean cut¡­ slash¡ª! swaaaa¡ª raye slashed the ghoul of the former head of the wallace family and set his body on fire! -you fucker, why are you ruining my toys!!! chris shouted in rage. bam! and then he rushed at raye again! seeing chris approach¡­ fwip¡ª "..." raye assumed an inner stance. and when they were within each other's range¡­ fwish¡ª chris attacked first, thrusting his weapon again! raye looked at the tip of the spear, and with a light frown on his face¡­ 'too easy. ivan's was several times faster and precise.' raye thought. and by slightly turning his body to the side¡­ swish¡ª he dodged chris' attack with minimal movement! and from there¡­ fwish¡ª raye countered with a thrust aimed at chris' head! -?! bam! chris retreated again, dashing backward. "..." raye silently watched him. -... chris stared at raye, surprised. and then, amidst the silence¡­ "you're pretty good at running away, huh." raye spoke in a provoking manner! ***** (chris' pov) 'i don't understand.' sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lfire .net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. i thought as i looked at the young man in front of me. i'm faster than him, that much i'm sure of. but why...? 'why is it that i can't land a hit on him, and he can counter me?!' his first attack that cut me in the chest caught me off guard, so i didn't think much of it. but as the fight progresses... i realized this human can see my attacks and go against with me! -... i was speechless. i was thinking of how to continue from now on... but just then... "you're pretty good at running away, huh." i heard the young man say that. and hearing his words... -what? 'this fucker...' anger welled up inside me. 'i'm chris spanner!' read latest stories on empire i thought. 'i'm the god of this place!' i declare in my head. and with my mind filled with anger... -shut up! bam! i rushed at the human again, now with a much stronger intention to kill him! ***** (raye's pov) clang¡ª! chris' spear and my flaming sword clashed. thang¡ª clunk¡ª ting¡ª! we continued exchanging attacks. chris was on the offensive, and i focused on deflecting and blocking his attempts. but whenever i saw an opportunity to counter... slash¡ª! -urgh...?! i didn't miss a single chance and attacked back immediately! 'he's dodged every one of my counters, though.' thang¡ª! i thought as i clashed with chris' spear. but i had already expected as much... 'chris is faster and probably two ranks above me.' it wouldn't be easy to land a solid hit on him. 'still, this is doable.' after all... i've been fighting monsters with higher ranks than me ever since i entered this dungeon. and with ivan's training... clank¡ª! -?! "there's just no way i'll lose to you." i declared, flinging the spear's head away from me. ***** raye had learned how to deflect and block attacks properly from ivan. he'd also mastered counterattacks under his teaching. and because of those skills... tiiiing¡ª -fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck! clang¡ª! -just fucking die!!! raye could go toe-to-toe with chris! though, slowly... 'urgh, fuck...' he began losing strength! his mana was depleting rapidly too! and so... 'i should finish this quickly.' raye decided on that. though, just then... fwip¡ª "huh?" chris stopped attacking and took a few steps back. and as if he had the same thought... swoosh¡ª! his mana began surging wildly! chris was also thinking of ending the fight! and he planned to do so by going all out, even if just for a short while! "what the fuck...?" raye cursed under his breath, feeling chris' overwhelming mana. it was far greater than his own. then, as chris charged his mana... swiiish¡ª raye noticed that his weapon, the wallace family treasure, was charging up for something too! but before he could even think or wonder about it... fwip¡ª chris pointed the tip of his weapon to him. and just suddenly, out of nowhere... fwiiiish¡ª a bright light was launched from the spear head and shot toward raye! "?!" and out of reflex... fwip- bang¡ª! raye raised his weapon and blocked it! 'what the fuck was that?!' he exclaimed in his head. raye was sure that it was a spell... but what surprised him is that there was no activation done there, it just shot toward him! no voice or whatnot! and as raye was wondering about that... fwiish¡ª another one flew out from chris' spear, coming toward him! and because he knows they're dangerous... "urgh!" bang¡ª! raye blocked it again! though... bam¡ª! "gahh!!!" another came and it hit him in the stomach! fwiish¡ª another one came, but this time... bang¡ª! it intentionally hit his sword! "argh...!" thump¡ª! making raye let go of it, it flew several meters away from him! fwiish¡ª! another one came! and to dodge it... "ugh!" raye rolled forward on the floor! and immediately after that... "[flash]!" bam! he rushed at chris! -haha, idiot. chris said, looking at raye come straight at him. he then properly aimed the tip of his spear to raye. but before he could even shoot... "[bang]!" raye shot first, aiming at chris head! -?! thunk¡ª chris decided to block it. but when he brought his attention back to raye... fwiish¡ª he saw a throwing dagger a few inches away from his face! -argh, you fucker! fwip- chris squatted a bit to dodge it. and because of the two distractions he successfully pulled off... "hello, motherfucker!" -?! raye reached chris! and immediately after doing so... bam! he punched out with all his might and hit chris on his nose! -graaa?!! chris exclaimed, he was in pain. fwip- raye then clutched onto the handle of his spear with his left hand. and following that... thomp¡ª! -gaah?! raye kicked chris on the stomach! but despite the pain he was feeling... -you fucker... chris didn't let go of his weapon! and with a grin on his face... -you have no escape here! swoosh¡ª chris exclaimed that as he launched a punch, aiming at raye's face with his left hand covered in mana! though, before his attack could even reach raye... "[wind blast]" bam! -keuk!? a strong gust of wind hit him in the stomach! and this time... swoosh¡ª it sent chris flying away! and with that... "hmm..." "how do you use this?" raye got his hands on the wallace family treasure. Chapter 65 65 - The Final Fight -...chris was speechless, looking at raye with wide eyes opened. and then, looking at the wallace family treasure in raye's hand... -that's mine, give it back! chris exclaimed that. and looking at him with a frown... "the fuck are you talking about?" raye responded to him. -give it back! chris shouted. bam! and then he rushed at raye! chris' nails then grew out and turned into claws, and his eyes became really red! and entering raye's range... swish¡ª he slashed his right claw diagonally down! "?!" raye, holding the white spear in his right... thuck¡ª! had no choice but to block chris' attack using the spear's body! 'ugh, i don't know how to wield a spear...' he thought. all he could do was stab with it, but because chris was too close, he couldn't even do that! and so... "hup!" fwish- raye decided to throw the spear in the air! and just an idiot he was... -huh?! chris looked up and followed it with his eyes! and as soon as his eyes were off him... "fucking idiot." bam! raye went and punched chris in the jaw with his right hand engulfed in mana! -gurgh?! chris stumbled back with that. fwip- and raye caught the spear again with both hands! and following that... fwish¡ª he thrust the spear forward, directly at chris' face! -ugh! chris forcefully tilted his head to the side, avoiding it... fwiit¡ª but it still hit his left cheek, completely destroying his skin there! it revealed the rotting flesh inside his face! -graaahhh!!! swoosh¡ª but chris just ignored that and launched a counter with his left claw! and seeing this... phuck¡ª "urgh!!" raye let himself be hit with it! -?! this surprised chris, he noticed that raye made no effort to avoid his attack! and then, with a devilish smirk on his face... "[wind blade]!" fwish¡ª raye cut off chris' left arm by casting that spell with his left hand! thud- chris' arm fell on the ground behind him. and realizing what happened... -graaawahhh! he screamed in pain! bam! chris kicked off the ground and jumped backwards in order to retreat. but just like before... "[flash]" s§×arch* the n?vel_fire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. bam! raye followed after him! -fuck!! chris cursed. and looking at him with cold eyes... "you're a disappointment." phuck¡ª! raye said that and stabbed the spear in chris' chest! -gurg...?! and as usual, to make sure he dies... "[lit on]" swaaaa¡ª raye engulfed the spearhead with fire and burned chris' insides! -graaaaaaaaaahhh¡ª! chris shrieked in pain, he spasmed around, trying to get raye and make him stop. though, because of the length of the spear dividing them... "..." he wasn't even able to reach raye! and so, looking at chris slowly dies with no remorse or whatsoever... "for someone weak, you did a lot of unspeakable things, huh." raye muttered that. and seeing raye's emotionless face, right in front of him... 'ah, i'm dead.' chris thought of that. "rot in hell, if there's one." he heard raye said. and that's the last thing in his memory. he lost consciousness after that... ... ***** (raye's pov) 'he's dead.' i thought, looking at the burning chris in front of me. i didn't take my eyes off him as undead monsters sometimes still rise from the dead. and so... "..." i just stood there, watching his body burn in cinder. "ugh..." i groaned, holding the left side of my body with my left hand. it was where chris stabbed his claw, the wound was shallow, fortunately. but i'm still feeling sharp pain and aching from it... i let chris attack me earlier to keep him in place, and instead of dodging, i used the split second i had casting the spell. 'i let him wound me in exchange for his left arm.' not a bad exchange if you ask me. anyway, as i was watching the final boss burn... -meep! -... pyro and zephyrus appeared and approached me. "oh, hello." i greeted them. -meep meep meep! pyro was singing my praises, hearing him do that put a smile on my face. "haha, thanks." i said to him. on the other hand... -... zephyrus was just quietly staring at me. "what?" i asked him. and then, slightly shaking his head... -nothing, i just didn't expect for you to kill the boss monster this fast and easy. zephyrus said that. -how do i say this, it's kinda anticlimactic? he added. looking at him and shrugging my shoulders... "i'm sorry for not being flashy." i sarcastically said that. though, i do get what he meant... i also think it's kinda boring how things ended with the final boss. 'i trained so hard to face him, after all.' i thought. then, slightly opening my mouth... "status." i opened my status window. swoosh¡ª ===== name: raye alvah age: 18 year level: 1 race: human ----- stamina: 38 intellect: 37 mana: 30 strength: 39 speed: 38 talent: 39 luck: 40 --- wind element: level 14 (88%) fire element: level 15 (12%) spirit magic: level 13 (96%) bow: level 12 (73%) dagger: level 12 (50%) sword: level 11 (6%) cooking: level 11 (99%) ... ... ----- overall grade: e- growth rate: s ===== "maybe i got too strong." i mumbled, looking at my stats. ***** after a few minutes... "..." chris' body became ash. and immediately after that... swoosh¡ª a magic formula written on the floor appeared in the middle of the room. and seeing that... 'that's the exit to this shithole, huh.' raye immediately concluded that in his head. he had seen this scene from numerous games, after all. even in [brave hearts]. "i guess it's finally over." raye stood up from the ground and patted his clothes clean. he was resting while keeping an eye on the final boss' body earlier. anyway... "hmm." raye then looked at the white spear he was holding with his right hand. "what do i do with this?" he asked himself. he doesn't know how to use a spear. but just then... -why not transform it into a sword? zephyrus butted in and asked him that. "huh?" raye responded in confusion. and to clear things for him... -that's the family treasure of the wallace family, it's an artifact that can change its form into anything. you saw it earlier first-hand. zephyrus simply explained. -remove all the lingering mana in it. and then he followed. "right." raye immediately complied, trying to absorb out the mana inside the spear. it was chris' leftover mana in it. and then, as soon as he cleared off the mana from the spear... fwish- it became small and turned into an elegant silver ring! "wha..." raye was surprised to see this. but there's more to come! explore stories on empire -pour your mana in it and try to think of anything you want to transform it into. zephyrus ordered. "okay." and raye immediately followed! he was completely fascinated by the artifact in his hand! raye started giving his mana into the ring. and after a while... 'a sword.' he thought of that. swoosh¡ª and then the ring immediately transformed into an elegant white one-handed sword! raye, holding the sword... "..." stared at it in disbelief. but after a few seconds... "hah..." a laugh escaped his mouth and his lips started bending upward into a smile! and silently... 'what a great reward.' raye thought of that to himself. ***** (raye's pov) except for transforming itself to anything... the wallace family treasure has a lot more abilities according to zephyrus. and that fact excited me! though, i decided to check and study about them later. also, i didn't step into the magic formula that leads outside yet. after all... 'i need to tell ivan this good news.' and so... tap- tap- tap¡ª i started walking toward the door of this room. -let's go see ivan! -meep! zephyrus and pyro are with me, they're resting on my body, on their usual place. ando so with that... creak¡ª thud- we left the room. i retrieved my sword on the floor on my way out. ... ... arriving in front of the room where ivan is... a smile rested on my face. 'he will be so happy.' i thought. creak¡ª and then i opened the door. inside... i saw ivan sitting on a broken chair. "hey, i have good news!" i shouted to him. -... but he didn't respond. 'did he not hear me?' i asked in my head. tap¡ª i stepped inside the room. and as soon as i did... -grr? ivan finally turned to look at me. "bastard, so you did hear me." i grumbled with a slight frown on my face. -... but ivan still didn't say anything. annoyed... tap- tap- tap¡ª i started walking toward him. but before i could get close... -something's weird. zephyrus said that. -meep... and pyro agreed with him. they're both looking at ivan. "what's wrong with him?" i asked them, pointing at ivan. though, before i could even receive an answer... -graaaaahh!!! bam! ivan rushed at me! and when he got near... swoosh¡ª he swung his sword horizontally! "?!" i was surprised. fwip¡ª thang¡ª! but i was able to block ivan's attack by raising my own sword and clashing with him! bam! i kicked ivan away from me. and with an annoyed expression on my face... "what's your problem?" i asked him. but then... -he's not ivan anymore, he's just a normal ghoul now. i received my answer from zephyrus. and after hearing his words... "huh?" a stupid questioning noise came out of my mouth. i couldn't believe it. and following his words... -looks like this will be your final fight. zephyrus said that. Chapter 66 66 - Outside (raye's pov)-looks like this will be your final fight. hearing zephyrus' words... "..." i gritted my teeth and clenched my hands into fists. then, i looked at ivan. and after taking a proper look... -grrrr!! i noticed that he wasn't there anymore. what i was seeing now was just a ghoul with ivan's body. and realizing that... "..." i became silent. this situation... 'fuck.' it was so frustrating... he didn't even hear yet that i avenged his family... he didn't even know that i killed the traitorous bastard¡ªthe final boss! we haven't had our celebration yet! "why?" i mumbled to myself. "why now?" i asked, my body shaking. -meep... pyro was conflicted by the situation. and even though he wasn't showing it... -... zephyrus was the same. it was to be expected, after all... he was the closest to ivan out of us three. but still, even with that... -raise your sword, human. zephyrus said that to me. "..." i didn't respond to him. -you're basically his disciple. it's your responsibility to let your master rest easy. he added. and hearing that... "fucking hell." i cursed. no matter how angry or frustrated i was feeling at that moment... "fine." fwip¡ª i still raised my sword and prepared myself. "i'll end your suffering." i said it with resolve. and after that... bam! i lunged forward, ready to put ivan to rest. ***** clang! raye's sword clashed with ivan's. and after that... thang¡ª! clank! ting¡ª they continued to exchange attacks. "..." and amidst this... "ivan would have defeated me by now." raye went and said that. tang¡ª! then, he deflected ivan's sword upward! the ghoul ivan and raye were similar in strength. the only reason raye couldn't defeat him before... was because ivan was superior when it came to technique! but now that he'd become a mindless monster... clang¡ª! raye was destroying him! swoosh¡ª ivan swung his sword down. and as a response... fwip¡ª raye raised his sword, slightly tilting it to the left! ting¡ª their weapons collided. swwwip¡ª then ivan's sword slid down raye's blade! swish¡ª making it hit nothing but air! and following that... bam! -grargh?! raye kicked ivan away from him! "..." -take this seriously. zephyrus said. -i know you're holding back. then he added, his tone strict. slightly nodding his head... "don't worry, i'm done now." raye replied. 'he's really not there anymore.' he thought. he had been hoping for ivan to suddenly regain his sanity. that's why he hadn't finished the ghoul immediately earlier. but now, raye had accepted that ivan was really gone. "tsk." frustrated, raye clicked his tongue. and with a frown on his face... "[blaze]" swaaaaa¡ª raye activated his skill. and immediately after that... "[flash]" he activated another one. bam! raye disappeared from where he was standing... swish¡ª and then he reappeared in front of ivan. -graah?! and heavily... swoosh¡ª raye swung his sword horizontally. ting¡ª ivan blocked his attack. -gaaargh?! but his weapon was flung away from his hand by the swing's force, exposing his defenseless body. and swiftly, not missing that opportunity... "i win." fwish¡ª phuck- raye went and immediately stabbed ivan through his heart. -graaaaahhh¡ª! ivan let out an ear-deafening cry. "..." but raye just watched him, unflinching. -... zephyrus, on top of raye's head, remained silent. -meep... pyro, unable to bear the sight, looked away. slash¡ª! as a last effort, ivan tried swinging his overgrown claws at raye. "..." raye made no effort to dodge these desperate attacks of his. slash¡ª he just stood there, even as small wounds began covering his body. then finally, after a few minutes... ... -... ivan stopped moving. and seeing that... fwish- raye pulled out his weapon from ivan's body. immediately after doing so... thud¡ª ivan's body fell to the ground. he was dead. and knowing he was responsible for this... "rest in peace." raye mumbled that under his breath. -goodbye, ivan. -meep meep... zephyrus and pyro followed, sounding really sad. ***** "this should be enough." raye said, looking at the makeshift grave outside the mansion. there was even a cross marking on it made from wood that was still in good condition. raye had made all of this for ivan.. -thank you for doing this. zephyrus said as he watched raye put ivan's body into the grave. and simply... "there's no need for thanks. ivan at least deserves this." raye replied with a forced smile. seeing his expression... -meep... pyro became worried about raye. he knew that neither raye nor zephyrus was okay with ivan dying, and he felt the same way. but he was just a kid and didn't know what to do. he was clueless about stuff like this. and so... -meep. all pyro could do was be with them. "..." anyway, moving on... raye put ivan's body into the grave. though... "i'll bring this with me." he decided to take ivan's sword for himself. 'it'll be my remembrance of you.' raye said in his head. and after that... swish¡ª he started burying ivan's body. raye was using a wooden plank, one side of which he had cut sharp to make it effective for digging. find more chapters on empire ... it didn't take long for raye to bury ivan. after doing so... "..." he closed his eyes and slightly bowed his head. and with that... raye prayed for ivan's soul. -... -... pyro and zephyrus did the same. ... ***** after giving ivan a simple but proper burial... raye immediately headed back inside the mansion with pyro and zephyrus. he went to the second floor, to the library room, and started stuffing useful books into his spatial storage. most of them were blueprints for artifacts and magic books. he also found some enhancement pills on the third floor. zephyrus led him to them. and after that... "this is a lot." they got into the mansion's secret treasury! and there... "holy shit." raye found roughly 100 gold coins along with some jewelry made from gold and rare gemstones! he immediately stuffed them in his spatial bag. raye and zephyrus made sure to milk the mansion dry of any useful items that could help raye. they went from room to room to find anything with worth.... "this will take a while." raye said. and he was absolutely right about that. ***** after a few hours... -that's all of it. zephyrus said that. and in response... "got it." raye nodded, more than satisfied with what they had gathered. and if you asked him what's his biggest catch... 'it's a no-brainer that it's these two.' raye thought, looking at the silver ring on his left hand and ivan's sword in his right hand. he was excited to use them. though, before that... "i should probably leave this place first." raye said. and hearing his words... -it's about time. -meep. zephyrus and pyro responded. they were still not over ivan's death, but the idea of leaving this hell excited them. and it was the same for raye. 'i can't wait to see everyone back at the academy.' he thought. and so, with that in mind... tap- tap- tap¡ª he started walking back to the room where he had been resting on the second floor. ... it didn't take long for raye to reach the room. creak¡ª tap¡ª he immediately opened the door and entered. and there... fwip¡ª s§×ar?h the nov§×lf~ire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. raye went through ivan's wardrobe. he was planning to change his clothes. 'i need to look presentable. it's been about a month since i saw them, after all.' raye thought. he was trying ivan's outfit on him one by one. ... ... after a few minutes of searching for clothes... "hmm, i'll go with this." raye decided on a simple but elegant white top with loose black pants. -looks good on you. zephyrus said, flying around raye to check him out. -meep! pyro, of course, agreed. "thanks." raye replied simply. and after that... "let's go." tap- tap- tap¡ª creak¡ª thud¡ª they left the room. ***** back on the third floor, in the boss monster's room... "..." raye stood in front of the magic formula etched into the floor. he stared at it. -this is it... -meep... zephyrus and pyro mumbled as they gazed at the magic formula too. and so, without further ado... "let's get out of this place." tap¡ª raye stepped onto it. and immediately after doing so... swoosh¡ª a strong wave of mana surrounded him and the others! and the next thing they knew... fwip¡ª "..." -... -... they were already in the misty forest, in front of the hole where raye and pyro had fallen! "haha..." raye chuckled, realizing that. and with a crazed expression on his face... "come out, you fucking orc!!!" he exclaimed that! -wha?! -meep?! zephyrus and pyro were taken aback by that. but nevertheless... "show yourself!!!" raye continued shouting! and soon enough... rustle- rustle¡ª raye heard movement. "?!" he immediately turned to look in the direction of the sound. and only a few seconds later... -graah...? an orc entered his sight! it was the same orc that had attacked raye's group about a month ago! realizing this... "i'm glad to still see you alive." raye said. and following that... "[blaze]" swaaaaa¡ª he activated his skill. "[flash]" and then raye immediately rushed at the orc! bam! -graaa?! the orc was surprised seeing raye immediately appear in front of him! and not missing that opportunity... swoosh¡ª raye swung down his sword vertically with both hands! slash¡ª! and it cut the orc in its right arm when it tried to use it as a shield! -gaaaah??! the orc screamed in pain. and with a devilish smirk on his face... "i'm here for my revenge." raye declared that to the orc! Chapter 67 67 - The Revenge after being cut...swoosh¡ª the orc swung his left hand at raye as a counterattack! though, using the orc's chest as a foothold... bam¡ª raye dashed back. fwish¡ª and avoided the orc's attack swiftly! tap¡ª and after safely landing on the ground... bam! he rushed at the orc again! but this time, the orc was prepared... swoosh¡ª the orc swung down his right hand, formed into a fist! he was intending to crush raye! and seeing that... "too slow for me," raye said. fwip¡ª baam! and then he just slightly turned his body to the side and avoided the attack! following that... phuck¡ª raye thrust his sword forward and stabbed the orc's left thigh! -graaaaa??! the orc screamed in pain. and in response... slash¡ª raye swung his sword down while it was still lunged in the orc's thigh, opening a big cut wound there! 'ivan's sword is still sharp even after a hundred years, huh,' raye thought. -graaaaah¡ª! the orc shrieked. bam! bam! bam! and then it started raging, slamming its fists all over the place! "shit!" bam¡ª luckily, raye retreated quickly and wasn't hit by any of them. bam! bam! bam¡ª! the orc didn't stop attacking everything in its vicinity. it was like a spoiled child having a tantrum. and seeing that... "ugh." raye groaned and frowned. clap¡ª he clapped his hands in front of him... "[lit up]" swaaa¡ª fwip¡ª and then he activated one of his skills¡ªthe fire bow and arrow! and after carefully aiming at the raging orc... "fuuu..." raye let out a deep breath. "[shoot]" fwoosh¡ª and then he released the fire arrow! boom! it hit the orc on its right shoulder and exploded on impact! swoosh¡ª a small shockwave was created! the place where the orc stood before was covered in dust clouds! "..." raye just looked at it, waiting for the dust to settle so he could see the orc's condition. but as he was doing so... -graaaaah!!! raye heard an enraged scream inside the dust cloud! and after that... swoosh¡ª a tree trunk came flying in his direction! "?!" this surprised raye! with his eyes widened... "urgh!" swish¡ª he rolled to the side on the ground to avoid the tree! but as soon as he did... bam! the orc came out of the dust cloud and rushed at him while he was still on the ground! "fucking hell!" raye exclaimed, trying to get up as quickly as possible. but before he could fully stand... -graaaaahh!!! the orc reached him. swoosh¡ª and it launched a heavy right hook! out of desperation... 'a shield!' raye thought, pouring mana into the silver ring on his left hand! and immediately after doing so... swish¡ª it transformed into a beautiful small white shield! bang! and it blocked the orc's attack! though... "gurgh...!" raye still felt the force behind the attack! swoosh¡ª and it sent him flying away into the air! "shit...!" raye mumbled after being flung up. -graaaw!!! the orc roared with a crazed smile on its face. it was waiting below for raye to come down! "..." ignoring him... swish¡ª raye transformed the wallace family treasure into a gauntlet covering his entire left arm while still in the air! and following that... fwip¡ª he pointed his index finger at the orc... "[bang] [bang] [bang]¡ª!" and then raye started shooting randomly! and eventually... psh¡ª -graaaaahh!!! one of his bullets hit the orc's left eye and destroyed it! and seeing that... "hah!" raye smirked! swoosh¡ª then he swung his flaming sword vertically down with his right hand! in response... sear?h the nov§×lf~ire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. -graaaaahh!! the orc punched upward with its right hand! tonk¡ª! their attacks collided, making a weird sound! "gargh...!?" raye's attack was deflected! he was pushed back... tap¡ª so he landed on the ground awkwardly. "its strength is such a cheat!" raye exclaimed, glaring at the orc. "..." by now, his mana was nearing its limit. his left arm ached from blocking the orc's earlier attack. he was starting to feel tired too. after all, raye had just fought chris and ivan earlier... and so... fwip¡ª raye took a back stance. "i'll finish this now..." he declared. swoosh¡ª gusts of wind surrounded his legs... -... experience exclusive tales on empire the orc stood still, sensing something from raye. it was watching him curiously. and while it remained like that... "[flash]" raye mumbled. bam! and then he kicked off the ground! swish¡ª his figure disappeared... fwish¡ª and then reappeared right in front of the orc! but since the orc was ready... swoosh¡ª it predicted where raye would reappear, punching its right fist downward in advance! "..." watching the incoming fist aimed at his face... fwip¡ª raye raised his left hand, covered by a white full-metal gauntlet! he braced for impact with a grumpy look on his face... baaam!!! the orc's fist collided with raye's left arm, producing a loud sound! crack¡ª raye's left arm broke! "urgh...!!!" he held back a scream. and while he did, from his back stance... swoosh¡ª he swung his sword upward with all his might! slash¡ª! he cut open the orc's stomach and chest! -graaaaaahhh!!! the orc screamed. and while his sword was still raised in the air... "shut up!" raye shouted. slash¡ª! then he slashed diagonally downward! opening a large wound on the orc's neck! -gargh?! the orc was shocked to feel blood gushing from his neck! and with its attention diverted... phuck¡ª! raye immediately stabbed his sword into the orc's heart! -grrurgh?! following that... "[lit on]" swaashhh¡ª raye set the orc's insides on fire! and with a pained expression, raye smiled... "i won, you fucking monster." and then he declared that! ***** (raye's pov) "ugh, i got dirty again." fwish¡ª i grumbled as i pulled my sword out of the body of the dead orc. the orc was like charcoal now. i burned its body pretty hard because of how annoyed i felt remembering what it did back then. anyway... no blood spilled on my white shirt, fortunately. it was just soil and dust, so i patted it clean. the blood, well, it was caught by the cape old man rey gave me. "ugh..." i groaned in pain... "..." i looked at my left arm, where the pain was coming from. "fuck." and then i saw it¡ªbent! swish¡ª i transformed the gauntlet back into a ring. and obviously... my left arm was broken as fuck after blocking two direct attacks from the orc! and not just that... "urgh...!" my left shoulder was dislocated as well! ¡ªthat looks like it hurts. zephyrus appeared out of thin air and commented. ¡ªmeep... then pyro followed, agreeing with him. after that, pyro looked at the orc i had just killed. and with a small, cute frown on his face... ¡ªmeep meep meep! pyro started shouting at its dead body. 'cute.' i thought, watching him do that. though, i understand why he was so angry at the orc. ... ***** after resting for a bit and popping my left shoulder back into place... "all done." i made small and simple graves for timmy, reggie, and the other escorts. and there... "..." -... pyro and i prayed for their peaceful rest. -... zephyrus joined us as well. and after finishing that... bam¡ª i kicked off the ground and started dashing away from the area. swoosh¡ª my legs were covered in gusts of wind that blasted the ground with each kick, significantly increasing my speed and letting me cover far distances in one step. where was i heading? back to the nameless village where we and the others rested before entering the forest. 'i need to find civilization.' so, with that in mind... bam! swish¡ª i increased my speed even more. ***** with how fast i was running... "..." i reached the village in under an hour. and now that i was back... "haha..." 'there are humans other than me.' i finally registered that i was really out of the shithole! ¡ªmeep meep! pyro chirped excitedly, seeing other humans! and zephyrus... -... he was speechless. he didn't know what to say! he was really out in the world again after more than a hundred years! and so... -haha... he just reacted the same way i did! ... ... anyway, after entering the village... i immediately went back to the inn where we had rested before. "ohh, it's you again! i'm glad to see you alive!" the innkeeper greeted me as soon as i entered. and without further ado... "your best room. i'll take it for the night." i declared. "also, bring me one of each of your meals to my room." i added afterward. and without waiting for the innkeeper's response... thud¡ª i threw a cloth bag onto the reception table. it had 15 gold coins inside. and once the innkeeper realized that... "ah, gladly, sir!" their treatment of me instantly became much better. i was even guided by the innkeeper himself into the biggest room on the highest floor of the inn. and there... "please rest for a while sir, we'll be preparing your orders now!" the innkeeper said that and left me in my room. i didn't stop him because he left the reception table with no people, after all. anyway... "..." the room was really big. it's enough for three people to live in it comfortably. but i don't really care about that at the moment... swish¡ª i went and straight up lied down on the bed. and there... "..." i took a nap. i fell asleep fast because of exhaustion. Chapter 68 68 - The Surprise! "sir? your orders are here!"raye was woken up from his nap by the innkeeper. the food he had ordered was now at his door. "ugh..." raye immediately stood up when he heard that. and looking back at the bed... -meep... -mhmmn... he saw pyro and zephyrus sleeping peacefully. 'i should probably let them be for now.' raye thought, a smile on his face. tap- tap- tap¡ª he walked toward the door of the room. creak¡ª and after opening it... "oh, did i disturb you?" the innkeeper greeted him. "nah, it's all good." raye replied, slightly shaking his head. "i'm glad, then. anyway, here are your orders." the innkeeper followed, handing raye a big-ass tray with lots of food on it. "well, half of your orders are still being prepared, but i'll bring them up here as soon as possible." the innkeeper added awkwardly. "thanks, i'll count on you." raye said as he took the tray from him, and after that... "well then, see you later." "see you." thud¡ª they finished their small talk. looking at the tray in front of him... "..." raye's mouth started to water! just the smell alone was already making him hungry! "finally, properly seasoned and cooked food." raye mumbled to himself. and after that... "hup." he placed the tray of food on the table... nom¡ª and then he started eating. -meep...? -what's that smell? pyro and zephyrus woke up not long after, they were smelling something delicious, after all. and after seeing raye with a lot of food... -meep! -let me have some too! they joined him on the table. ***** burp¡ª "haaaa..." raye was satisfied, his stomach was full as hell. -meeep... -that's good. pyro and zephyrus felt the same. they ate like savages. after all, it had been a long time since they ate something other than monster meat! that's why raye and the others didn't care how they looked. they just stuffed food continuously into their mouths until they felt their bellies popping! anyway, as they were sitting, stuffed... -how's your left arm? zephyrus asked raye. and looking at him... "shit." raye replied. -meep... pyro was sleeping again, rolling on top of the table. he looks cute. and that's when... -why not use another enhancement pill? zephyrus suggested that to raye. -it won't increase your strength that much this time, but it'll make your condition better. he added, explaining. and hearing his words... "really?" raye asked. -yep. zephyrus nodded. and because he was annoyed at the aching he felt... "okay, i'll consume another pill." raye immediately decided to take zephyrus' suggestion. and not wasting any second... he sat in lotus position on the floor and took out an enhancement pill from his spatial bag. and without further ado... gulp- raye swallowed it. ... ... after a few hours... "huff... haaa... haaaa..." raye successfully consumed an enhancement pill. his body was hot, and he was sweating a lot. -wow, the effects of the enhancement pill on you was better this time than the last time... zephyrus said, looking at him, surprised. discover more content at empire but ignoring him... raye looked at his left arm. and after opening and closing his left hand a few times... "haha." he laughed. the pain was gone! and his left arm looked good as new! and as he was celebrating that fact... "hello, sir?" the innkeeper called again from outside the room! hearing his voice... "good timing. i was hungry after absorbing the enhancement pill's energy." raye immediately stood up to open the door for him. sea??h th§× n?velfire.n§×t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. -food again! -meep! zephyrus and pyro followed after him. ****** after eating the second batch of his orders... raye, pyro, and zephyrus spent the rest of the day resting. they were just lying around, sleeping, and doing whatever they want. pyro and zephyrus played with each other... on the other hand, raye meditated while lying down on the soft bed. though, he got too comfortable and fell asleep while doing so... then, after waking up, he took out some of the books he got from the mansion. 'i need to study, i don't want to be left behind in academics.' and with that in mind... "..." raye started reading. and just like that... the next day arrived. ... ... "have a safe trip, sir!" the innkeeper exclaimed happily as raye exited the inn. hearing him... "thanks, it was a nice stay." raye responded. -their food is nice. zephyrus commented. -meep! and pyro agreed with him. though, the three of them enjoyed the comfortable bed the most, seeing how refreshed they are from sleeping a lot. anyway... tap- tap- tap¡ª raye left the facility. and as soon as he did... "oh, you were one of them." raye saw the crazy looking old man who had warned him and the others before they entered the misty forest! "..." raye's eyes widened in surprise. he was speechless. "where are the others?" the old man asked him. and hearing the question... raye frowned. "..." he silently shook his head in response. seeing that... "i'm sorry for your loss." the old man said to raye. "they would still be here if we had listened to your warnings." raye said, his voice was full of regret. and just then... pat- pat¡ª the old man approached and patted raye's shoulders to console him. "don't worry. i understand why no one listens to me. i look like a crazed old man, after all." the old man stated. and following that... "i'm glad you survived." the old man added. his words felt magical. hearing them... "thanks." raye felt his body lighten, as though a huge burden had been removed from his shoulders. he felt warmth in his heart. and though slightly, raye let out a genuine smile. ... raye and the old man talked for a bit. and after that... "i'll be off now." raye said his goodbye. "stay safe." the old man said. "you too." and raye replied. thump¡ª raye handed the old man a cloth bag. "hm?" the old man was confused, but raye just smiled at him. "i've taken care of the monster in the forest." raye said. and after that... bam¡ª he kicked off the ground and left the village! the bag had tens of gold coins in it, by the way. raye gave it to the old man in hope it helps him live more comfortably. ... ***** after a couple of days... back at the academy, in old man rey's cabin... old man rey, jerusha, lena, devin, kyle, and lycus were all together. today was the day... the day they would venture out of the academy to find raye! "here, this is a communication device." lena said, handing a pearl-looking artifact to jerusha. "in case you miss him and he comes back, we'll let you know immediately." she added. taking the artifact... "thanks." jerusha replied with a smile. "we'll be off now." she said. "..." lena nodded in response. "take care." kyle said. "be careful out there." then old man rey followed. "we'll surely bring him back!" devin exclaimed with a smile. "i'll try my best to find him." lycus then declared. they all exchanged words of goodluck and goodbyes. and after that... jerusha, devin, and lycus were set to leave! they have this determined look in their eyes. though, before they could even turn their backs... "oh, everyone's here." they heard a voice behind them. it was new yet familiar. they knew the voice so well! and when everyone turned toward it... "what's the occasion?" they saw raye, casually standing a few meters away from them! ***** "..." old man rey, jerusha, kyle, lena, devin, and lycus just stared at raye. they were silent, their eyes wide. they clearly weren't expecting raye to just suddenly appear in front of them! especially after preparing so hard to search for him! they're not even sure if they were really seeing things right! just then... "what?" raye asked, seeing them just staring. it was getting awkward. but after a few seconds... "you brat! where have you been?!" old man rey exclaimed, smiling as he approached raye. and seeing him do that... "haha, it's a long story." raye replied with a laugh. after reaching him... "i'm glad to see you're safe." the old man said that to raye. "..." raye smiled, hearing his words. and with a slight nod... "i'm glad to see you doing fine too." raye responded. and after that... "brother raye!" kyle exclaimed, rushing to hug raye. "oof." raye received kyle with open arms. and tapping his back... "how's your business?" raye asked. "never been better!" kyle answered, pulling away from the hug. meanwhile, while raye happily reunited with old man rey and kyle... "..." the others were still staring at him, wide-eyed. because... 'the atmosphere around raye has changed!' they thought. and they're not just talking about a small change, it's similar to when raye's personality just changed one day! also, just by seeing his confident stance and feeling the calm aura around him... jerusha, lena, devin, and lycus instinctively knew raye had gotten ridiculously strong! 'what happened to him?' they all wondered in unison. but then... "!" raye looked in their direction. and with a calm smile... "i'm happy to see you guys here." he said. and hearing his words... "..." 'ugh, fuck it.' they stopped thinking and approached raye. they have a lot of questions they want to ask him, but that's for later. for now, they decided to be happy for his return. Chapter 69 69 - Back to Normal after greeting everyone¡­"let's go inside." raye said that and entered the cabin with the others. and after sitting down¡­ "what happened to you?" old man rey asked him. and with that... "well¡­" raye began recounting what had happened to him outside the academy. he thought they deserved to know. after all, they had tried so hard to help him. ***** after raye finished telling his story¡­ "¡­" "¡­" "¡­" everyone in the cabin went completely silent. they didn't know what to say. they couldn't believe what they had just heard. in the span of one month¡­ a lot of tragedies had happened to raye! on the first day, he had to kill bandits in self-defense. and they realized how much he had suffered mentally because of it. raye also made new friends during his travels¡­ and then he saw them die right before his eyes! not even a week after meeting them! that wasn't all¡­ he and his friends had been abandoned by the merchant group, left to die as bait for an orc while they escaped! on that same day, raye had fallen and ended up stuck in a dungeon! he survived in that place for a month with almost nothing on him! raye survived by eating monster meat and drinking warm spring water the entire time! during his time in the dungeon, raye met a master¡ªivan. he learned swordsmanship from ivan, and the two grew close. but in the end, on the day raye was about to leave the dungeon¡­ he was forced to kill ivan with his own two hands! your next chapter is on empire and finally, after escaping the dungeon¡­ raye faced the orc that had caused his ordeal! all of this happened in just one month! when you think about it, it's incredible that raye was still alive at this point! just recalling what he had gone through brought frowns to everyone's faces. 'no wonder he's changed.' jerusha, lena, devin, and lycus thought in unison. now they understood why raye had grown stronger. amidst the silence in the room¡­ "you had it rough, huh." old man rey said softly. "i'm sorry for not being able to help you." he added. "no¡ª" raye was about to protest, but the old man cut him off. "i'm glad you survived and came back here." he said. "..." raye fell silent. then, while sitting, he slightly bowed his head. and with a small smile on his face¡­ "yeah, i'm glad to be back." raye declared that. "hmm, welcome back." old man rey replied. and after that¡­ "¡­" pat- pat¡ª he lightly hugged raye, gently tapping his back to comfort him. feeling the warmth of the embrace¡­ "¡­" raye calmed down. and for the first time in a long while¡­ "thanks." raye let his guard down and allowed himself to relax. they stayed like that for a moment¡­ "anyway¡­" then old man rey suddenly spoke, breaking the hug. and looking at everyone... "i'll cook something. everyone stay for lunch." he said that with a smile on his face. ***** -meep meep! pyro chirped happily, jumping into jerusha's hands. "pyro, i've missed you!" jerusha exclaimed, seeing him. "he looks rounder. what's he been eating?" old man rey mumbled, glancing at pyro. 'cute.' then lena thought to herself, feeling a bit jealous of jerusha for holding pyro. meanwhile, as the four of them interacted¡­ "i appreciate you guys trying to help me." raye said as he saw devin, kyle, and lycus off at the door. "i'm just repaying a favor." lycus replied. "same here." and kyle followed with a warm smile. "i'm your friend, it's obvious i'd help." devin said proudly. hearing their words brought a smile on raye's face. "anyway, see you guys around." raye said. and after that... "see you around." "come visit the shop later, you'll be surprised!" "see you tomorrow in class!" lycus, kyle, and devin left the cabin. and after seeing them leave¡­ tap- tap- tap¡ª raye walked back to where the others were. -and here i thought you were friendless. zephyrus suddenly appeared and commented. "not gonna lie, i thought the same." raye replied with a smile. tap- and then he regrouped with the others. "ohh, who's that?" jerusha asked, noticing zephyrus sitting on top of raye's head. she could feel a strong spirit energy emanating from him. "¡­" lena also felt the same energy from the white chick, observing it curiously. "another one like this guy?" then old man rey asked, referring to pyro resting in his hands. hearing their questions... zephyrus puffed out his chest proudly. -my name is zephyrus! then he declared that! -and i'm a great wind spirit! he added, attempting to be intimidating! "¡­" "¡­" "¡­" everyone went silent after hearing him. and after a few seconds¡­ "how cute!" jerusha exclaimed that! "pfft¡­" old man rey tried his best to hold in his laughter! "¡­" and lena simply smiled as she looked at zephyrus! 'he's funny.' she thought! no one took zephyrus seriously. and seeing that¡­ "hah¡­" raye chuckled a little. -¡­ zephyrus frowned deeply, visibly annoyed. -meep! and pyro consoled him, assuring him he was cool. ***** after a while, when it was getting dark¡­ "we're heading out too." jerusha and lena announced. "take care." raye said to them. "come again anytime." then old man rey added. before leaving¡­ "next week, there will be a class re-evaluation." lena informed raye. 'the filler arc starts next week, huh.' raye thought. "the academy will continue after that." lena added. "thanks for letting me know." and then raye replied, grateful. "i'll see you tomorrow, let's catch up on your training!" jerusha butted in enthusiastically. she was referring to their private spirit magic class. "yeah, see you tomorrow." raye responded to her. and after another exchange of goodbyes... tap- tap- tap¡ª jerusha and lena left the cabin. though, before they got far¡­ "ah!" jerusha turned back to look at raye again. and while smiling... "i'm glad you're back." she said that. fwoosh¡ª then she flew away using her wind spirit magic. "¡­" lena watched jerusha fly off, then glanced at raye. and with a serious expression on her face... "you two dating?" she asked. "no." raye answered immediately, straight-faced. "hmm¡­" but lena didn't seem convinced. "whatever." she said. fwish¡ª then she flew away as well. "¡­" 'i really want to fly.' raye thought, watching the two girls soar freely in the sky. "hah! what a situation you're in, huh." old man rey then remarked beside him with a laugh. and frowning... "it's not like that." raye said that. "sure, whatever." the old man replied, still smiling teasingly. "ugh¡­" and raye groaned, knowing he'd be hearing about this for a while. ***** back inside the cabin¡­ "i'm going to sleep now. you should rest too." old man rey said that. and with a nod... "okay, goodnight." raye replied. "rest well. goodnight." the old man followed. creak¡ª thud- and then he entered his room. "¡­" raye looked at his own room's door. then slowly¡­ creak¡ª he opened it. and seeing the inside... "it's clean." raye murmured. everything was spotless¡ªhis bed and the little furniture in the room. it was evident someone had taken proper care of it all this time. it was likely old man rey. and knowing that¡­ "¡­" raye smiled silently. tap- after stepping inside, he let out a tired sigh. "haaaa¡­" then raye laid down on his bed. "this is the most comfortable bed ever." he mumbled. -meep¡­ and pyro agreed! -hmm, this is strangely comfy for something this small. even zephyrus agreed! "mhmm¡­" raye closed his eyes. and then he thought of today... 'today was nice.' his reunion with old man rey and the others brought a smile to his face. and with that thought¡­ 'i'm finally home.' raye said that to himself. 'the rabbit stew earlier was great too.' he added, smiling. sea??h th§× n?velfire(.)net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. and after a while¡­ "¡­" raye fell asleep. -... -... pyro and zephyrus too. ***** the next morning¡­ "wow." raye woke up early, feeling fully refreshed. -¡­ -¡­ pyro and zephyrus were still sleeping, so he left the room quietly. outside the cabin, raye grabbed a piece of bread. and after eating it... "time to chop." he began chopping logs immediately! in the middle of his work¡­ "you brat! you should be resting!" old man rey came out of the cabin, yelling at him. "haha, don't worry, i'm all good!" raye replied with a grin. "tch." the old man clicked his tongue but didn't stop him. instead... "i'll cook breakfast, let's eat later." and with that¡­ as if he hadn't disappeared for a month, raye returned to his normal routine! 'i don't want to dwell on the past.' raye thought as he continued chopping logs. though, as he was doing that... "hmm..." raye started to wonder about his next step. especially... 'the class re-evaluation.' lena said it was next week. it's just a filler in the game. but it was still a significant event that would make the main characters shine. in this event, it will show that the main characters got stronger too, not just leon¡ªthe protagonist. so, raye had been wondering... "maybe i should show them that i got stronger too." he plans to go all out in the class re-evaluation! Chapter 70 70 - A Day After Returning after hunting with the old man again in the northern forest after a long time..."time for a bath." raye washed himself in the nearby river. he hadn't taken a bath even once when he was stuck in the dungeon mansion... but he had managed to take some on his way back to the academy, making stops at inns. even so, raye still felt dirty, so he was really excited about taking baths now. and he figured it would probably stay that way for a while. anyway, after taking a long bath... "let's eat." raye returned to the cabin and ate lunch with old man rey. and while they were eating... "the cape you gave me became ragged. sorry." raye said that. the old man had already seen the cape. after all, raye had come back wearing it yesterday. it wasn't in good condition, that was for sure. glancing at raye... "did it help you?" the old man asked. and pausing his meal to respond... "yeah, a lot." raye replied. the old man nodded his head. then, before returning to his food... "then it's all good. don't worry about it." he said that reassuringly. "..." raye smiled. and after that, they both continued eating. -this is some nice deer meat! zephyrus commented in the background as he ate with pyro. -meep meep! pyro replied, agreeing with him. ***** after lunch... raye headed to the library immediately. 'it's been a while.' he thought on the way. and when he reached his destination... everything seemed normal. the students, the place, the atmosphere¡ªeverything. 'i bet they didn't even notice i was missing.' raye thought as he stood in front of the library entrance, looking at the students. and then... tap¡ª he entered. and as soon as he walked through the entrance... "oh, i haven't seen you in a while. i thought you went missing or something." someone greeted him! it was the library receptionist. "..." raye was surprised. he hadn't expected anyone to notice his absence. though, acting casually... "erm, something unexpected happened." he replied. "well, i can see that. this month has been pretty chaotic, after all." the receptionist responded, shaking her head. "anyway, glad to see you back. i enjoy watching students like you who are diligent about reading." then she added quickly. "see you around." she said with a smile. "yeah, thanks." raye responded. and with that... tap- tap- tap¡ª their small talk ended. 'i didn't expect someone to approach and talk to me. that's new.' raye thought. tap- tap- tap¡ª then he continued toward his usual table. ... at his usual place... "hello." lena was there. "pretty shocking to see you here. i thought you wouldn't be around for a few days." she said. after sitting opposite her... "meh, i'm pretty behind with studies, and i don't have anything else to do anyway." raye replied. "hmm..." lena looked at him for a few moments. and then... "ask me anything if you get stuck. i'll help you." she said that casually before returning to her book! "..." raye was silent. he didn't expect her to offer help. but then, nodding his head... "okay, i'll do that. thanks." he replied, grateful. ***** raye studied with lena for over four hours. he frequently asked her questions, knowing the opportunity to study with one of the most intelligent main characters didn't come by often. so he took full advantage of it... oh, and by now, he'd stopped worrying too much about interacting with the main characters. his life had already been threatened too many times for the butterfly effect to scare him anymore. not that he intended to change the story. he just figured if it was beneficial to him and the relationship was good, why not, right? anyway, that's that... currently, raye was on his way to kyle's shop. "i wonder how he's doing." he mumbled while walking. 'i've been gone for a month, so the shop has probably changed a lot.' raye thought curiously. and feeling expectant... tap- tap- tap¡ª he hurried his steps. and after a while... tap- he reached kyle's shop. ***** "..." raye was speechless as he looked at kyle's shop. the small stand that had been there a month ago was gone. instead... there was a full-on bar standing in front of him! 'am i in the wrong place?' raye wondered. but as if to answer his question... "brother raye!" kyle came out of the building and ran toward him. "..." "welcome! let's go inside!" kyle said after reaching him. "this is the shop?" raye asked, surprised. "heh." and proudly... "yep." kyle replied with a smile. and as if that wasn't enough of a shock... "surprised?" devin suddenly came out of the bar and approached raye! 'what the fuck is going on?' raye asked in his head. ... ... sitting inside the bar, kyle and devin explained everything. apparently, after raye went missing, kyle became desperate to find him. he tried risky trades and partnerships for money. money that he would use to search for raye. but then devin, hearing about this, stopped kyle. devin understood kyle's feelings but knew nothing good would come from his actions. luckily, as a noble¡ªeven from a declining family¡ªdevin had connections to merchants. and so, he teamed up with kyle. kyle used his family's resources, while devin reached out to his contacts. at first, people were reluctant to partner with or invest in them because of their age. but they changed opinions with their performance. and knce given the opportunity, they expanded the business rapidly! "so now, devin and i own the shop." kyle concluded. "crazy..." raye mumbled, stunned by their story. then looking at them... "so this place isn't fully paid off yet?" raye asked. devin nodded. "yeah, we mortgaged some of my family's land to get a loan. we need to pay it off by the end of the year." then he explained. "i told him he didn't have to do that, but he insisted." kyle added. looking at devin... "thanks." raye thanked him. "it's nothing." devin replied casually. but then... fwip¡ª raye took out a cloth bag from his spatial bag. thud¡ª and then he tossed it onto the table. "...?" kyle and devin were confused. before they could ask... s§×arch* the nov§×lf~ire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "pay off the loan." raye said that. hearing his words... "huh?" kyle's eyes widened. fwish¡ª the be quickly grabbed the bag and opened it! "wha..." revealing rare gemstones worth up to 100 gold coins each¡ªand there were over ten of them inside! "..." kyle was speechless. "are these from the dungeon you got stuck in?" devin asked, astonished. "yep." then raye replied. "we can't accept this. you risked your life for it." kyle protested. but with just a shrug... "just consider it my investment in the business." raye said that. "and as thanks for helping the old man, i heard you guys took care of him a lot." he added with a soft smile. "..." kyle and devin frowned, exchanging glances. but after thinking about it... devin nodded his head. then finally... "fine." kyle said that! he wasn't confident about taking this much from raye before. but now, it's different. "i'll make sure you profit from this. i'll make you rich." kyle said, his voice filled with resolve. and with a smirk on his face... "great, that's exactly what i'm expecting for you guys to do." raye replied casually. ***** after that, raye ate together with devin and kyle. they also gave him a tour of the shop... it was just a one-floor building, but to raye, it was still impressive¡ªespecially since he knew where this shop had started. 'this didn't happen in the game.' raye thought to himself. something outside the original game scenario had occurred, but nevertheless... "haha..." he couldn't help but chuckle softly, feeling genuinely happy about it. 'the shop became a tavern, huh.' raye mused, looking around. the place was lively and filled with people. some were drinking ale, while others enjoyed roasted meat. 'the atmosphere is nice.' the customers looked cheerful, and the shop was spotless. "..." raye smiled silently. then, as he turned his gaze toward kyle, he felt a sense of pride well up inside him. his eyes shifted to devin, and a wave of gratitude followed. 'these guys weren't significant in the game, but look at them now. they're this talented.' he thought with admiration. ... ... enjoy exclusive adventures from empire after eating for a bit... raye left the shop and immediately headed back to the cabin. and by the time he got there... it was already about 7 pm. in his normal routine, raye would've started his repair of the cabin as soon as he came back. but today... "ehhh..." he's feeling kinda lazy to do it. like, he's not just feeling it... and luckily for him... "hello!" jerusha arrived early! "oh, you're not working?" she asked, seeing raye just sitting on a tree stump. "nope, i don't have the energy to." raye replied, shaking his head. "well, you do need to rest." jerusha said. "..." then raye frowned. just thinking about resting and not doing anything... it's already boring him. so instead... "what if i just show you the new skills that i created?" he suggested that. and hearing his words... "what?!" jerusha's eyes shone brightly. and excitedly... "yes, show me!" she exclaimed that. Chapter 71 71 - Skill Showcasing [1] raye and jerusha immediately headed into the northern forest.to where they usually hold their private lessons on spirit magic. -meep! -hmm... pyro and zephyrus were with them, of course. -there's a lot of spirits here, huh? zephyrus said, looking around. then, astonished... "yeah, there are." raye replied to him. he could see them all now! all the spirits! "you can see them?!" jerusha asked, hearing his words. and, excitedly... "yeah, i can." raye responded with a smile. -ohhh, you can see us now! -hello again, raye! -you got a lot stronger, huh! the spirits talked to raye. they were all gathering around him. right now, raye looked like a princess from an animated movie! 'i guess i did get a lot stronger.' raye thought to himself. and with a small smile on his face... "hello there." he started interacting with the spirits. -meep! pyro started playing with the younger ones. -pleasure to meet you. and zephyrus socialized with the older ones. and happily... "hehe." jerusha joined them. ***** after a while... raye and jerusha continued on to the main reason they were in the northern forest in the first place. the spirits were now watching raye from the sidelines, curious. anyway, moving on... "what's the first skill you'll show me?" jerusha asked raye. then, raye, after thinking for a bit... "the flash step." he answered. "hmm, what is it?" "it's a mobility skill, inspired by your wind-flying thingy skill." then he explained. "ohhh, so it's a skill you made with zephyrus?" jerusha asked. "hm." and raye just nodded his head in response. "i wanna see it!" jerusha exclaimed. and after that... "sure thing." raye responded. tap- tap- tap¡ª then he started walking away from jerusha. and when there was about 15 meters of distance between them... tap¡ª he stopped and looked at her. "you ready?" raye asked. "yep." jerusha replied, nodding her head. fwip- and then raye crouched down, ready to take off. 'i wonder what he would do.' jerusha wondered. and as soon as she did... "[flash]" she heard raye's voice. and the next thing she knew... bam¡ª "?!" "sup." raye was standing in front of her! "..." jerusha was speechless, looking at raye with widened eyes! and seeing her reaction... "heh." a twisted smirk appeared on raye's face! he didn't say anything, though. jerusha was really shocked. she knew she hadn't been paying proper attention earlier... but she's still a sophomore who participates in combat classes! sear?h the nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. meaning that she wouldn't normally miss things that get near her, unless they were super fast! that just showed how fast raye was! anyway, after breaking out of her stupor... "do it again, i didn't catch it!" jerusha exclaimed. and casually... "sure." raye responded. he didn't walk away this time. instead, he turned his back to jerusha... fwip- and after crouching down... swoosh¡ª gusts of wind covered his legs! jerusha saw that and was immediately amazed. and after that... "[flash]" bam¡ª raye disappeared from his spot! fwish- and he reappeared meters away from jerusha! "..." jerusha was silent again. though this time... 'i saw it.' she saw how raye's skill worked! 'he's really amazing.' jerusha thought, looking at raye. 'he creates absurd skills that don't use a lot of mana.' she added. and with a frown on her face... "he would've been super strong if he had a big mana pool." jerusha mumbled that under her breath. ***** after showing off his flash step... raye was planning to show jerusha the blaze next. though... "i forgot my sword." he hadn't brought any weapon with him. "do we go back to the cabin and get it?" your adventure continues at empire jerusha asked. and immediately... "no, i'll figure it out." raye responded. he was too lazy to go back and forth from here to the cabin. and so... "..." he looked around, curious. and after a while of searching... "this could work." raye found a stick, it was as long as ivan's sword that he used now. swish- swoosh¡ª he swung it a few times. and seeing that it didn't break... "yep, this would work." raye said that. "ohh, so you're using that?" jerusha butted in and asked him. "yeah." raye simply replied, looking at her. and without asking her any further... "[blaze]" raye muttered! swaaaaaaa¡ª then a violent, raging fire came out of his hand and swallowed the stick he was holding like a sword in his right hand! watching this... "..." jerusha frowned in surprise, she was silent again! though, while she was like that... "can you like, provide a target for me?" raye asked her. "oh..." jerusha was surprised, but after that... "[rock pillar]" she used one of her skills! grrrr¡ª the ground shook! "?!" raye's eyes widened. and only a few seconds later... fwish¡ª a five-meter-tall pillar rose from the ground in front of raye! 'she's really amazing.' raye thought. swoosh¡ª and then he proceeded to slash his flaming stick horizontally! slash¡ª cutting the pillar straight in half! thud¡ª watching the pillar she made fall... "..." jerusha didn't say anything. then, turning his attention to raye... 'he's really amazing.' she thought of that. ***** "just how do you create skills like these?" jerusha asked, approaching raye and observing his flaming sword. though, as she was doing so... psh- the stick raye was holding crumbled into dust. "oh..." raye mumbled. "hmm, so it consumes your weapon's durability, huh." jerusha said, noticing what happened. "yeah, that's the downside of the skill." raye responded. looking at him... "..." jerusha squinted her eyes. "with this, you have three skills with pyro and one skill with zephyrus." then she said. though... "i actually have two skills with zephyrus, i just couldn't use the other one very well at the moment." raye corrected her. and hearing him... "huh?" jerusha was in disbelief. then, curiously... "what's the other one?" she asked. "i don't know what to call it, so i just named it tear." raye casually responded. "can you show me?" jerusha requested to see it. and with a smirk on his face... "that's why we're here in the first place, right?" raye responded. Chapter 72 72 - Skill Showcasing [2] raye prepared himself.he hadn't used tear much because there had been no opportunity back in the dungeon. also, since his proficiency with it was still low, its damage was low compared to its mana consumption. so, raye had deemed it unsuitable for combat back then. anyway... tap¡ª raye stood in front of a tree. jerusha was beside him, watching expectantly. pat¡ª raye put his left hand on the trunk. and with his eyes closed... "..." he started concentrating. after a few seconds... swoosh¡ª a very compressed, sharp gusts of wind covered his entire left arm! "...!" jerusha stayed silent, but her eyes widened. then without further ado... "[tear]" raye mumbled that word! and immediately after... slash¡ª the tree raye was touching was cut in two! thud¡ª "wha..." jerusha was unable to finish her words after seeing that. looking at the fallen part of the tree, jerusha saw the area where raye had been touching earlier. and there... "..." she saw many small but deep cuts in the trunk! 'he's really good at this.' jerusha thought, pertaining in creating skills. having missed raye's flash step earlier, she watched closely so she wouldn't miss blaze or tear. and because of that... jerusha saw what happened to the tree! 'after compressing sharp gusts of wind, raye activated his skill, and immediately after doing so...' 'the winds shot forward at the tree trunk, cutting it cleanly!' jerusha thought, recalling what she had seen. 'after that, the other small sharp gusts of wind scattered and cut the tree all over the trunk!' she added, explaining. anyway, cutting off her train of thought... "what do you think?" raye asked her. "hm?" jerusha looked at him. and she just stared at his face. then, after a while... "the name is boring, change it." jerusha said that. "ugh, i know." raye responded, slightly hurt by her blunt words. (help raye name his skill; he can't find a suitable name. definitely not because of the author.) ***** after raye finished showcasing his skills... "you can see spirits now because your mana sensitivity increased a lot. though, i can't say the same for your mana pool." "you can't get contracted with your third spirit yet." jerusha started teaching him again about spirit magic. -she knows a lot of things, huh. zephyrus said, talking to another spirit. -yeah, she knows a lot about us. that's why we like her. then, a blue eagle-looking spirit responded to him. meanwhile... s§×ar?h the novel(f~)ire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. -meep meep! -kyu! -beep boop! pyro was playing with the other young spirits. anyway, going back to jerusha and raye... "i'll teach you how to summon your contracted spirits." jerusha declared that. and being interested to learn... "..." raye listened properly. "hmm." jerusha nodded her head, seeing him like that. "as you can see, i'm not always with my spirits. after all, i'm contracted with many of them, unlike you." and then she said that innocently! raye frowned. 'the last part was uncalled for.' he thought but didn't say anything. continuing... "and this time, i'm gonna show you how to do this." jerusha said. then opening her mouth... "[phobos]" jerusha mumbled that. and raye recognized that name! swooooosh¡ª a strong gust of wind surrounded jerusha. "urgh...!" raye felt like he was being blown away! -meep?! -kyu?! -ugh, this mana...?! and it was the same for the spirits! 'what the heck?!' raye cursed inside his head, feeling the strong wave of mana overwhelming him. and after a while... fwish¡ª the wind disappeared, but the strong mana remained. "..." raye looked in jerusha's direction. and there... -greetings, raye. he saw a white griffin, standing over 5 meters tall! acting unfazed... "ah, hello." raye responded. he was nervous. and luckily for him... "now, let's start!" jerusha butted in, cutting his interaction with phobos short. "right, let's start." raye said awkwardly. ----- in the background... raye and jerusha didn't notice. -phobos? -zephyrus? but it seems like zephyrus and phobos know each other! ***** even after trying for a few hours... "ugh." raye was unsuccessful in learning spirit summoning. and now, their private lesson had ended... "it's okay, you'll get it later." jerusha said, reassuring raye. with a slight nod... "yeah." raye responded, frustrated. and with that, they headed back to the cabin after saying goodbye to the spirits. -meep! -see you tomorrow. pyro and zephyrus said. oh, and phobos left earlier, going back to rest deep in the forest. ... ... after getting back to the cabin... "oh, you two are back. let's eat." old man rey greeted jerusha and raye. and with that, the three of them had dinner together. -meep! -mhmm... with pyro and zephyrus, of course. ***** after eating, jerusha quickly excused herself. old man rey and raye saw her off. after that... the two of them went to their rooms, saying their goodnight to each other. and now, lying on his bed... "..." experience tales with empire raye stared at the ceiling. 'i should probably fix that next.' he thought. then... "not all butterfly effects are bad, huh." he muttered that to himself! his proof of this statement was kyle and devin! something good had happened because of him existing. and knowing that... "..." raye smiled silently. 'hmm, if my existence is gonna bring change anyway, let's just make it a good change.' and then he thought! raye had been thinking about this for a while now. seeing kyle and devin succeed, he decided to go with it now! 'i'll just use my knowledge from the game and use it to my advantage.' he added. then raye started planning and thinking about things. he still wasn't directly messing with the main scenarios, though. and after a while of that... "..." raye fell asleep. -... -... pyro and zephyrus were already fast asleep long ago. ***** the next day... raye's daily routine continued as normal. this time, he started fixing the cabin again after getting back from kyle and devin's shop. after that, he trained spirit summoning with jerusha in the northern forest. phobos visited them. giving raye pointers, which he was thankful for. and this routine of him continued for days. and just like that... a week passed. and the day of the class re-evaluation arrived. Chapter 73 73 - Class Re-evaluation Day on the day of the class re-evaluation...raye woke up early. he cleaned his room and the cabin, then cut some logs to be used as firewood. and afterward, he took a bath in the nearby river. after taking a bath... raye started preparing to leave. "hmm, i need new sets of uniforms." he said, feeling the tightness in his body after wearing the jacket and trousers. his muscles were now bulging out of it. -that looks uncomfortable. zephyrus said, looking at him. -meep meep... pyro agreed. looking at them... "yeah, i feel really restricted." raye responded. but it's not like he could do something about it right now. and so... "i'm leaving now." raye just let it be for now. "take care, good luck." old man rey said to him before he left. "thanks, i will." and after that... tap- tap- tap¡ª raye headed to xapham hall. ***** "hmm, this is a weird feeling." raye thought, standing at the entrance of xapham hall. there were students everywhere. he wasn't getting weird looks anymore. and also... 'i don't feel like i need to prove myself to anyone anymore.' raye was freed from the others' opinions about him! being exposed to danger for a month, where he could lose his life at any moment... "hmm." raye's thinking changed by a lot compared to when he just got transmigrated here! he didn't care if he was hated or not this time. after all, it's not like it'll kill him to be hated! not just that, raye came to realize that just because the game proceeded like in the game, didn't mean he'd survive. given that he had almost died in a completely different area, outside the game scenarios! "i guess there's really no need to follow the plot." raye declared. his goal was to survive in the first place, not to finish the game scenarios! and so, with that in mind... 'okay, let's go get that scholarship now.' raye said that in his head! ***** this time around, the class re-evaluation wouldn't have a stats screening. instead, it'd be just a full-blown physical examination and written exams. and currently... raye was standing in front of the door of the designated room for the written exam. creak¡ª he opened it. and upon doing so... "oh, hello." sariel saw and greeted him. "i haven't seen you in a while. where have you been?" he asked raye. sariel knew there had been chaos in the academy the whole month, but he still thought it was weird not seeing raye even once during that time. anyway... "something happened, so yeah..." raye responded. and hearing his words... "hmm..." sariel nodded his head. "well, i'm glad to see you're doing fine. good luck on the exam." he added. "..." raye was silent. and looking at sariel... "thanks, i'll do my best." raye replied, smiling at him. "you're a really good professor, you know that?" and then he went and added that! tap- tap- tap¡ª raye left, finding himself a seat in the front row. and on the other hand... "..." sariel was left flustered at the door. it was his first time being told that he was a good professor, and he didn't expect to hear it from none other than raye! "haha, he's really changed." sariel laughed, feeling genuinely happy. and with that, after a while... the examination started. ***** "how did you do?" sariel asked raye, taking his answer sheets. and with a smirk... "can't you see it in my face?" raye responded while handing his papers. it had been three hours since the examination started, and with five subjects to take, each having 60 questions... raye finished them all with an hour to spare! anyway, seeing his confident smile... "hmm, you did a lot better than last time, huh." sariel said that, remembering the time when raye didn't finish the exam on time and he had to stay a little longer to wait for him. raye remembered that too and smiled. s~ea??h the nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. then, shrugging his shoulders... "i've learned my lesson there and studied really hard for this." raye said that. and after that... "okay okay, you're dismissed now." sariel excused him with a smile. and so... "see you later, professor sariel." tap- tap- tap¡ª creak¡ª thud¡ª raye left the room. ***** "hmm, i'm early." raye said, standing in front of the door of the indoor training ground where the physical examination would take place. but given that he had nowhere to go... "meh." creak¡ª raye entered the room anyway. and inside... "huh, i guess i'm not the only one who's early." he saw five other people, and all of them were characters from the game! "..." they were all looking at raye. "..." raye just looked back at them, unfazed. but after a while... "meh." tap- tap- tap¡ª he ignored them and sat on the wooden bench in the resting area, sitting pretty far away from them. -they are still looking. zephyrus said, resting on top of his head. "just let them be." raye responded, totally unbothered. though, unlike him... "tch." it seemed like someone was bothered. raye looked at the guy who clicked his tongue. and there... "..." raye saw a guy with long white hair similar to him. his eyes were red, and he was undeniably handsome. you could tell he was a fierce person. the young man kept looking at raye... "..." raye just stared at him. then after a while... "tch." he frowned and clicked his tongue too! fwip¡ª and then turned away from the guy! the guy was provoked by this! and seeing this scene... "pfft..." "bruh." "raye's too funny." "heh." the other four in the room chuckled! annoying the other guy even more! anyway, raye knew the white-haired young man... it was allen iverson¡ªleon's rival and another student from the s class! 'what's his problem? as far as i know, the original raye didn't do anything to him.' -meeeeep... raye thought, holding the sleeping pyro with both hands. he could still feel allen staring straight at him intently. it was uncomfortable as fuck. but still... "..." raye just ignored him. 'ugh, i just know he'll do something annoying later.' he thought, slightly frowning. ***** after an hour... "oh, you're here already." "hello, raye!" lena and devin arrived in the room, immediately approaching raye. "sup, you two." raye casually responded. fwip¡ª then lena and devin sat beside him. devin was on his right side, and lena was on his left. "i thought you'd be here earlier. i know you finished the test fast." raye said, turning to lena. lena shrugged her shoulders. "i just went to the library and double-checked my answers." she said. 'uwahhh... she's really serious about her studies, huh.' raye thought as he glanced at devin to his right. "i didn't get to finish the exam, hehe." devin stated with a laugh, scratching his head. 'he's totally different from lena.' raye frowned. just then... "is pyro sleeping?" lena asked raye. "hmm? ah, yes." raye replied, bringing his attention back to her. seeing lena looking at pyro silently... "want to hold him?" raye asked. and immediately after doing so... "can i?" lena's eyes widened, her excitement was evident from her voice and facial expression. seeing her reaction... "haha..." raye laughed softly, finding her cute. "of course you can." he said. "here." fwip¡ª then he stretched his hands, offering pyro to her. "erm..." lena wiped her hands on her clothes, ensuring they were clean. and after that... fwip¡ª she carefully took pyro from raye. -meeeeeep... and looking at the sleeping slime in her hands... "cutie." lena mumbled softly, making sure not to wake pyro. she held him so gently, as if he were a precious treasure. ***** after another half an hour... the room was filled with first-year students. the noise inside was deafening, with conversations overlapping and tension rising between the a class and the lower classes. raye, devin, and lena were waiting quietly for the physical examination to begin. and fortunately, not long after... creak¡ª the double doors of the room opened. and just like before... tap- tap- tap¡ª the headmaster, bryan blackwood, entered the room. tap- tap- tap¡ª and the other professors followed closely behind him, their presence were really intimidating, making the students quiet down. enjoy exclusive adventures from empire 'finally, i was starting to get bored.' raye thought, stretching a little. of course, there was a speech again from the headmaster. raye, however, wasn't interested and didn't really listen. but bryan mostly repeated the same points, that students should take their studies seriously and not let distractions deter them. he also announced the format for the physical examination, which would have two parts. first, a practice match with one of the combat professors. second, a sparring match, where the opponent would be decided based on their performance in the first bout. raye didn't really listen to the details, he figured he'd learn everything he needed as it happened. after all, he knows it from the game too. and so, with the formalities over... "okay, let's begin." sariel announced that, and the physical examination began. Chapter 74 74 - First Part Of The Physical Examination [1] immediately after the physical examination began...two of the four combat professors stood in the arena. one specialized in close combat, while the other one excelled in fighting with magic. they were the head professors of d class and c class, respectively. but to raye, they were unremarkable. in fact... 'umm, who?' raye didn't even know their names! in the game, they were just called combat professor c and combat professor d! anyway... 'hmm, how about the order of fighting them?' raye asked himself, already wondering how this would play out. then... the answer for his question came from sariel. s~ea??h the n?velfire.n§×t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "the order is from the d class up to the s class. it doesn't matter if students don't go alphabetically, as long as it's your class's turn, you're free to volunteer." sariel announced, noticing the confused expressions on the students' faces. they had been wondering the same thing as raye. "oh, so it'll be a while before our turn, huh." devin commented, glancing at raye and lena. "yeah, it's going to be a long day." lena replied. "hmm, let's just rest and wait for our turn." then raye said casually. and with that, the first part of the physical examination officially began. ... ***** "ugh..." raye groaned in boredom. it had been over an hour since the sparring with the combat professors began, and so far... the d class had just finished, and the c class was only now starting! 'the professors take about six minutes of break after fighting five students. there's no time limit or anything... that's why it's dragging on so long.' raye grumbled internally, frustration clear on his face. 'in the game, there would be a cutscene so you wouldn't have to wait, why can't that just be the case here too?' he asked in his head with a frown. so far though, raye had seen some notable characters from the d class perform well, showcasing their skills. but that was all... for him, it was still boring as fuck! -ugh, when will this end? zephyrus complained, flying lazily above raye. "ughhhhhhh..." devin was equally frustrated, sitting beside raye with a bored expression. on the other hand... "the fighting is too loud." lena muttered, cradling the sleeping pyro in her hands. she didn't seem that bored, taking care of pyro. 'he's been sleeping a lot lately.' raye thought, observing pyro's peaceful state. 'hmm, probably because he didn't get to rest properly for a month.' then concluding that, raye decided to let it go. after all, it was good to see pyro finally getting the rest he deserved. and so with that... raye, devin, and lena continued waiting for their class to be called by sariel. ***** another hour crawled by... "b class, it's your turn now." and professor sariel finally announced that! as soon as the words left sariel's mouth... "i'll leave pyro to you." raye said that to lena and immediately stood up! "sure, good luck." lena replied with a small smile. "thanks." then raye nodded before turning away. -i'm gonna stay here. you don't need me up there. zephyrus chimed in, fluttering lazily above raye. raye merely nodded in acknowledgment and began walking toward the arena. tap- tap- tap¡ª "yes, at last!" devin exclaimed, following closely behind raye, practically bouncing with excitement. then as they walked together, raye's mind wandered... 'should i choose close combat or magic combat?' he asked himself. being a mage who excelled in close-range combat, it wasn't an easy decision. but as he was wondering about that... "..." raye noticed the close combat professor staring at him. the man's expression was a mix of disdain and barely concealed hostility. and seeing that... 'hmm, close combat it is.' raye decided! a smirk tugged at his lips... 'i'm much more confident in my close combat skills, anyway.' and then he thought of that! ***** the rest of b class hesitated, still too nervous to step forward and challenge the professors. taking advantage of the moment, raye decided to go first. so after reaching the arena... tap¡ª he immediately climbed the stairs without hesitation. "i'm next after you!" devin called out from behind him. raye simply nodded in response. then stepping onto the platform, he was greeted by sariel. "you're the first one, huh." sariel said, looking at him. and with a slight frown on his face... "honestly, i just want to finish this and leave." raye replied. "haha, i get you." sariel chuckled. "so, what type of combat sparring will you choose?" then he asked raye. and without hesitation... "close combat." raye responded! "hmm, an unusual choice, but i kind of expected it, for some reason." sariel mused. "well then, get ready and good luck." "thanks." raye replied, flashing a confident smile. and with that, he started preparing for the match... ***** standing at the far end of the platform, raye faced his opponent. "my name is charles abalos, close combat professor for c and d classes." the man introduced himself, his voice sharp and authoritative. "my name is raye, first-year, magic course." raye responded, keeping his tone even. the room buzzed with quiet murmurs as students and even the main characters watched intently. among them was leon lightbringer, the protagonist. "hmm, i haven't seen him in a while." leon commented, narrowing his eyes at raye. beside him, allen iverson grimaced. "ugh, and i thought he was gone." allen muttered. "did he do something to you too?" leon asked, his curiosity piqued. startled, allen stammered... "ah! yeah! i'm sure he did..." he awkwardly said. leon raised an eyebrow, staring at allen's awkward reaction. but after a brief pause... "meh." he just shrugged it off. then he turned his attention back to the arena. 'this is raye we're talking about. i'm sure he did something to allen.' leon thought. meanwhile, raye examined the wooden sword in his hand. "do i need this?" he asked, his tone indifferent. "you'll need it if you want to get out of here quickly." charles replied confidently. "though, i won't make it easy for you." he added, his voice dripping with disdain. "haaa..." raye sighed. 'great, another one with a grudge.' he thought. "...what's your problem?" raye asked charles directly, frowning at the hostility radiating from the professor. charles didn't reply immediately. instead, with an angry expression etched across his face... "i'm going to make sure you're expelled from this school. for the sake of the students." he declared that! 'ugh, seriously?' raye thought, exasperated. but before he could respond... "raye?" sariel walked up, interrupting the tension. "yeah?" raye answered to his call. "see that circle marking under professor charles' feet?" sariel asked, pointing at the arena floor. looking down, raye noticed a one-meter-wide circle under charles' position. "yeah, i see it." he said. "your only goal is to make him step out of that circle as fast as you can." sariel explained. raye blinked, processing the instructions. then nonchalantly... "oh, okay." he said that and nodded his head. "good. now, get into position." sariel instructed, stepping back to give them space. "fuuu..." raye sighed again, casting a glance at the clearly furious charles. and after that... "i don't need this." fwip- he threw away the wooden sword in his right hand! "?!" this made charles frown, and even the others who were watching! "..." raye just ignored them. fwish- then he crouched slightly, readying himself to take off! "..." "..." "..." the room fell silent, anticipation thick in the air. after all, raye had a reputation¡ªnow students knew he was capable of pulling off incredible, unthinkable moves in combat! anyway, as the tension was rising... swoosh¡ª gusts of wind covered raye's legs! and with a serious expression on his face... 'let's go finish this quickly.' raye thought of that! sariel raised his hand and called out... "ready!" the tension climbed higher. everyone leaned forward, eyes fixed on the arena. "start!" then sariel's voice echoed throughout the room, announcing the start of the match! raye's gaze sharpened as he locked onto charles, who was standing defenseless in the circle about eight meters away from him. and with a quiet mutter... "[flash]" explore hidden tales at empire raye activated his ability! bam¡ª! and then he kicked on the ground and launched himself forward with explosive speed! fwish¡ª his figure disappeared from where he stood! swish- and then the wind howled in his wake as he reappeared right in front of charles! "?!" charles barely had time to register what was happening! tap¡ª raye planted his left foot firmly on the ground! then twisting his body to the left... swoosh¡ª raye threw out his right hand that was clenched into a fist! and using the force of his speed and rotation... bam!!! raye punched charles straight into the stomach! "urgh?!" charles' eyes bulged in shock, veins popping along his temples! his face turned beet red as the force of the blow lifted him off his feet! swoosh¡ª the professor was sent flying out of the circle and off the arena entirely! and following that... boom¡ª! he was slammed onto the wall! fwooosh¡ª the sound of his impact echoed throughout the room! the wall cracked from the force and a dust cloud was created! and looking at that dust cloud... "hmm, still not fast enough." raye mumbled that! he just finished his match with a professor in under a second! and watching him do that... "..." the whole room was silenced! Chapter 75 75 - The First Part Of The Physical Examination [2] "..."an ear deafening silence engulfed the room after raye and charles' match. everyone was shocked and speechless. especially the students from the c class and d class. after all, they had just fought charles too! and so, they know just how absurd the scene they had just witnessed! charles isn't weak, he's a combat professor for a reason! anyway, after seeing what happened... "what the heck was that?" leon mumbled that to himself, he was in disbelief. 'i didn't even see his movements.' he thought, pertaining to raye. he was just looking at raye at the end of the arena, then a split second in after the match started... 'it was already done!' raye was suddenly on the other side, and professor charles was slammed onto the wall of the room! 'just how strong did he get in a month...?' leon asked himself, frowning. then, beside him... "..." allen was just as surprised as everyone, he was speechless! 'what the fuck was that?!' he exclaimed in his head, completely in shock. allen took pride in being fast... but raye's speed just now was in a whole another league compared to him! he saw what happened, but allen wasn't confident that he could block raye's attack if he was in charles' position! allen hadn't seen raye fight before, he just heard rumors about him and he knows that he fought leon once. so he expected raye to be at least a decent fighter or some sort... but he didn't expect him to be this strong! "is he already this strong when you fought him a month ago?" allen asked, turning his head to leon. and looking back at him... "no, he's nothing like this." leon answered in a serious tone. "..." hearing his words made allen shut up. then with a frown on his face... "..." allen just stared at raye, thinking about things. then, not far away from them... "i didn't expect him to be this strong." lycus commented that with his eyes wide open! he was looking at the arena. raye was dusting off his clothes with his hands... "wow, so he was this strong, huh?" sofia, who was sitting beside lycus, asked innocently. and slightly shaking his head... "he was strong, but not this strong." lycus responded to her. "oh, is that so?" sofia followed. "mhm." lycus just nodded his head as a response. then, looking back at raye... 'just how much did he grew in that dungeon?' he asked that in his head. lycus remembered the story of what happened to raye outside the academy. the time when raye got stuck in a dungeon and faced a lot of challenges... lycus frowned just recalling raye's hardship. but after that... "i need to put more effort into my training." lycus whispered that under his breath! there's a resolute look in his face right now! meanwhile, lena... "..." she was just looking at the arena completely dumbfoundedly. "he had become much stronger." she said. -and that is thanks to me. then zephyrus followed that proudly. lena looked at him, and looking at the cute white chick... "that's true." she said that and nodded her head, just agreeing with zephyrus. "hmm..." then she went back into taking care of the sleeping pyro in her hands. 'this little guy is really tired, huh.' lena thought with a smile on her face. ... ***** on top of the arena platform... "..." raye stood in silence. he was looking at the wall where charles was slammed. and after a few seconds of doing so... "urgh..." he heard a groan. and after that... "fuuu..." charles came out walking of the dust cloud! 'i think i broke a rib or two.' charles thought, turning to look at raye with a frown on his face. 'he's a monster.' he added! charles was surprised by raye's speed earlier and wasn't able to respond... but he was able to reinforce his stomach with a little bit of mana before being punched! and because of that, he didn't suffer that much damage! raye knows this... "..." he looked at his right hand. it was slightly tingling, he was sure he hit a mana reinforced skin. and so... "..." shifting his attention back to charles... 'still not fast enough, huh.' raye thought of that! following that, he turned to sariel. and opening his mouth... sear?h the n?vel_fire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "did i pass?" raye asked him. "ah!" then, getting out of his stupor... "raye passed!" sariel announced that! and with that... tap- tap- tap¡ª raye started walking down the arena! and watching him as he goes... 'what happened to him in a month?' sariel asked that in his head. ... "shit." charles cursed, feeling a pain in his sides and stomach. and just then... "you okay?" sariel approached him and asked that. "i might need a healer." charles responded, annoyance can be heard in his voice. he was frustrated and embarrassed to be put in this condition, especially by a first year student, and by raye of all people! 'ugh, i hate this.' charles thought. "here, let me help you." and then sariel assisted him in going to the resting area, where the healers were waiting. "thanks." charles said. then, on their way, he glanced at raye. and knitting his brows together... 'i really hate him.' charles declared that in his head! he hates raye for a simple, but valid reason... the reason is well... the original raye was bullying and tormenting a lot of his students, just because they were from the lower class! he was making promising commoners lose trust in themselves, and ultimately, they leave the academy! and so in charles eyes... raye destroyed a lot of life and a lot of bright futures! the original raye was someone who steps on others' dream because he feels threatened and jealous of their talents! charles was supposed to go hard on raye, giving him a low score in this part of the examination. and he was hoping it'll get raye kicked out of the academy! after all, raye was on the verge of being expelled! but not only did charles fail... raye was also able to pique the headmaster's attention with his performance! and knowing this... 'fuck.' charles cursed himself. ***** (raye's pov) going down the arena... "..." explore more adventures at empire i felt a lot of eyes looking at me. the room was silent, the only thing i could hear were my footsteps and the quiet murmurings from the crowd. and seeing this... 'hmm, this is satisfying.' i thought of that. it was a delight to see everyone's shocked face after looking at me with doubtful eyes before! so with confidence... tap- tap- tap¡ª i silently climbed down the arena. and as i was doing so... "whoooaaaahh!!!" "did you see that?! i didn't!!!" "that was insane!!!" "he just defeated a professor in a second!!!" cheers started emerging from the crowd. and hearing them... 'this is nice.' i said that in my head. then, arriving at the end of the stairs... "..." devin greeted me. he was looking at me with wide eyes. he keeps opening his mouth, wanting to say something, but no words came out of it. he looks funny. so with a smirk on my face... pat- i placed my right hand on his shoulder. "it's your turn now." and then i told him that. immediately after hearing my words... devin broke free from his shock. then with a smile... "the audience would be super bored with my fight after you pulled that stunt." he jokingly said that to me. and shrugging my shoulders... "do something about it." i responded to devin. "ugh, curse you." he said. and after that... tap- tap- tap¡ª he walked past me and climbed up the arena. "i'll try my best." he said on his way. "good luck." i followed. and after looking at his back for a few seconds... tap- tap- tap¡ª i started heading back to where i left lena, zephyrus, and pyro. ... ... "good work out there." lena said as soon as i came back. "thanks." i replied and sat beside her. -meeeeep... pyro was still sleeping in her hands. then, landing on top of my head... -it's that boy's turn, huh. zephyrus said that, looking at devin at the arena. and opening my mouth... "yeah, watch. he's good too." i replied to him. -hmmm... zephyrus looked at devin expectantly. i did the same. i was waiting for charles to go back into his circle so that the march could start. but instead of that happening... "ehem." professor sariel stepped up and did a fake cough. and after catching everyone's attention... "professor charles wouldn't be able to do the matches for a while." he declared that, he was looking at me! and hearing his words... "..." "..." everyone's eyes shifted back to me! "..." i just ignored them. and then, continuing... "in the meantime, i'll be the one fighting for the close combat section." professor sariel announced that! "oof, that's rough." i said as i saw devin turn to look at me with an annoyed expression on his face. after all, professor sariel was a lot stronger than that charles guy! 'sorry devin.' i apologized in my head. "he's unlucky, huh." and then lena said that with a small, mischievous smile on her face, looking at devin up on the arena. Chapter 76 76 - The First Part Of The Physical Examination [3] on top of the arena..."..." devin stood in silence, nervous. after all, on the opposite side of him... "you ready?" there stands sariel, standing in the one meter wide circle! opening his mouth... "i'm ready." devin responded with a resolute expression on his face. "mhm." sariel nodded his head. and without further ado... "let's start, then." he declared that! ***** "..." everyone was silent, watching devin on top of the platform, waiting for something to happen. "let's start, then." sariel calmly said to devin. and as a response... "okay." devin said. and immediately after that... "[fire fist]" devin muttered. swaaaa¡ª and then both his hands that were clenched into fists were engulfed with fire! and with that... bam¡ª! devin kicked onto the ground and dashed toward sariel! and upon getting near the professor... swish¡ª devin launched a straight right punch! bam- and sariel easily caught his fist with his left hand! sariel's hands were reinforced with mana to avoid them being burnt. anyway, after that... swoosh¡ª devin followed up an uppercut with his left! but the professor just backed away for like an inch... fwish- and he narrowly avoided the attack! explore stories at empire seeing this... "tsk." devin clicked his tongue, then with all of his might... swish¡ª he spun his body to the right! and while using the force of the spin... swoosh¡ª devin performed a spinning back fist! "?!" this surprised sariel. fwip- but he just raised his right arm and covered it with mana to block the attack! bam! and after blocking it... fwish¡ª sariel launched a fast left jab, with his hand enhanced by mana! bam- and it hit devin right in the face! "urgh...?!" devin groaned in pain, he was surprised. but as he was like that... fwip- devin raised his right foot, covered it with mana... fwoosh¡ª and then he performed a side kick with it! bam-! sariel crossed his arms and blocked it! "...?!" but the force behind the attack made him frown, it was stronger than he had expected! and slightly... fwip- his feet were lifted off the ground and he was sent backwards! devin didn't miss that chance. tap- and when sariel landed at the edge of the circle... "urgh..!" bam- he immediately dashed forward toward him! and with only a few inches between them... fwish- swish- swoosh¡ª devin started unleashing light, but fast jabs with his both hands! he's just trying to make sariel stumble out of the circle! though... fwip- bam- swish¡ª sariel dodged, blocked, and deflected all of his attacks with ease! and when he got the opportunity... bam- sariel threw a quick right jab straight into devin's nose! "gurgh?!" devin didn't see that again. but nevertheless... swoosh¡ª he didn't stop attacking! 'he's persistent, i'll give him that.' sariel thought while deflecting the fierce barrage of devin. 'but that's not enough.' and then he added that! swish¡ª after turning his head to the side to avoid an attack aimed at his nose... swoosh¡ª sariel threw a heavy, fast straight with his right hand! and seeing his fist getting close to his face... "..." devin went silent. and then after a few moments later... 'now!' devin exclaimed that in his head! fwish- and then he twisted his head to the side and let sariel's fist slide through his face, avoiding being hit directly! and as a counter... swoosh¡ª devin launched a heavy right hook, aiming at sariel's temple! "?!" this shocked sariel, he didn't expect this from devin! looking at devin's fist closing in... fwip- sariel forcibly raised his left arm! and because he was faster than devin, although his response was a bit late... bam-! sariel still successfully blocked it! "urgh...!" sariel groaned and frowned, he felt a tingling pain in his left arm! and then, with a smile on his face... "that was really good, but still not enough." sariel said that! "i know." and devin replied with a smirk! bam! devin then performed a push kick with his right foot! fwish¡ª "?!" pushing sariel out of the circle after being hit in the stomach! "..." and seeing him outside the circle... "haha, it worked!" devin exclaimed that with a laugh! "..." sariel was speechless, devin's last attack was a perfect ambush. he didn't expect nor see it coming. so with a smile on his face... "good job, you passed." sariel announced that! and hearing his words... "yeaaaahhhh!!!" devin shouted that with all his might! ***** watching devin celebrate on top of the arena... "what a weirdo." raye mumbled that, he was smiling. he's glad that devin passed. 'his last two attacks were good.' raye thought, as someone who specializes in attacking from blind spots, those two attacks were noteworthy for him. 'i would've had a hard time dodging those.' he said in his head. and then... -hmm, he's good for his age. zephyrus commented that while resting on top of his head. -he just needs to learn more moves and enhance his fists and feet with stronger spells. he said. "i think the same." lena, sitting beside raye, followed that with a straight face. even raye agrees with zephyrus words. so after thinking about it for a while... "maybe we could train together." raye mumbled that! "..." this made lena look at raye, slightly surprised. and just then... "can i join in if ever?" raye and lena heard a voice behind them! and looking back... "hello!" they saw lycus and sofia together! "oh, hello." "sup." lena and raye responded. then lycus and sofia sat side by side on raye's right side... "what do you mean join in?" raye asked, looking at lycus. and looking back at him... "i meant it literally like that, i want to train with you too." lycus answered with a straight face. "..." and after thinking about it for a while... "sure, that doesn't sound so bad." raye casually said that! he thinks that training with lycus, one of the strongest main characters in the game, would surely boost his strength! and lycus... 'training with him will help get me into an another level.' was thinking the same thing too, that he'll get much stronger if he trains with raye! ***** "wow, he won against professor sariel!" "who's that?!" "he's better than he looks!" cheers emerged from the crowd after devin's match. after all, his performance was good! and he was up against sariel at that! hearing the cheers... "..." a proud smile appeared on devin's face. and after that... tap- tap- tap¡ª he started walking down the arena with confidence. ... after getting down... "hey guys!" devin immediately went back to where raye and the others were. and noticing that lycus and sofia were there... "oh, you two are here. hello." devin greeted them. "good job passing." "congrats!" lycus and sofia responded to him. "good work." raye followed. "you did great." and then lena. then smiling ear to ear... "thank you!" devin happily replied to them. fwip- and then he sat down beside raye. lycus and sofia moved and gave space for him. anyway, after that... the physical examination continued. though... raye, devin, lena, lycus, and sofia were not really interested in watching them anymore. and so... "he's sleeping peacefully, huh... cute." lena just babied the sleeping pyro. "hello, mister chick!" -i'm not a chick, young lady. sofia talked to zephyrus, finding him adorable. and the three boys... well... "we should train in the northern forest." raye suggested that. they were talking about their plan of training together! though, as they were doing that, without them knowing... "..." "..." students started looking in their direction! after all, the members of their group were eye catching! there's lena, an already full fledged mage despite still being a first year student! she's also one of the smartest in the academy. then there's lycus and sofia, they're known for being a power couple! (though, they are not dating yet...) lycus is one of the strongest in the academy in terms of combat, he's comparable to those who are in the s class! and he's expected by everyone to be transferred there after this class re-evaluation! sofia on the other hand, is known for her kindness and versatility, she's an all rounder that does well in all subjects! and then devin, he's getting attention now too because of his match just now. also, his way of fighting was unique so the students are getting curious too! but the most eye catching for them all was... raye alvah. he was known as a scum with no actual power! after being kicked out of his family, everyone expected him to be expelled from the academy because of how weak he was. but contrary to their expectations... raye changed and became stronger! now, he's one of the most hot topics in the academy, and not because of his scumness... but because of his growth speed! his academic record was doing good, his stats growth rate was phenomenal, and his fight with leon was incredible! also, they know that he's contracted with two spirits by now! and so, the students are wondering... 'what are raye's current stats right now?' and just like that... these five continued to attract attention from everyone... "..." "..." sear?h the n?vel_fire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. especially from the main characters. Chapter 77 77 - In The Northern Forest after raye and devin...nobody from the [b class] passed from the close combat section anymore. sariel just demolished them all and made the students give up! on the other hand, sofia fought in the magic combat section, and she passed with ease! and then, when it was the [a class]'s turn... the main characters then started proving that they were strong! they all passed without breaking a sweat! especially lycus, he pushed sariel out of the circle in under half a minute! putting him in second place in terms of speed of passing the examination! in first place was raye, then devin was in third place! also, as everyone had expected... all then scum nobles in [a class] failed miserably! they were shamed on and laughed at by the students from the lower classes... garin lothar and erick hutchins were included in those who failed. (nobles that raye fought in chapter 17 & 26.) raye scoffed at them pretty hard, he was happy to see them fail! anyway, after that... sariel just finished the [a class]. and then, charles went back into being the person in charge of the close combat section. and following the [a class]... it was finally the [s class]'s turn. and they... they demolished the exam. they all passed without a hitch! and the highlights? the matches of lena, allen, and leon! lena passed as soon the test started, making her the fastest to pass in the magic combat section! then there's allen and leon, both of them were worked up after seeing raye's match against charles. and so... they tried their hardest in the exam, they finished it as fast as possible! and in doing so... leon matched raye's time in the physical examination! and allen dethroned lycus from being in second! he finished it in under 5 seconds! charles was utterly destroyed by the two of them! and with that... the first part of the physical examination ended. and everyone was dismissed. ***** around 7 pm... "tomorrow is rest day, i should continue with the cabin's repair." raye said that, he was walking back to the cabin. he had already separated ways with the others earlier, and so right now... he's only with zephyrus and pyro. it was announced earlier that the second part of the physical examination would take place the day after tomorrow. and that's because the sophomores are scheduled for the re-evaluation exams tomorrow and on 4th day. freshmen are today and on the 3rd day, then tertiaries are on the 5th and 6th day. and on the 7th day... the examination results would be out. and the new class placement would be announced! 'i wonder what class i would be in...' raye thought to himself. and then, as he was walking... -watching adults demolish kids is kind of entertaining, i'm up to watch some more of it. zephyrus suddenly mumbled that. he was smiling and resting like a parrot on top of raye's left shoulder. "what a weird hobby you've discovered." raye said, responding to him. and just then... -meeep...? pyro, who had been sleeping in raye's hands, finally woke up! seeing him opening his eyes... "oh, did you sleep well?" raye immediately asked pyro. and with a small smile... -meep! pyro answered, he said yes. then, slightly worried... sea??h th§× n??efire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "you've been sleeping too much these past few days. are you feeling unwell?" raye followed another question. pyro had been sleeping for more than half a day lately, it was concerning for him. it was like he was hibernating or something. -meep meeep... pyro said that he was fine, he just hasn't had much energy since last week for some reason. and hearing that... -ah. zephyrus thought of something. "what is it? do you have an idea of what's happening to him?" raye asked, seeing zephyrus' reaction. and without beating around the bush... -he's probably evolving. zephyrus declared that! "huh?" -meep? raye and pyro shared the same confused reaction. and so, to explain it... -raye, as you grow stronger, the quality of your mana increases. since pyro is connected to you and feeds off your mana... he's bound to evolve and become stronger too. -pyro's body is currently preparing for evolution, storing the mana and energy needed to reach the next stage. zephyrus said all of that! and at his words... -... "..." pyro and raye looked at each other. and then smiling... "did you hear that? you're getting stronger!" -meep meep meep! the two of them started celebrating! they were delighted to hear such good news! and watching them like that... -congratulations, young ones. zephyrus said that, smiling too! he was happy for the two of them. after all, zephyrus knows that they both started from the lowest of the low! he fully understands why they were so happy. ***** nearing 8 pm... "we're home." raye stepped into the cabin with zephyrus and pyro. and immediately after doing so... "welcome home, you three hungry?" old man rey greeted them. "hmm, yeah." raye replied to him. -i'm hungry. -meep! and then zephyrus and pyro followed. hearing their words, a smile appeared on old man rey's face. "i made dinner, let's eat." he said. then after that... the four of them started eating dinner. they ate roasted potatoes that the old man harvested, and roasted beef from kyle's shop. ... ... after eating dinner, around 10 pm... "i'll be going now, good night." old man rey went to bed. "good night." raye said to him. and after that... -i'm tired. -meep... zephyrus and pyro went inside raye's room, they want to rest now too. "..." raye still has some energy left to spare, and considering that there's no school tomorrow... 'off to train.' he decided to head to the northern forest alone. ... ***** in the northern forest... "oh." "ah." raye met with jerusha. they don't have a private lesson today, so their meeting wasn't planned. it was a total coincidence. "i thought you wouldn't be here, tomorrow's your class re-evaluation exams, right?" raye said, looking around. and then after a while... fwip- he sat on a big, fallen tree trunk. "meh, i'm just passing the time. it's not like i have anything better to do right now." jerusha replied with a smile, sitting beside raye. "is that so...?" raye asked. "mhm." and then jerusha simply nodded her head as a response. "how about you, what are you doing here?" she followed. then casually... "i'm just here to train, i have nothing to do too." raye responded, shrugging his shoulders. "haha, guess we're the same then." jerusha laughed. "how did you do in the re-evaluation exams?" and then she asked that, curious. hearing her question... "heh..." raye smirked. and then confidently... "it was easy." he declared that. "so i know you'll pass it with ease." and then he followed, looking at jerusha with a smile! "is that so? guess i don't have to be nervous!" jerusha exclaimed with a wide smile. and following that... the two of them continued talking. it was the first time they were alone with each other. no spirits around, no old man, and no schoolmates! "haha, that happened?" "yeah, devin looked really happy dancing on top of the arena after passing." their conversation flowed smoothly. "hahaha!" "i heard he's a really scummy-looking noble!" they laughed and gossiped together. raye the mentioned to jerusha that pyro was about to evolve. and hearing that... "wow, congratulations! i'm so happy for you two, really!" jerusha became excited for them! they talked and talked, moving from one topic to the next. and before they even knew it... it was already late. ... ... around 12 am... "the head maid is going to scold me." jerusha said that, noticing the time. "sorry, i didn't notice too." raye mumbled apologetically. "nah, don't worry. i really enjoyed talking to you that i lost track of time. it's not your fault." then jerusha responded, casually waving her hand and smiling. "well, i enjoyed it too." raye replied. 'i didn't get to train, but it's fine.' he thought. "haha, see? we both enjoyed ourselves." jerusha said, laughing lightly. "..." raye just remained silent, unsure of what to say. and as he was like that... "well then, i'll excuse myself now." jerusha declared that. "bye, raye!" and after saying her goodbye... tap- tap- tap¡ª she started walking away. "wait." though, raye called for her before she could even go far. "hmm?" jerusha stopped on her track and looked back at raye. and looking at her... "good luck tomorrow, and rest well." raye said that! "..." his words flustered jerusha for some reason, it caught her off guard. but with a smile on her face... "thanks, rest well to you too!" jerusha brightly responded! "goodbye." raye said. and after that... swoosh¡ª jerusha immediately flew away! 'ugh, i'm glad that it was dark outside right now...' enjoy exclusive adventures from empire she thought, blushing slightly. and raye... "..." he just watched jerusha until she was out of sight. and when he can't see her anymore... tap- tap- tap¡ª raye started heading back to the cabin. 'why did i say rest well to her?' and then he thought of that, slightly embarrassed of what he said earlier to jerusha. Chapter 78 78 - Good luck the next day..."haaaa, i'm still sleepy." raye woke up and immediately fixed his side of the bed. "hmm?" -... -... zephyrus and pyro are still sleeping, so he just let them be. and with that... "breakfast." raye went out of the cabin. swaaaa¡ª and then he started preparing a rabbit stew for everyone. ... after a while, raye finished cooking. and just on time... "what's that?" old man rey came out of the cabin, smelling something nice. then, looking at him with a smirk... "you've been cooking for me ever since i came back, so i woke up early to return the favor." raye responded. "come on, it's still hot." and then he invited old man rey to eat with him. old man rey smiled... "okay, i'll help you prepare the table." he said. "thanks." raye replied. and after laying the table and the utensils... "let's eat." "thanks for the food." they started eating. -hmm, that smells nice. -meep... zephyrus came out of the cabin with pyro riding on his back shortly afterward, and they joined raye and the old man for breakfast. ***** immediately after eating... raye washed the dishes and started doing his chores, like chopping logs and whatnot. also, he doesn't plan to go with the old man in the northern forest today. and so, raye made zephyrus accompany old man rey in his stead to make sure he's safe. -hmm, well, i do like the forest so i'll go. zephyrus has no problem with it. though... "i don't need it, i'm not that old!" old man rey didn't like the idea that much. he's 71 years old. "zephyrus can use [wind blade] too, he'll be useful." raye argued. and hearing his words... "ugh... fine." the old man finally agreed to go with zephyrus. he doesn't like wasting arrows after all. and with that sorted out... "i'm going now." -see you later. old man rey and zephyrus headed to the northern forest. "take care, you two. i'll be going now as well." raye said to them, and then he left to go to the library. and lastly... -meeep... pyro was left alone in the cabin, sleeping on raye's bed. ... ... around 8 am... raye got into the library... and inside, he sat on his usual spot. there were barely any students in there, it was quiet. anyway... raye picked up books about artifacts and the history of the rakon empire from the shelves on the way. he's planning to study about the wallace's family treasure, which he obtained from the dungeon, hoping to uncover its other abilities. so without wasting any more time... "hmm, let's see..." fwip- raye got into reading. ... ***** four hours later... "haaaaa...!" raye stretched his body after reading three whole-ass books. "ugh." his body was kinda sore... "well, that was interesting." fwip- s§×arch* the n?vel(f)ire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. raye mumbled, closing the last book he just read. he didn't learn much about the other abilities of the wallace's family treasure. but he did learn its name! it was written in the rakon empire's history book. more than a hundred years ago, the wallace family was blooming and was becoming strong, they were known for their spirit guardian, zephyrus... and their family treasure, the celestria! the people in the past believed that the celestria changes its form to reflect the heir's personality. 'they didn't know that the wielder actually had complete control over its form.' raye thought to himself, slightly shaking his head. also, apparently... ivan's sword was a treasured sword that was granted to the wallace family by the twenty-seventh emperor of the empire when they became a noble! "no wonder it was sturdy and fancy looking." raye muttered. and then, with a sad smile on his face... 'i'll use it well, ivan.' raye said that in his head. ... ... "lena didn't come, that's weird." raye said, walking out of the library. normally, lena would join him as he was reading or she would be there waiting before him. but there was no sign of her in the library today. which is weird... "hmm, where should i go now?" but raye didn't put much thought into it. 'lena could take care of herself.' raye thought. anyway... "..." raye stood silent outside the library, thinking where he should go next. he's done studying, but he's not in the mood yet to head back to the cabin. after all, it's only 12 noon... raye initially thought of visiting kyle and devin in the shop, but they are currently doing a deal this time around. he knows of this because the two of them had filled him in on their schedule and plans for this week. so that's a no go. but just then... "ah." raye thought of something else. he looked in the direction where the xapham hall is. then opening his mouth... "i could go and watch the sophomores' practical examination." raye mumbled that. their physical examination would start at 1 pm. so without further ado... tap- tap- tap¡ª raye started heading there. ***** arriving in xapham hall, inside of one of the indoor training grounds where the physical examination would take... "oh, i can see some freshmen students as well." raye said that after looking around. "..." he received a few glances from the students, but no one really talked about him anymore. 'it seems like my bad reputation is disappearing, that's nice.' raye thought as he tries to find a place to sit on. and as he was doing that... "raye?" someone called his name. raye recognized the voice, so looking in their direction... "sup." raye greeted jerusha with a smile. "what are you doing here?" she asked him. "i've got nothing to do." raye replied simply. "also, to cheer for you." and then he added that with a grin. hearing his words... "is that so?" jerusha raised her brow. "mhm." raye just silently shrugged as a response. and seeing him do that... "whatever." jerusha said with a smile on her face. "come take a seat with me." and then she invited him. "where? you're standing too, just like me." raye said. and while smirking... "just follow me." jerusha responded to him confidently. tap- tap- tap¡ª she started walking away before raye could even respond. "meh." so raye just followed after her. tap- tap- tap¡ª ... after walking for a bit... "here, see!" jerusha stopped in front of an empty resting area. which was strange... considering that the room was packed, with some even standing! and the resting area had benches that could seat six people! "..." raye immediately noticed that something was weird. so he looked around. and just as he expected... "ugh, who's that?" "that's that bastard freshman, right?" "what was his name, roy?" he saw a lot of male students glaring at him! 'ugh, so they're reserving this whole area for jerusha, huh.' raye thought, frowning slightly. "for some reason, i can always find myself an empty place to sit on." and then he heard jerusha proudly and innocently declared that. bringing his attention back to her... "come sit." raye saw jerusha sitting on a bench. pat- pat- she was signalling him to sit beside her. 'is she doing this on purpose?' raye thought, feeling the stares at him. but then, shaking his head... 'nah, she just really doesn't know most of the students like her.' raye said that in his head. jerusha's character is like that, after all. "haaa..." so after just letting out a sigh... fwoop- raye sat down beside jerusha. "hehe." jerusha laughed lightly when he did so. 'well, at least she's happy.' raye thought. he decided to just focus his attention on jerusha, ignoring the prickling stares at him. ***** after a while... the first part of the sophomores' practical examination began. the task was the same as the freshmen's. they also need to make the professors leave the circle beneath them, but the only difference was that the professors had a much larger area to move in! anyway, just like yesterday... sariel handled the event with the other professors, the headmaster was just watching... and with that, the order started with the [d class]. jerusha, well, she's in [s class]... it was obvious. and so, it'll be a while before her turn. "you sure you'll wait with me?" jerusha asked, looking at raye. "yeah, why?" raye responded. "well, it's just that... isn't it a waste of your time?" and then jerusha followed that, slightly embarrassed. "it's not a waste." raye casually answered. and then to reassure her... "you can just teach me more about spirit magic while we wait." raye added that. "hmm, okay." jerusha smiled, hearing his words. "thanks." she said. and raye just shrugged his shoulders as a response. ... raye and jerusha talked the whole time, passing by time. they mainly talked about spirits and academics, but they had fun. and then suddenly... "s class, it's your turn." they just heard sariel announce that! "oh?" "huh?" raye and jerusha were shocked. "i didn't notice." raye mumbled. "me too." and jerusha replied. "anyway, i'll be going first!" then she added that, immediately standing up. though, instinctively... fwip- raye grabbed jerusha's hand! "huh?" jerusha was surprised. "huh?" raye was surprised as well. he doesn't know why he did that! but then, looking at jerusha... "umm, good luck." raye said that, letting go of her hand. and meekly... "thank you..." jerusha responded. and after that... tap- tap- tap¡ª she hurriedly walked toward the arena! after she was gone... "ugh... why did i do that?" raye cringed in embarrassment. he's feeling a lot of intense stares at him, but he just ignored them all. on the other hand... "..." jerusha was slightly blushing. thump- thump- thump¡ª her heart was beating quite fast. she doesn't know why... raye's words of encouragement played in her head again and again. she was grinning ear to ear. and while she was like that... tap- jerusha stepped onto the arena. "fuuu..." and then, she volunteered first in the magic combat section! ... ... ... boom!!! jerusha won immediately as soon as the match started. her time was even faster than raye! she even sent the professor fighting for the magic combat section into a time out because they needed healing! 'oh no, i got too excited.' jerusha thought, worried. but when she looked around... "..." and saw raye looking at her with thumbs up... jerusha's worries disappeared. continue your saga on empire "hehe." and a smile appeared on her face. Chapter 79 79 - Hardheaded the next day.at around 10 am... the second part of the physical examination for the freshmen began. it was held in one of the outdoor training grounds. "everyone, listen," sariel announced with a mana-enhanced voice. he was calm, but his presence was authoritative. 'hmm, i wonder who my opponent is.' raye thought, looking over at the platform where sariel was speaking. -i'm excited to watch the kids fight. and then zephyrus said that, sitting on top of his head. raye was alone with zephyrus. pyro was left behind in the cabin today as well so he could sleep in peace. old man rey was taking care of him. moving on... "me and the other professors analyzed your performance from the first part of the physical examination." sariel continued talking after confirming that everyone was paying attention. "and based on that, we matched you with other freshmen students who have similar strength to you." he declared. and after that... "step onto the arena when your name is called." sariel followed with a serious expression on his face. 'he looks pretty intense today.' raye thought. then, sariel started calling names... and the matches began. ***** the second part of the physical examination was just as it was described. students with similar performances in the first part were paired to duel each other. it didn't matter which section they fought in before, as long as they were deemed similar in strength. anyway, sariel started calling the names of the students who performed worse in the first part, going upward. so, in short... it would take a long time again before raye's turn! and knowing that... "what the actual fuck?" raye couldn't help but curse with a frown on his face. -so, we'll be here until the end? zephyrus asked. and annoyed... "unfortunately, yes," raye responded. he was already getting bored. on the other hand... -hmm, okay. zephyrus didn't seem to mind at all! "ugh." raye sat on a bench. and then... "i hate this." he muttered that, waiting for his turn. ... later on, the others joined raye. devin, lena, lycus, sofia... and even jerusha! she came to cheer them all on. and so, together... "..." they waited for their turns, talking to each other to pass by time. ... sofia was called after an hour, and she won the fight fairly easily. everyone congratulated her, and she thanked them all with a sweet smile on her face. though, they started waiting again after that... ***** there were roughly 130 freshmen students, from [d class] to [s class]. so, there would be about 65 matches. considering the five-minute time limit per match and the fact that there were only two arena platforms available for combat... "devin dustin." it took roughly three hours of waiting before someone from raye's group was finally called! "ugh..." devin groaned as he immediately stood up. and looking at him... "good luck." raye and the others wished him luck. they were really bored by now. "do your best!" jerusha was the only one with energy left at this point. "thanks, guys." devin said. tap- tap- tap¡ª and then he started heading to the arena, his steps were confident, but there's a hint of impatience in them. anyway, his opponent was called... "aria themis." and it was one of the main characters! it was leon's childhood friend and the main heroine! seeing that... 'oof, this isn't in the game,' raye thought and frowned. though... "meh, devin can hold his own against her." he still rooted for devin. and also... "lycus fenrath" lycus was called now too. "i'll be right back." lycus confidently said, standing up. and without waiting for the others' response... bam- he dashed forward toward the arena! 'guess he's really bored, huh.' raye thought. then, looking at lycus' opponent... "bruh." raye unconsciously mumbled that. his opponent was just a male extra from the game. 'devin and lycus should really change opponents.' raye thought to himself. ***** raye focused on devin's match. after all, he already knew the outcome of lycus'. "..." devin was crouching at the end of the arena, ready to dash off. and on the opposite side of him... "fuuu..." aria was concentrating, holding a big wooden staff. and after a few moments... "start." sariel announced, beginning their match! bam- devin immediately rushed toward aria! "[flame on!]" he exclaimed. swaaaa¡ª and then his fists and arms were engulfed with raging fire! swoosh¡ª even his feet and legs! and upon getting near aria... "hup!" swish¡ª devin threw a right straight without hesitation, aiming for his opponent's nose! though... "..." calmly looking at devin. "[barrier]" aria muttered that. fwip- bam! then a mana shield appeared in front of her face, blocking devin's attack! and following that... "[water ball]" aria cast a water element spell! it was just a basic spell, a concentrated water in size of a baseball... but raye frowned when he saw that from where he was! after all, in the game... aria was known as a character with out-of-this-world mana control and mana output! swiish¡ª three small, but fast water balls flew out from aria's staff! "hm?" devin saw them coming. fwish¡ª enjoy more content from empire and so, he swiftly avoided them! it wasn't that fast for him, after all. though, when devin thought he had completely dodged them... "heh." aria let out a smile! swish¡ª and then, the water balls changed trajectories, aiming for him again! it was faster this time, and because devin couldn't see it coming... bam! "urgh?!" he was hit in the back! psssh¡ª and then the other two water balls hit each of his arms, extinguishing the fire engulfing them! "?!" devin's arms tingled in pain. he was shocked and confused. and as he stood like that... "[water cannon!]" aria cast another spell! in shock, and at point-blank range... baam!!! devin was hit right in the chest before he even knew it! "argh...?!" he didn't know what hit him, but he felt like a small boulder had been dropped on his chest! "ugh..." devin was blown backward, struggling to stand straight or even breathe. then looking up at aria... "[water blast!]" devin saw her cast another water-based spell! swoosh¡ª a pillar of water was launched at him! and to dodge it... "graaa!" devin forced his body to move, jumping to the side! boom! a small explosion occurred as aria's spell collided with the ground. and seeing that... 'i would've been done for if that hit me!' devin thought of that! so, with new vigilance... "fuuu..." devin let out a heavy breath, looking at aria. "i guess i was naive, thinking i could take her on by rushing ahead and pulling her into close combat." he mumbled. then, with a serious expression on his face... fwip- devin took a defensive stance. and opening his mouth... "[rock gauntlet]" he muttered that! and immediately after doing so... tssh- tssh- tssh¡ª small, solid rocks started appearing around his arms! and soon, they covered his arms and fists, forming gauntlets! and with that done... "i'm ready again." devin whispered that under his breath! ***** "[water ball!]" aria cast that spell again, launching four water balls! swiish¡ª they all flew toward devin. and looking at them... 'they'll just come back and target me again if i avoid them.' devin thought! so instead... psh- fsh- ssh- pash¡ª! he punched them with his rock-coated fists, making them explode! "..." aria saw that and frowned. devin had adapted faster than she'd expected. and so, to respond... "[water ball]" she cast the same spell?! though, this time... swoooosh¡ª more than thirty water balls appeared! they all floated around aria. and seeing that... "wha..." devin was speechless! "..." raye, who was just watching, frowned at the sight of it as well. fwoosh¡ª a water ball flew toward devin. psh¡ª devin just punched it. fwoosh¡ª but then, two more flew toward him! pash¡ª swish¡ª devin blocked one with his left arm, then avoided the other. though... fwish¡ª the one he dodged changed its trajectory, flying at him again faster! "shit." devin cursed in frustration. fsh¡ª and then he punched it with his right fist, making it explode! devin immediately looked back at aria. but as soon as he did... swish¡ª swoosh¡ª tens of water balls flew toward him! 'you've gotta be kidding me!' devin exclaimed internally! psh- pash¡ª psh- and then he punched and blocked most of the water balls! though... "ugh...!" swish¡ª he had no choice but to avoid the others! this forced him to watch out for those coming back while dealing with the incoming water balls! psh¡ª devin glanced at aria, far away. she was looking at him calmly. "ugh." devin bit his lips in annoyance. he knows that he'll lose if this goes on. and so... tap- he planted his feet onto the ground! bam¡ª and then he rushed at aria again! "haaah!!!" devin just crossed his arms and hoped for the best! bam! "urgh...!" water balls hit him all over his body... "graaaaahhh!!!" but devin just focused on protecting his face and front! and seeing him getting close to her... 'is he a bull?!' aria exclaimed that in her head! "finally!" devin got close to aria! and with just a few inches between him and her... "haaaa!!!" swoosh¡ª he threw a heavy, right uppercut! "shit...!" bam- aria jumped backwards to avoid it... fwish¡ª "ugh?!" but she was cut by the stone of devin's gauntlet on her right cheek! "..." aria then focused her attention on devin... "[water ball!]" and she started launching more and more water balls at him! though... s~ea??h the nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "haaaaa!!!" devin just continued rushing at her like a wild animal! and seeing that... 'you've gotta be kidding me!' aria shouted internally! ***** after five minutes... "time's up!" sariel stopped devin and aria's match. and because the time ran out, it was a draw! "that's enough." sariel said. and hearing his words... "tsk." aria clicked her tongue, she was covered with small cuts. then silently... tap- tap- tap¡ª she started climbing down the arena. sariel then looked at devin. he saw him smiling. "good job." sariel complimented him. and with a smile... "thanks." devin responded. thud¡ª and then he fell on the ground, unconscious! devin was covered with bruises, small and big! every part of his body! he continued fighting recklessly for five whole minutes, after all! rushing while just protecting his vital spots! 'he really didn't give up, huh. what an idiot.' raye thought, seeing devin passed out on the arena. and although he's thinking of that... "..." there's a smile on his face. he was happy for devin. Chapter 80 80 - A Bit Faster devin was carried into the resting area where raye and the others are.and there... fwooo¡ª he was healed by the healers. not long after... "ugh..." devin regained his consciousness. and seeing him awake... "good work out there." raye said that. following him... "good job!" "that was a great fight!" the others started praising devin's performance as well. "you got a lot stronger, huh." lycus said, he finished his duel in under a minute. he won, obviously. anyway, looking at the others... "hehe, thanks." devin awkwardly, but happily responded. and then... "..." he went silent immediately after. "the match was a draw, but it was clear that i lost." devin mumbled, feeling kinda down. "..." raye and the others didn't say anything. though, they're worried that devin might lose confidence in himself... "..." devin stayed silent for a few seconds, recalling his match. he was frustrated. but contrary to everyone's expectations... "i'll do better next time." devin didn't lose hope! "next time, i'll win for sure." he declared with a resolute expression on his face! "phew..." raye smiled, seeing that devin didn't succumb into depression. "mhm..." the others were relieved as well. "you'll need to train a lot to be as strong as her." raye suddenly said that. "i know." and devin replied. then, looking at raye... "let's train together later." he followed that! "i want in too." and lycus joined in! raye shrugged his shoulders, then with a smirk... "sure, why not?" he replied to the two. and just as their conversation finished... "lena dravenhart." sariel called lena's name! "oh, it's my turn now." lena mumbled, standing up. "good luck." raye said, looking at her. "do your best out there!" jerusha added. "ehh, don't you feel bad for her opponent? lena is crazy strong, you know?" then sofia followed. devin and lycus just wished her luck normally, like raye. "thanks, i'll do my best." lena replied to them. and then... "leon lightbringer." her opponent was called, it was the protagonist! 'oof, this wasn't in the game too.' raye thought. but still... "meh." he was cheering for lena. though, suddenly... "raye alvah." his name was called too! "huh?" raye uttered with wide eyes. ... ***** "finally." raye mumbled to himself, standing up and stretching his neck. "demolish your opponent!" devin exclaimed. "i'm excited to watch your fight." and then lycus commented. "good luck!" sofia cheered on him too. and looking at them three... "thanks." raye simply replied to them. and then... "hm?" he saw jerusha at the corner of his eyes. she kept wriggling, unable to sit still, her fingers fidgeting in her lap. jerusha keeps on glancing at him, her gaze darting away whenever he noticed and seeing her like that... "what is it?" explore stories on empire raye directly asked her that. "ah!" which surprised jerusha, she almost panicked. "..." but after collecting herself... "do your best, i'll be cheering for you!" she said that brightly with a smile on her face! "oh..." raye doesn't know what to say back to her. though, a wide smile was threatening to appear on his face. he was happy to hear such words aimed at him. "i guess i need to take this seriously then." raye said, just smiling softly. and after that... "i'll be right back." tap- tap- tap¡ª he started walking toward the arena. "..." "..." "..." devin, lycus, and sofia just silently watched their interaction just now with such great interest. and with a sweet smile on her face... 'is that what i think it is?!' sofia exclaimed that internally, looking at the slightly blushing jerusha. ***** "we'll be fighting at the same time, huh." raye said, walking beside lena. they're both headed to the arena. "looks like it... good luck for both of us." lena mumbled. "yeah, good luck to us." sear?h the n??el fire.n§×t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. raye responded. tap- tap- tap¡ª tap- tap- tap¡ª and then the two separated ways. ... ... tap- raye climbed onto the arena. and looking at the other side... "..." he saw his opponent. a handsome young man with white hair and red eyes... that's right! it was allen iverson! "so we've been paired, huh." allen said, glaring at raye. "..." raye just ignored him, he doesn't want to talk to allen. so instead... 'hmm, this weight is fine.' he started choosing a wooden sword to use in the match. "tch, he's really a scumbag." allen grumbled to himself, realizing what raye was doing. but then, opening his mouth... "just let me ask you one thing." he said that. "hmm?" this made raye look at him, curious. and with his attention now on him... "what's your relationship with lena?" allen asked that with a serious expression on his face! "..." raye was silent, unmoving. 'what...?' he was making sure that he heard the question right. and just then... "are you not going answer?" allen followed, feeling impatient! "oh." and raye finally realized what was happening! so basically, allen likes lena. and he's jealous of raye for being close to her! that explained the hostility raye was feeling from allen, even though, as far as he knew, the original raye shouldn't have had any beef with him in the past! 'ugh, teenagers.' raye thought with a frown on his face. "..." he then opened his mouth to explain things to allen. but before he could even let out a word... "get ready." sariel instructed that! and allen... "no answer, huh." fwip- he immediately took a stance! "wait, no." raye tried to explain again. "..." but sariel and allen just stared at him, waiting for him to get ready. "haaaaa..." so after letting out a defeated sigh... fwip- "fine, whatever." raye took a stance too! 'why can't they just fucking listen for a second?' he thought in frustration. ***** raye stood at the end of the arena. he's holding a simple, one-handed wooden sword. allen has the same weapon, he's on the opposite side. anyway, seeing that they're both ready to fight now... "start!" sariel started their match! fwish- raye immediately pointed his left hand at allen, doing a finger gun. and with deep concentration... "[bang]- [bang]- [bang]¡ª" he started shooting at him! "?!" allen saw three small fireballs flying at him. swish¡ª and they are crazy fast! "ugh...!" fwish- allen moved his head to the side to avoid one of the fire projectiles. and following that... bam- he dashed sideways to avoid the others! 'i don't know what skill he's using, but i feel like they're dangerous despite their size.' allen thought, frowning. tap- and after landing softly on the ground... swoosh¡ª he immediately sent a huge amount of mana to his legs! bam¡ª! and then he kicked off and rushed at raye! fwish- allen's figure disappeared from where he was standing! his speed was no joke, the students didn't see his movements! the next thing they knew... swish- he was standing in front of raye! swoosh¡ª and he swung his sword horizontally! it was a swift, heavy attack! "?!" the students were surprised, it all happened very fast! though... twack¡ª "..." raye just raised his wooden sword in his right hand and easily blocked allen's attack! "wha?!" this surprised allen, he thought his attack and timing were perfect! and as he was in shock... "try a bit faster, then maybe you could hit me." raye said that to him, face to face! "?!" allen felt a shiver run down his spine. he knew that raye wasn't provoking him but was simply telling the truth! 'ugh, this monster!' bam¡ª! allen leaped backwards to get away from raye! tap- but just when his right foot barely touched the floor... "[flash]" allen heard that. swish¡ª and then raye just appeared in front of him! "?!" allen's eyes widened! swoosh¡ª then he saw raye's wooden sword already close to his face! "fucker!" swish¡ª allen exclaimed as he forcibly raised his sword! and because of his desperate response... twock¡ª! he blocked raye's attack! "urgraa...!" but his entire arms tingled with pain¡ªthey had been blown away and were now completely numb! and not missing that opportunity... bam¡ª raye launched a side kick at allen! "keuk!!!" and allen was hit in the stomach, he felt like puking! swoosh¡ª thud- allen was sent backwards and fell on the floor... and what did raye do when his opponent was in that state? "..." nothing! he just stared at allen with cold, expressionless eyes! though... 'allen is persistent, i need to be careful.' he was just actually being cautious. but the students didn't know that. and seeing what just unfolded on the arena... "whoooaaaahh!!!" "what the fuck was that?!!" "that was so fast, are you sure that wasn't teleportation?!!" the students erupted in cheers, their excitement echoing through the room! they didn't see what happened because the two were moving so fast. but suddenly... they just saw allen on the floor and raye calmly staring at him from a distance! that scene was enough to know that raye won an exchange against an [s class] student! "what the fuck...?" lycus cursed, dumbfounded. he normally stays calm, but raye's speed just now was too ridiculous even for him! "..." devin was speechless, his eyes were wide open in disbelief. "..." sofia was the same. and then, jerusha... 'he's really awesome...' she couldn't help but think of that, looking at raye! actually, not just her... every student in the room right now is feeling the same awe for raye! and his match with allen... it was completely overshadowing lena and leon's fight! 'that man is really flashy, huh.' fzzzt¡ª lena thought as she fired a lightning bolt at leon! Chapter 81 81 - Cheers Erupted [1] "ugh..."allen groaned as he slowly stood up. "whoooaaaahh!!! raye is awesome!!!" "someone from the b class just bodied someone from s class!!!" "stop shouting in my ear, dumbass!!!" he heard the students cheering for his opponent... "..." but he paid no attention to them. instead, he looked up. and there... "..." he saw raye just staring at him! 'this asshole...' allen grumbled in his head, pissed off. but he couldn't say a word. after all... 'he's faster than me.' raye had just completely demolished him! he was able to react earlier and block the attack, but that was just a fluke! 'if i lose sight of him again, i'm done for.' allen thought, getting into a fighting stance once more. and this time, he was more cautious of raye... "..." seeing allen so focused... 'he's getting serious now, huh.' raye said that in his head, preparing for what was about to come. "fuuuu..." allen took a deep breath, not taking his eyes off raye. and with his newfound concentration... swoosh¡ª he covered his hands and feet with mana! and after that... bam¡ª! he dashed toward raye again! fwish¡ª allen appeared in front of raye in a matter of seconds! and seeing allen standing in front of him... 'he's really fast.' raye thought that. twack¡ª! then he parried allen's wooden sword with his own by swinging vertically upward! "urgh...?!" allen's arms were flung away! but with his hands still tightly clenching the handle of his weapon... "haaaa!!!" swoosh¡ª he forcibly swung his sword down, aiming at raye's head! swish¡ª but raye just stepped back and completely dodged it! boom!!! allen hit nothing but air and the floor! and then, as a response... swoosh¡ª raye swung his sword down too, aiming for his opponent's head! but with allen focused now... "..." he saw the attack coming! bam¡ª swish¡ª he jumped back and avoided the attack with ease! "..." allen's eyes stayed glued on raye, making sure not to miss any of his movements! and just then... fwip¡ª "?!" he saw raye aim his left hand at him again, forming a finger gun! 'it's that long range skill!' allen exclaimed internally. and immediately... swaaa¡ª he covered his sword with sword aura! find exclusive stories on empire "[bang]" fwish¡ª that was the moment raye took his shot! but then... swish¡ª psh! allen swung his aura-coated weapon horizontally and just parried it! "huh?" raye was slightly surprised by this. but the students... "is that sword aura?!" "i can't believe it, a freshman is using a complete weapon aura!" they were in disbelief! 'so he can use aura now, huh.' raye thought, looking at allen glaring at him. "what a pain." and then he whispered that under his breath. ***** sword aura, it's a manifestation of a swordsman's energy, willpower, and mastery channeled through their blade. it enhances the sword's power, extends its range, and can imbue it with unique effects like cutting through magical barriers or unleashing energy attacks! it's far better than just covering your weapon with mana! and people say, when you reach the top mastery over it... you'll be able to cut anything! 'though allen's aura is only in the early stage, so i'm fine.' raye thought, looking at allen's wooden sword. but still, aura could cut through mana... that meant raye's spell would easily be nullified, considering his magic proficiency wasn't even that high. and knowing that fact... "so it'll be close combat, huh." raye mumbled that to himself! though... raye couldn't use aura. that meant his wooden sword would immediately break upon making contact with an aura-coated weapon! and just imbuing it with mana wouldn't cut it! allen was aware of this. and so, with a small smile on his face... 'what are you gonna do now?' he asked that in his head, watching raye stand in silence. "..." "..." the students watched the match expectantly, waiting for raye's next move. "..." lycus, sofia, and devin glanced at raye, their expressions tinged with worry. on the other hand, jerusha... "..." she calmly observed the arena. and going back to raye... "hmm." he calmly examined his wooden sword, checking its durability. and after a while... "a minute, huh." raye suddenly said that. "hmm?" hearing this, allen became confused. he didn't know what raye was talking about. but then... "[blaze]" raye muttered! and following that... swaaaaa¡ª a raging fire, as if intent on burning everything in its path, engulfed his wooden sword! "..." and seeing it... "what the fuck is that?" allen asked that with a frown on his face! ***** blaze, a special skill raye created with pyro. it's literally inspired by weapon aura! so raye thought that with this, he could clash with allen's sword aura! 'is that aura too? but it feels a bit different...' allen's mind raced as he looked at the fire covering raye's weapon. and it wasn't just him... "huh? what's that?" "aura...?" every student in the training ground was just as confused as him! 'is that really...?' even sariel couldn't tell what he was looking at! "..." jerusha was smiling at everyone's reaction. she was the only one besides raye who knew what skill he was using. and because of that fact... "heh." she felt a little proud! anyway, time was ticking. blaze consumes a lot of raye's mana and destroys the weapon over time. and so... bam¡ª! raye immediately dashed toward allen! "?!" allen's eyes widened as he saw raye close the distance. and after getting near him... swoosh¡ª! sear?h the n??efire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. raye swung horizontally! fwoosh¡ª allen swung his sword too in response! twack¡ª! their weapons collided! foosh¡ª and sparks flew everywhere as if metals had clashed! ***** thunk¡ª clak! whack! raye and allen continued clashing, exchanging attack after attack! they dodged, deflected, blocked, and countered... twack¡ª! but neither could land a proper hit on their opponent! though... "urgh?!" allen couldn't believe raye was fighting him toe-to-toe! and what's more... the blaze was actually on par with his sword aura! 'what's with this monster? he's so unfair!' allen exclaimed in his head. "haaaaaa!!!" swoosh¡ª! and then he launched another attack! twock¡ª! fooosh¡ª raye swung his sword too, and their wooden weapons collided once more! "ugh...!" raye groaned, his arms trembling in pain. 'main characters are really no joke, huh.' he thought. fwish¡ª then, he thrust his sword forward, aiming at allen's chest! "gurgh...!" fwip¡ª allen desperately turned his body to the side... fwoosh¡ª and he avoided the attack! then, from that position... swoosh¡ª he launched a diagonal upward strike as a counter! fwish¡ª raye ducked down, dodging it! allen's arms were still raised in the air, gripping his sword. and so, looking down and seeing raye's back of the head... swish¡ª allen swiftly changed the trajectory of his sword, bringing it down heavily! "?!" raye sensed an attack coming from behind him! bam¡ª he dashed backward. boom! and allen's attack barely missed him! 'that's crazy.' raye thought. tap¡ª then, landing on the ground... "[flash]" he muttered! fwish¡ª and his figure disappeared! "fuck!" allen exclaimed, his eyes wide. and just as he expected... swish¡ª raye appeared in front of him! "you fucker!!!" allen shouted at the top of his lungs! swoooosh¡ª and he swung horizontally with all his might! fwoosh¡ª raye swung too! and in doing so... twoock¡ª!!! their weapons clashed again! though this time... crack¡ª something cracked from raye's weapon! and hearing that... "haaaaahhh!!!" allen put more force into his arms! snap¡ª and raye's weapon split into two! allen's eyes lit up, seeing that. 'i won.' he thought excitedly. but just then... pat¡ª "huh?" he felt a touch on his chest. it was raye. and then, opening his mouth... "[tear]" raye said that! the next thing allen knew... fwoosh¡ª he was flying through the air! swish¡ª swish¡ª swish¡ª and he felt his whole body being cut! "graaaaahhhh!!!" allen screamed in pain! and then... boom!!! he slammed into the wall of a nearby facility! "argh...!!" and the impact caused allen to pass out, shutting him up! thud¡ª his body fell flat onto the ground. then looking down at him from the arena... "i'm not a pure swordsman. i won't be helpless just because i lost my sword." raye said that, wiping dirt off his face! "..." "..." the place fell silent. "huh?" "..." even leon and lena paused their fight for a moment. "..." "..." sofia, lycus, and devin were at a loss for words. and jerusha... "...!" she was too excited but didn't know what to do! "ah!" then finally, snapping out of his stupor... "raye alvah wins!" sariel announced! and with that... "raaaahhhhh!!!" "whooaaaahhhh!!!" cheers erupted from the crowd! the students were ecstatic, adrenaline coursing through their veins! "what the fuck happened at the last part?!!" "i don't know, and i said stop shouting in my ear!!!" they couldn't stop shouting! "yeaaaaahhhh!!!" and jerusha was among them, jumping up and down happily! "..." raye saw her. "heh." he smiled, seeing how happy she was for him. and with that... tap- tap- tap¡ª he started walking toward the edge of the arena. "that was awesome, raye!!!" "you're so cool!!!" the cheers continued as he descended the stairs. and raye, well... "..." he wasn't exactly hating this situation. Chapter 82 82 - Cheers Erupted [2] "i'm back."raye said, calmly walking over to jerusha and the others. and as soon as he got there... "what the heck?! you're a lot stronger than before!" devin exclaimed that. "haha, well... i didn't just laze around in the dungeon, you know." raye responded, smirking. and then... "no, we know that. it's just that you're stronger than we had expected, and by a lot." lycus suddenly followed. "huh?" raye looked at him. "is that so?" he asked. "mhm." devin and lycus just nodded their heads in unison as a response. 'it's probably because of the two enhancement pills that i took.' raye thought to himself. but then, shrugging his shoulders... "meh, who cares?" he just said that and casually sat beside jerusha. 'we care! tell us!' lycus and devin exclaimed internally, dying in curiosity! though... "..." they didn't actually say anything. "congrats on your win." sofia said to raye, smiling sweetly. "thanks." raye simply replied, smiling back. and then, looking to his right... "congratulations! you were so cool out there!" jerusha greeted him, her smile stretching ear to ear like she was the one who had won. "i was cool?" raye asked her, raising a brow. "yup!" and jerusha answered immediately. "haha..." raye smiled, hearing her quick answer. "thanks." he said. and after that... the two continued talking. "i didn't worry that your opponent could use weapon aura because i know you have the blaze." jerusha declared, feeling proud. "you remembered, huh." raye responded, smiling. he thought jerusha was cute. fwip¡ª -... zephyrus then quietly landed on top of raye's head, not wanting to interrupt the conversation between the two. he knew what was going on, and so... -'youth, huh.' read latest stories on empire he just stayed silent and watched the ongoing match. on the other hand... "..." the other three¡ªsofia, devin, and lycus¡ªremained silent. though... their ears perked up, and they kept glancing at the two secretly! ***** meanwhile, back at the test... allen was immediately brought to one of the resting areas. and there... "there's no serious damage, just a few cracked ribs. he'll wake up later." he was healed. allen had a huge cut on his chest, it's not deep so it's not bleeding a lot. his uniform was destroyed, though. he also had small cuts all over his body, like he'd been sliced by knives. but just like the cut on his chest, they weren't deep, so he didn't bleed. raye's [tear] isn't that strong yet. he's not proficient enough in using it. he had really just used it to blow allen out of the arena. though allen's small wounds would sting a lot once he woke up. anyway, on the other arena... "[lightning strike!]" fzzzzt¡ª! lena and leon were still fighting! and lena had just unleashed a fast, lightning spell! "gurgh...!" fwoosh¡ª leon slashed horizontally and parried it... bzzt¡ª "urgh!" sear?h the novel?ire(.)ne*t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. but the lingering lightning still coursed through his body and shocked him! 'if only i could use aura...' leon thought, his body feeling numb! he was paralyzed! and as he was like that... "[skies alight, thunder's call, strike with might¡ª]" lena started chanting! "[thunder storm!]" she exclaimed! fwoosh¡ª and then a huge magic circle appeared above the arena! 'what the hell...?!' leon frowned at the sight of it. he had now recovered from his paralysis. though... fwooozzh¡ª that was when lightning strikes started raining down from the magic circle above, aiming directly at him! "shit!" leon cursed. bam- and then he started darting around the arena to avoid being hit by lightning! zzzzzz¡ªcrack! explosion occurred whenever the lightning hit the floor. and seeing that... 'if one of them struck me, i'm done for!' leon became nervous. fwooozz¡ª swiizz¡ª fzzzh¡ª and that was when three lightning bolts came from above, crashing down at him! "grrgh...!" bam- leon leaped back, avoiding one of them! boom-! it struck the floor and destroyed it! fzzz¡ª but another bolt was coming at leon! he was still in the air... "graaahh!!!" swoosh¡ª so he has no choice but to just swing his sword to block it! crack! the lightning collided with his wooden sword and dissipated! bzzzt¡ª but fragments of it shot directly through leon's body! "urgh!!" leon groaned, he felt his body freeze up! and looking ahead... fwoozzh¡ª he saw the last lightning closing in! 'fucking move!!!' leon exclaimed internally, forcing his body to move! he circulated mana throughout his body, and because of it... "haaaaa!!!" fwish- he broke free from his paralysis faster and managed to turn to the side! boom-! making him successfully dodge the last lightning! but before he could even feel relief... "[heaven's wrath]" he heard lena's voice! she just finished chanting! "?!" leon immediately looked up at the magic circle. and there... fwoozzhhh¡ª!!! he saw a massive pillar of lightning, covering about half the arena, coming down toward him! (the arenas in the academy are 30 meters x 30 meters big.) "wha...?!" "what's that?!" "hey hey hey... wouldn't that kill leon?!" the students screamed, fear evident in their voices. even raye... 'uwahhh... isn't that a bit overkill?' he thought, frowning. not just him¡ªlycus and the others couldn't help but feel sorry for leon too! meanwhile... "..." leon was speechless, staring at the incoming lightning. fwwooozzh¡ª the giant pillar of lightning bolt was just meters away from him now. 'i can't dodge it.' he thought. ever since his match with lena had started, leon had been running around, dodging every one of her spells. he hadn't managed to attack her. he couldn't even get near her! "shit..." leon mumbled. he's exhausted now. the difference between him and lena is just that big. leon knew that he was gonna lose... he's gonna lose... and so... "graaaaaahhhh!!!" leon just decided to follow his guts! 'if i'm gonna lose anyway, i might as well try everything!' he thought, tightly grinding his teeth together! bam! he planted his feet onto the ground! and looking up at the incoming giant lightning bolt... "haaaaaah!!!" swooosh¡ª! leon swung his sword upward with all his might, both hands gripping the hilt tightly! 'i'm going to pour everything i have left into this attack!' leon declared in his head! and then... booooooom¡ª!!! the giant pillar of lightning crashed down on him! fwooosh¡ª! a powerful gust of wind erupted from the impact of lena's magic hitting the ground! "kyaaaa!!!" "urgh...?!" the students shielded their eyes from the flying debris and dust! thud- "ugh!" some of them even fell on their butts as the ground shook violently! bzzt¡ª "ouch! what the fuck?" those closest to the arena were hit by wild lightning fragments scattering from the impact! it was utter chaos! "ugh, she's really strong." raye muttered, blocking the debris with his arm. but he wasn't worried. 'leon is fine, i'm sure.' he thought. raye can confidently declare this because of three reasons... first, lena could control her power¡ªshe wasn't a murderer. second, every student at zion academy received a special artifact ring upon enrollment. it's not just for checking one's stats, it also has a special function that when a life threatening attack hits you... a mana barrier would activate and protect you! it'll lessen the damage you took from the attack by 50%! thus is why the zion academy could do extreme duels like this! and lastly... 'if leon's life were truly in danger, the professors or headmaster would've intervened by now.' raye thought calmly. and after a few moments... swish- "..." the situation calmed down. raye, and everyone else immediately looked up at the arena... "..." the arena began to clear. everyone eagerly watched as the dust clouds faded. and when it finally disappeared... "..." they saw lena standing casually on her side of the arena. "what about leon?!" their gazes shifted to the opposite side. and there... "..." they saw leon, still standing on both feet! "!!!" gasps filled the air as everyone widened their eyes. they were speechless. leon was barely conscious, his legs trembling. the top part of his uniform had been completely destroyed, leaving him topless and exposing his well-toned body. his muscles, a testament to his rigorous training, drew admiration from the onlookers. but when they saw his hands... "huh?" they were surprised. after all... "wait..." "...is that aura?" leon's wooden sword was glowing brightly with golden light¡ªhe had manifested sword aura and blocked lena's spell with it! 'haha, i did it...' leon proudly thought to himself. thud- but then he collapsed face-first onto the ground! 'ugh, i can't move anymore.' leon has no strength left in his body! and looking at him... "i'll finish this now." lena declared that! fwip- she raised her right hand and aimed it at leon. but before she could even start chanting... "times up!" sariel exclaimed that! the five-minute time limit had passed! the match was a draw! and realizing that... "waaahhhh!!!" "woaaaahhhh!!!" "leon survived against lena!!!" the students erupted into cheers, adrenaline surging through their veins once more! "the last two battles were insane!!!" they couldn't stop shouting. leon heard their shouts. "haha... lucky." he weakly mumbled with a smile on his face. and then... "..." he passed out. Chapter 83 83 - Scholarship! after the match..."quick, follow me." "yes, sir!" the healers rushed to leon, immediately beginning their work on him right there in the arena. out of everyone, leon had suffered the gravest injuries. if the fight had taken place outside the academy, he wouldn't have survived. 'as expected of the protagonist, always pulling off something cool at the end.' raye thought, recalling the last moments of leon and lena's match. meanwhile... tap- tap- tap¡ª lena quietly returned to the resting area where raye and the others were waiting. "good work out there." raye greeted her casually. "i didn't even win." lena replied, her tone sharp. but just shrugging his shoulders... "he got lucky, manifesting his aura at the last second. everyone knows you had that match won." raye said that. "that's right." devin followed, looking at lena with a serious expression. "mhm." the others murmured, nodding in agreement. "..." lena's lips curled into a small smile as she glanced at her friends. and then, slightly embarrassed... "thank you." she replied to them. ***** after a while... once leon was healed and both he and allen regained consciousness... tap- tap- tap¡ª the headmaster, bryan blackwood, walked toward the arena where raye had fought earlier. "..." all eyes turned to him, the students falling silent as they watched his measured steps. finally... tap¡ª bryan stopped in the center of the arena. "first of all, i would like to congratulate you all." he declared, his voice enhanced with mana so everyone could hear clearly. "you performed admirably in the physical examination. witnessing your growth in such a short period has been inspiring." bryan added, a proud smile on his face. "..." raye frowned slightly. he noticed that bryan glanced at him when he said that. anyway... "blah blah blah blah¡ª" the headmaster continued talking. but raye didn't listen to him. after all, bryan was just saying pleasantries, praising the students for completing the class re-evaluation. then, after a few minutes... "i will ensure that this time, class placements are fair." bryan stated that firmly. 'finally, it's over.' raye thought, he was about to stand up. but then... "before i dismiss you all, i have one more thing to add." bryan suddenly announced that, halting raye in his tracks. "huh?" raye was confused. and what followed that left him even more surprised! "one student's performance during the physical exam caught my attention." bryan began, a smile playing on his lips. "they've shown remarkable growth¡ªliterally from zero to a hundred." he continued. "he was once a troublemaker, but he's clearly turned things around." bryan then paused, letting the weight of his words settle... "and so, i would like to take this opportunity to commend his hard work with a scholarship." and then he declared that! "?!" the announcement sent shockwaves through the crowd! sear?h the nov§×lf~ire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. after all, at zion academy... a scholarship is a mark of excellence! awarded only to the most talented students like jerusha, lena, and leon! and the students, without even hearing the name, already knew who bryan was referring to! fwish¡ª "..." all their heads turned to one person. and at the end of their collective gaze... "..." raye stood confidently, his calm demeanor unwavering. and as they had expected... "raye alvah, please join me here in the arena." bryan called out to him! ***** (raye's pov) tap- tap- tap¡ª i walked toward the headmaster, my steps steady despite the weight of everyone's stares. their were looking at mr with envy, awe, anger, and more. whispers buzzed around me, but i ignored them, maintaining a composed expression. "..." zephyrus wasn't with me. he was back with jerusha and the others. anyway, not long... tap¡ª i reached the headmaster. i'm standing beside him now. "nice to meet you again." he greeted with a warm tone in his voice. "it's nice to see you well, headmaster." i replied politely, giving him a slight bow. "..." the headmaster just nodded his head in acknowledgment. then, without further delay... "to honor your dedication and remarkable progress, i, bryan blackwood hereby award you a third-tier scholarship." he declared that, handing me a rolled-up certificate! "..." i quickly accepted it, a small grin forming on my lips. "thank you." i said, my voice steady. and then... clap- clap- clap¡ª applause erupted from the crowd! "congratulations!" "you deserve it!" i heard some of them cheering for me. then, i saw professor sariel at the corners of my eyes... "..." he was clapping and smiling while looking at me. professor jacqueline too, and the other professors that i'm under in are doing the same. "..." it made me smile. and when i turned to jerusha and the others... "congrats!!!" "good job!!!" they were cheering wildly, jumping in excitement. and seeing them like that... "haha." a soft chuckle escaped my lips. ***** moments later... as the applause faded, silence settled over the arena once more. i thought it was over¡ªthat the headmaster would finally dismiss us all and i could leave. but then... "raye." he called, drawing my attention again. "what is it?" i asked, slightly nervous. "i have a small favor to ask." the headmaster replied. thump- thump- thump¡ª my heart slightly raced. 'is this the catch? the price for the scholarship?' i wondered. but before my thoughts could spiral further... "can you show us your current stats?" the headmaster requested that. "huh?" his request caught me off guard. "is that all?" i asked. "yes, that's all." the headmaster confirmed. and then, feeling relived... "okay." i replied with a smile on my face. 'i thought it was something serious.' this is no problem for me. after all, it's not like i'm trying to hide my stats. ... ... a few minutes later... the academy staff brought out the artifact used to measure stats and set it up in the arena. the headmaster informed the students they could leave if they wished. but strangely... "..." no one moved. they all stayed, eyes fixed on me. anyway, now... tap¡ª discover more content at empire i'm standing on the platform. it was the same artifact used to measure my stats before. "ready whenever you are." the headmaster said, watching me intently. "..." i gave a brief nod. then, without beating around the house... "status." i muttered that. Chapter 84 84 - A Rabbit Stew Please "Status."Raye calmly muttered. Swoosh¡ª And then his stats were projected up in the air for everyone to see! ===== Name: Raye Alvah Age: 18 Year Level: 1 Race: Human ----- Stamina: 41 Intellect: 45 Mana: 37 Strength: 43 Speed: 44 ----- Overall Grade: E Growth Rate: S+ ===== "..." "..." The whole area went totally silent. The students, the professors... "..." Jerusha and the others were speechless as well. 'What the fuck...?!' Especially Leon, Devin, and Lena! After all, they saw Raye's stats about more than a month ago in the stats screening! And his stat points back then were barely double digits! "What the hell happened to him...?" Leon mumbled to himself. 'He's seriously awesome...' Devin admired in his head. 'He must've really suffered a lot in that mansion dungeon...' And then Lena frowned, thinking that. "Raye..." Jerusha was thinking something along the line as her, so she's feeling a bit sorry for Raye too. "..." Even Lycus is feeling complicated. After all, he knows what happened to Raye to have those stat points! On the other hand... "Haha..." Bryan laughed, looking at Raye's status window up in the air. 'His growth is out of this world!' He exclaimed internally. S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. And then, looking at Raye again... "You can close it now." He said that. "Okay." Raye replied. Fwip- And then he immediately closed his status window! "You've really grown a lot, good job." Bryan praised Raye, patting his shoulders. "Thank you, Headmaster." Raye replied. And on this day... Raye earned the nickname, [The Risen Phoenix]! ... ***** After that, Bryan dismissed everyone and the physical examination ended... "See you guys." Raye said. He was in front of Xapham Hall with the others. "See you." "Later." "See you tomorrow!" Jerusha and the others replied to him. And after that... Tap- tap- tap¡ª They separated ways. 'I need to train more.' Devin thought as he walks away with a serious expression. "..." Lycus was thinking the same. Raye's stats were still in their minds. And even though Lycus has higher stats than Raye... 'I'm not sure I'll be able to win against him.' He thought. ... ... On his way to the cabin... "I wonder what did the old man cook for lunch." Raye mumbled. It's only about 2 PM. -Hmm, a roasted deer meat would be nice. Zephyrus said, rested on top of Raye's head. "You already had that yesterday." Raye said. -So what? It's delicious. And then Zephyrus responded. "Hmm, fair." Raye muttered. "Well, I hope it's a rabbit stew." Then he added. Anyway, the two of them are hungry now. And so... Swoosh¡ª Raye covered his legs with gusts of wind. Bam- SWISH¡ª And then he started dashing in a hurry! 'A third-tier scholarship, huh.' Raye thought as he runs. This tier of scholarship just pays for his tuition and nothing else. But for Raye... 'It's everything that I need!' He declared in his head with a smile on his face. SWOOSH¡ª Then he started running faster! ***** Not too long after... Tap¡ª "We're home." -Hello. Raye and Zephyrus arrived in the cabin. Though... "..." Nobody greeted them. "Hmm?" Raye looked around... Nothing. "Old Man!" He called. "..." But there were no response. "Pyro?!" "..." Still nothing. -Wait, let me check. Zephyrus said. Fwish¡ª And then he flew around a cabin! He was fast so it only took him seconds to check every nook of it and room. Though, when he came back to Raye... -... Zephyrus just shook his head with a slight frown on his face. 'What the fuck?' This is when Raye started to worry. Old Man Rey doesn't hunt in this time around, after all. Thump- thump- thump¡ª His heart was beating faster than it ever did. He tried to think positively that maybe the Old Man and Pyro just went somewhere for a while... But his mind was still in shambles! And then... -Meeep! "?!" He heard a familiar chirping. Explore new worlds at empire It was so weak, it's from somewhere pretty far. That if he has no connection from it... Raye wouldn't have been able to hear it! 'It's Pyro!' Raye thought. Bam- Swoosh¡ª And then he immediately rushed to where he heard it! -?! Zephyrus was surprised by his sudden movement. -... FWOOSH¡ª But he decided to follow after him! ... ... Raye was running just outside the Northern Forest, at the entrance. 'I can feel Pyro's presence here!' He thought. He's now actually near the river where he always bathes. SWOOSH¡ª Raye was running very fast, he was faster than a cheetah right now. FWISH¡ª -... Zephyrus was calmly following after him. Raye was frowning, looking around while he runs. And then... "?!" He saw something far away! Figures of something big and a human! Raye can also see something bright flying between them! "It's Pyro!" Raye exclaimed! -!!! Zephyrus saw it two! And with that... BAM¡ª! SWOOSH¡ª Raye took a big leap toward the figures! And upon getting near them... "?!" -!! Raye and Zephyrus saw Old Man Rey butt-first on the ground! And in front of him... -Grrr... Is a mutated bear towering over 3 meters tall! -GRAAAAAHHH!!! The bear roared, trying to attack the Old Man! And seeing that... Swoosh- Raye immediately imbued mana in the [Celestria]! Fwish- It transformed into an elegant, white sword! "[Flash]" Then Raye activated a skill! SWISH¡ª He disappeared... Fwish- And reappeared in front of the bear! Then with an angry expression on his face... SWOOSH¡ª Raye swiftly slashed horizontally! But just before his sword touched the bear... "[Blaze!]" Raye activated another skill! FWISH¡ª! And he cut the bear's neck with his flaming sword! Tap- "..." Raye softly landed on the ground... -... The bear was silent. But after a few moments... SPLASH¡ª Blood gushed out of its next neck! Thud- Then its head was decapitated from its body! And following that... Boom! The bear's headless body fell on the ground! It's dead, of course. Fwip- Raye then turned around and looked at the Old Man. "..." Old Man Rey was looking back at him. "Brat..." He mumbled, it was evident from his face and voice that he was still in shock. Fortunately, Raye saw no wound on his body or whatsoever. So after seeing him safe... "Haaaaa..." Raye let out a relieved sigh. Thud- Then he fell butt-first on the ground too. 'I'm glad he's safe.' Raye thought, looking up in the sky. Then he looked at Old Man Rey again... "Old Man." Raye called. "Huh? What?" Still in stupor, the old man asked. And then opening his mouth... "I got a scholarship, let's eat rabbit stew." Raye declared that. Hearing his words... "?!" Old Man Rey snapped out of his stupor. "Bah! I don't have rabbit meat left!" He exclaimed with a fake frown on his face. "Haha, let's catch one on our way back then." Raye laughed seeing him back to his normal self now. Chapter 85 85 - The Results -Hmm, that was the fastest flash step I've seen you do.Zephyrus said, flying toward Raye and the Old Man. "Well, I was panicking..." Raye awkwardly responded. And after that... "Thanks." Old Man Rey approached and suddenly said that! "..." Raye looked at the Old Man. Then while smiling... "Meh, it's nothing." He just shrugged and replied. Though, he's really glad Old Man Rey was safe. Anyway... -Meep! Raye heard Pyro. "Hmm?" But he can't see any slime around. 'Where is he?' S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Raye asked in his head, looking around. And then... -Up here, Human. Zephyrus spoke. "Huh?" Raye looked up at him. And there... "?!" He saw Pyro flying beside Zephyrus! "Wha...?" Raye was surprised seeing him. After all, Pyro is not a slime anymore! His whole body is now made of fire! And Raye immediately know that Pyro had evolved now! "Ah yeah, he turned like that just a while ago after he woke up." Old Man Rey casually said. -Meep meep meep! And then Pyro chirped as he happily and proudly flew around Raye. Looking at him... "Haha, congrats Pyro!" Raye said that, feeling proud amd happy for Pyro. -Meep! ***** Anyway, not long after... Raye, Old Man Rey, Zephyrus, and Pyro started heading back to the cabin. On their way back... The Old Man started telling Raye what happened. Apparently, after Pyro evolved... He woke up feeling hungry. Old Man Rey knows that he feeds on Raye's mana. But because Raye wasn't there... He decided to catch fish from the nearby river to feed Pyro. Every living being has mana residing within them, so the old man figured that feeding Pyro a live fish might lessen his hunger. This actually works, but the spirits would be hungry again just a few minutes later. Anyway, with that... Old Man Rey and Pyro headed to the nearby river. But when they got there... They saw the mutated bear catching a bunch of fish with its bare hands! (Not pun intended.) Its eyes landed on them... And then the mutated bear started chasing The Old Man! Old Man Rey, only having a fishing rod with him, tried his best to run away! But after a while... He tripped and fell on the ground! The bear reached him not long after, and it tried charging at him! Though... Pyro fought it off for a while, protecting The Old Man! He started firing a bunch of fire arrows to the mutated bear! But because he's low on mana... Pyro's attacks didn't do much damage! And his mana hit rock bottom only after about 10 shots! Luckily... Raye appeared at that moment and killed the bear in a flash! "Hmm, so I was just on time, huh." Raye mumbled after hearing the whole story. Enjoy new tales from empire Swoosh¡ª Then he started imbuing mana to Pyro. -Meep! Pyro is rested on top of his right shoulder. 'It's amazing how he doesn't burn anything he touches, even though he's literally made of fire.' Raye thought, looking at him. Anyway... "Yeah, I thought I was gonna die. I should've bought my spear or even the bow." The Old Man replied to Raye. "Start bringing at least a machete or an axe with you all of the time in case something like this happens again." Raye said. And seeing how worried he is... "Okay." Old Man Rey simply agreed. This made Raye sigh in relief. But then... "..." Tap- tap- tap¡ª He suddenly looked up in the sky and frowned. 'The serious part of the story is starting, I need to get ready.' And then he thought of that! Raye's face was all serious, and nervousness was filling up his body! Everything that has happened until now... It's all just the beginning! The easy part of the game! -Old Man, what did you cook for lunch? "Roasted deer meat." -Sweet! ***** Raye and the others got back in the cabin not long after. They also hunted 3 rabbits on their way back. With Raye's speed, it was a piece of cake. Anyway, Old Man Rey made a rabbit stew with it. And after that... "Let's eat." "Thanks for the food." -I want that part of the roasted deer meat! -Meep! The four of them ate lunch together. ... ... After that... Raye's day continued normally. He just rested and only trained the sword techniques Ivan taught him for a bit. He's still worried about the upcoming game scenarios, but Raye can't do anything about it right now, so he didn't dwell on it. And so like that... The day ended. ***** The next day... Raye, Lena, Devin, Lycus, and Sofia all came to watch the second part of the sophomores' physical examination. Zephyrus and Pyro were with them. They all came to cheer for Jerusha... "Wow! Pyro evolved!" Jerusha exclaimed, seeing the flying flame around Raye. She was so excited about it. -Meep! Pyro proudly chirped, circling around Raye. 'Cute.' And then Lena thought of that, looking at him. "He's not a smile anymore, huh." Devin mumbled to himself. "Still small and cute though." Then Lycus followed. "..." Sofia was just following Pyro with her eyes, she was shaking... She wants to grab Pyro and pinch his cheeks! 'No, that'd be rude, I need to control myself.' Sofia thought. And just then... "Jerusha Amethyst." Sariel called for Jerusha. And without beating around the bush... "I'll be right back!" Jerusha stood up and exclaimed that. "Good luck!" Raye and the others responded to her. And not long, Jerusha's match started! Though... BOOM¡ª! She won her fight easily, ending it the second it started! 'Bruh.' Raye was feeling sorry for her opponent. ***** "Bye, see you all later!" Everyone separated after the sophomores' physical examination ended. Raye immediately headed back to the cabin. He ate with the old man and trained all day. Nothing much really happened... And so does in the next two days! Raye has no interest in watching the Tertiaries' Class Re-evaluation Exams.. There are important characters in that year... But he doesn't really care. 'They're important to the story, not to me.' Raye thought. So for two days... He was focused on training, studying, repairing the cabin, and helping Old Man Rey with the chores. Raye also continued his private learning sessions about spirit magic with Jerusha in the Northern Forest. And just like that... Sunday arrived. And the result of the Class Re-evaluation Exam came out. ***** "..." Raye is currently at the entrance of Xapham Hall. "Ugh, I'm so nervous..." "I wonder what class I got this time." "I bet I got high results!" He's hearing murmurs all around from the students. The area was packed with people. So... "..." Raye just stood at the back, away from the crowd. He's waiting for the number of people to go down. -Want me to just fly over there and see what you got? Zephyrus asked, sitting on top of his head. "No." And Raye immediately replied. "Don't take the excitement out of it, I want to see it myself." He added. -'Humans are really weird sometimes.' Zephyrus thought, hearing his response. -Meep meep! Pyro was just flying around, he's clearly having a lot more fun ever since he got the ability to fly. Moving on... "..." As Raye was silently waiting for the crowd to dwindle in number. "Yo!" Devin spotted him. "Oh, hello." Raye greeted. "You've seen what class you're in?" And then Devin asked, approaching him. "Not yet, I don't want to squeeze in the crowd." Raye said. "How about you?" Then he asked back. "I haven't seen mine yet either, I just got here." Devin said, looking at the crowd. "Mind if I wait here with you?" He asked. "You don't need to ask me, feel free to." Raye replied with a shrug. "Sweet." And with that, the two of them silently waited for the other students to leave. They're not in a hurry, after all. ***** Raye and Devin waited for a while... "Hi guys!" "Hello." Lycus and Sofia joined them later too. They didn't see Jerusha nor Lena around. But that's not really a surprise to them... After all, those two are certainly in the [S Class]! No need to check. Even Leon and Allen are not here, that's how confident they are! And so... 'Why is Raye here?' Sofia, Lycus, and Devin are wondering about that! For someone who did well in the Class Re-evaluation Exams, defeated an [S Class] student, and received a scholarship directly from the headmaster... Isn't it obvious that Raye would be in [S Class] now?! Though... "..." The three didn't say anything about it. And not long after... "Finally." The number of students in the area decreased significantly. With that... Tap- tap- tap¡ª Raye and the others casually walked to the front. "..." "..." The students went quiet, looking at them. Tap¡ª Raye stopped in front of a large billboard displaying the Class Re-evaluation results. And there... "..." He began searching for his name. And not long after... "There." He found it at the very top of the billboard. ===== {Freshman Ranking} 1. [Raye Alvah - S Class] Written Examination Rank: 2/1047 Physical Examination Rank: 1/1047 2. [Lena Dravenhart - S Class] Written Examination Rank: 1/1047 Physical Examination Rank: 2/1047 3. [Leon Lightbringer - S Class] 4. [Allen Iverson - S Class] 5. [Lycus Fenrath - S Class] ===== Chapter 86 86 - Worries ====={Freshman Ranking} 1. [Raye Alvah - S Class] Written Examination Rank: 2/1047 Physical Examination Rank: 1/1047 2. [Lena Dravenhart - S Class] Written Examination Rank: 1/1047 Physical Examination Rank: 2/1047 3. [Leon Lightbringer - S Class] 4. [Allen Iverson - S Class] 5. [Lycus Fenrath - S Class] ===== "..." Lycus, Devin, and Sofia were silent, staring at Raye's name at the very top of the ranking. They had expected it, but it was still shocking nonetheless! 'He's really awesome.' They all thought in unison. On the other hand... "..." Raye was silent as well. Though... 'Haha, I made it.' He had a huge grin on his face! Of course, he already knew he'd be in [S Class]¡ªhe defeated someone from that class! And he was one of the few who took academics seriously. Most freshmen focused on raising their fighting abilities, after all. So as soon as he defeated Allen, Raye already knew what was coming! He just wanted to see it himself... "..." The fruit of his hardships. ***** Raye and the others immediately left the area after checking their class placements. Lycus was in the same class as Raye, [S Class]. Devin got into [A Class], while Sofia remained in [B Class]. After that... Devin headed to one of the outdoor training grounds. "Wait for me in the [S Class]." He said with a smirk before separating from the others. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Lycus and Sofia went off to eat somewhere together¡ªthey wanted to celebrate Lycus's achievement of making it into [S Class]. "See you, Raye." "Later." Sofia and Lycus said before leaving. Raye just waved them goodbye. And now... -Where are we headed? -Meep? Raye was left alone with Zephyrus and Pyro. "Hmm..." He thought to himself for a moment. Then... "I'll go to the library. You two can head back to the cabin." Raye said that. -You sure? -Meep? Zephyrus and Pyro asked. "Mhm." Raye nodded his head. Your next chapter awaits on empire "Take care of The Old Man for me." He added. -Hmm, okay. -Meep! Zephyrus and Pyro replied. And after that... FWOOSH¡ª SWISH¡ª They flew away, heading back to the cabin. -You're slow, Pyro! -MEEEEEEP! Raye just watched them. And when they disappeared from his sight... "..." Tap- tap- tap¡ª Raye headed to the library. 'I need to get ready.' He thought, his face was all serious. ***** [Brave Hearts], the game where Raye was transmigrated into. The fight between the protagonist and the original Raye at the beginning was merely considered a tutorial stage. But that wasn't all¡ªthe entire freshman year of the protagonist in the game... It was the easiest part of the game! The real challenges began when the protagonist became a sophomore! It was pretty obvious, to be honest. There were only two Acts in the game so far, and everything took place entirely within the academy! Also, why do you think everyone had an artifact that protected the wearer from life-threatening attacks by summoning a magic barrier and reducing damage by 50%? The freshman year focused on completing side quests and strengthening the main characters. No real villains had even appeared yet! So far, the only enemies introduced for Leon were Raye, a perverted sophomore, and students from the lower classes! Anyway... 'There are less than five months left in the second semester.' Raye thought, reading a book about magic engineering. 'And after that, hell will open... literally.' He added, frowning. Raye now had enough money to live a leisurely and normal life for a few years. He could leave the academy, start a small business, and be well off for the rest of his life! The only reason he hadn't left yet wasn't because he wanted to finish his studies... But because the academy was actually one of the safest places in the world for him! 'In the game, when the demons started their move, a lot of cities and places were destroyed in a matter of days.' But the Zion Academy... 'It remained standing until the end of the game.' In short, Raye concluded that staying here would be much safer than going out! Though... This was the place where the story would unfold. And so... 'I need to get much stronger than I already am.' Raye declared in his head. ***** Raye read for hours until it started getting dark outside. He headed back to the cabin around 7 PM. he ate dinner with Old Man Rey and the others. After that... Raye began training his spells and swordsmanship. And then, around 9 PM... Jerusha arrived all excited. "Congratulations on getting into [S Class]!" She said with a bright smile. "Thanks." Raye replied. And then they immediately started their private lessons on spirit magic! ... ... 'Ahhh, I'm tired.' Raye thought, lying on his bed. Zephyrus and Pyro were now sleeping¡ªit was already 11 PM, after all. Anyway... Raye was still thinking about the scenarios that would unfold once he became a sophomore. He felt worried and a bit nervous, to be honest. "..." But he just closed his eyes. 'All I need to do is survive. The main characters will handle the rest.' Raye thought. 'Instead, I should focus on what's coming tomorrow.' And then added. After all... Tomorrow would be Raye's first day as an [S Class]! ***** The next day... Raye woke up early and started chopping wood logs. Old Man Rey came out of the cabin later and began preparing breakfast. Zephyrus and Pyro got up not long after. And with that, the three of them had breakfast. Following that... Old Man Rey and Raye hunted in the Northern Forest as usual! They also checked the traps set up by the Old Man, returning to the cabin after a couple of hours with a wild boar and a deer! They caught another deer but let it go as it was still a fawn. Anyway... Raye then took a bath after returning, donned his best uniform... And around 9 AM... "I'm off." He left for the academy! Zephyrus and Pyro stayed behind at the cabin. ... ... And currently... "..." Raye was standing in front of a door. It had a gold plate attached to it that read [S Class]. "Fuuuu..." Raye took a deep breath. And then, with a poker face... 'Here goes nothing.' CREAK¡ª Tap¡ª Raye entered the room. Chapter 87 87 - Focused Tap¡ªEveryone's eyes turned toward Raye as soon as he entered the room. "..." The room fell uncomfortably silent. 'Uwahhh, am I that famous?' Raye thought, keeping a straight face. He began subtly looking around. There were only 10 students in the [S Class], but the room was absurdly spacious. The seats were arranged in two vertical rows¡ªfive chairs on the right and five on the left. And as Raye quietly observed his surroundings... "Hm?" He noticed Allen glaring at him from the back-left seat of the class. "..." Raye just ignored him. Then his eyes landed on Leon, sitting in his usual spot¡ªthe protagonist's canonical seat¡ªat the back-right, beside the window. Leon seemed uninterested, gazing outside. 'It's a canon event, huh.' Raye mused. "Oh." And then he spotted Lena and Lycus seated in the second row! Lena on the right, Lycus on the left. There was an empty seat behind Lycus. And seeing that... "..." Raye smiled. Tap- tap- tap¡ª Raye walked over and sat in the empty chair behind Lycus. "..." The other five students, who had no connection to Raye, continued to stare at him with curiosity. 'This is uncomfortable.' Raye thought, but he paid them no attention to them. Instead... "How did your date with Sofia go yesterday?" He asked Lycus that. "Wha...?!" Lycus nearly jumped out of his seat in surprise. The question was super sudden, it caught him off guard! "Oh?" Lena's ears perked up in curiosity¡ªshe was sitting just right beside Lycus, after all. And just like that, Raye and Lena cornered Lycus into spilling the details of his day with Sofia. ... ***** A few minutes later... Creak¡ª The classroom door opened. Tap¡ª Then entered a tall man in a military-style uniform! "..." Everyone's attention shifted to him. He had a clean-cut hairstyle, onyx-black eyes, and visible scars scattered across his exposed skin. A massive cigar hung from his mouth. 'He's got such a strong presence.' Raye thought, recognizing the man immediately. It was Ramiel Hale, the head professor of [S Class]! In the game... Ramiel was a support character who helped the protagonist and other main characters grow stronger¡ªjust like Sariel! The only difference was that Sariel focused on magic, academics, and strategic advice, while Ramiel's approach was brute force and relentless physical training! Anyway... Tap¡ª Ramiel stopped in front of the class. His sheer presence was intimidating. "..." The room remained silent. "Hmm." Ramiel then glanced at Lycus and Raye. "Two got replaced, huh." He remarked with a smirk. Then, without further pleasantries, he opened his mouth again... "My name is Ramiel Hale. That's all you need to know." He introduced himself with zero enthusiasm. And following that... "Everyone, stand up and follow me to the training grounds!" S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. He instructed with a mana-enhanced voice! "Ugh..." Raye and Lycus cringed, wincing from the deafening command! And as they were like that... Tap- tap- tap¡ª Creak¡ª THUD¡ª! Ramiel exited the room without another word! "Bruhhh..." "Again?" "Seriously, that guy...!" The other students began grumbling, clearly expecting this. For them, it was routine. They all stood up and started heading out one by one! "..." Raye and Lycus exchanged glances, sighing internally. And then, at the end, they followed the rest of the class. Lena walked with them, ensuring they wouldn't be left behind. 'I hate this already.' Raye thought on the way. ... ***** Inside one of Xapham Hall's indoor training grounds... "The headmaster told me to take it easy on the first day." Ramiel said that, his lips curling into a villainous smile. "But I don't do things like that!" He exclaimed. "Ugh..." The students groaned collectively. "..." Raye, Lena, Lycus, Allen, and Leon frowned but remained silent. And Ramiel... He just ignored their reactions and continued! "Today's training will be simple." He declared. And then after a pause... "I want all of you to run one¡ªno, two hundred laps around this area. Easy, right?" Ramiel added that! And without giving them any time to process his words... "No using mana, of course." He followed! "..." The students were too stunned to respond. The indoor training grounds were enormous¡ª80 meters by 70 meters. Two hundred laps in it would mean running roughly 60 kilometers! And without using mana, on top of that! "Okay, stand up and start!" Ramiel commanded with unrelenting authority. "..." No one moved at first, still hoping this was just some kind of twisted joke... But Ramiel's next words shattered that hope. "If I catch anyone slacking off, I'll add another hundred laps¡ªnot for them, but for everyone!" "Ugh..." The groans grew louder, but no one dared to argue. "And if I catch you using mana, the same punishment applies. So don't even try it!" Ramiel then continued, clearly having fun being the head professor. ... ***** "Ugh..." Raye groaned, collapsing onto his bed without even bothering to change out of his uniform. Outside, Old Man Rey, Zephyrus, and Pyro were busy preparing lunch. Anyway, staring at the ceiling... "He's such a jerk." Raye muttered that, referring to Ramiel. Ramiel had always been like that in the game, but watching from behind a screen hadn't prepared Raye for how grueling the training would be in real life. 'Though, I really need his training.' Raye admitted to himself. He couldn't afford to slack off now¡ªnot with the harder scenarios looming just around the corner. And so, with a determined look in his eyes... 'I need to endure this.' He resolved. Raye had made up his mind... He would focus entirely on growing stronger for now. "Brat, let's eat!" "Oh." Old Man Rey then called for Raye. "Wait a minute!" Raye exclaimed back. "Ugh..." He then forced his aching body to stand up! Raye changed to his casual clothes. And after that... "What's for dinner?" "Rabbit Stew." He ate with the old man and the others. ... ***** The next day... Raye returned to the academy. He endured Ramiel's absurd training once again! And after that, he attended his other classes... Then spent hours studying in the library! And believe it or not... Raye trained by himself when he got back to the cabin, too! (Sheesh, you need to rest...) But as Raye had said the previous night, he had no time to laze around. He needed to do everything he could to grow stronger. He understood the gravity of what was about to come. And so, this became Raye's routine: He trained under Ramiel at the academy, improving his physical stats. He studied with Lena in the library, sharpening his intelligence. He trained alone back at the cabin... And he practiced spirit magic under Jerusha's guidance! He also trains his proficiency with the skills he made together with Pyro and Zephyrus! All this while keeping up with his chores at the cabin, attending his other classes, and assisting the Old Man! (Talk about being busy...) And just like that... ... ... ... ... ... Five months had passed. Chapter 88 88 - Brawl [1] [Act II : The Clash of Classes] was the last important scenario during the freshman year.And so, for five months... Leon and the other main characters just ran around completing subquests and raising their stats. Meanwhile... Raye stayed focused on his training and studies, steadily raising his stats in the background without involving himself with the main characters! And now, at this very moment¡ª TINGG¡ª! Raye was locked in combat with Lycus and Devin in the Northern Forest! ***** Every day around 7 PM... Raye, Lycus, and Devin meet in the Northern Forest for a free-for-all brawl. What for? For training, of course! "Hmm, your new gauntlets look sturdy." Raye commented, eyeing Devin's gear. "Yeah, they suit you." Lycus then followed. They had paused their fighting for a break and were now sitting together on a fallen tree trunk, with Raye in the middle. Anyway... "Right? It's made of condensed steel!" Devin proudly responded. "There are also crystals embedded in the knuckles that are excellent magic conductors, so I can still imbue my attacks with spells." And then he added an explanation. "It was expensive, but worth every coin!" Devin looked extremely pleased with his gauntlets. And seeing him like that... "Hmm..." Lycus became a bit jealous, glancing down at his battered daggers. Lycus uses dual daggers to fight. "Maybe I should get custom weapons too." He mumbled. "Oh, I know a great blacksmith! I'll introduce you." Devin offered enthusiastically, hearing his voice. Then, out of nowhere¡ª "Should I get something too?" Raye asked that. Lycus and Devin turned to him, their expressions instantly souring. "...?" "What?" Raye questioned, confused by their reactions. And then, pissed... "Look at your fucking weapons!" Devin shouted, pointing at the two swords beside Raye! On Raye's left was the elegant and flashy white sword, a blade as sharp as it was ornate! It was the [Celestria]! Then on his right was the intimidating black sword, a sturdy, no-nonsense sword that radiated power! It was Ivan's sword¡ªor, as Raye named it, the [Nyx]! Lycus and Devin had spent the past five months clashing against these swords, and not once had they seen a dent on their blades! That's why they know that these swords are no ordinary weapons! "Why would you even need a custom sword when you already have those?" Lycus asked, gesturing toward Raye's swords. And then with a frown on his face... "It doesn't have to be a weapon, dumbasses!" Raye retorted loudly, scowling at the two. "I meant a custom light-armor!" "Ohhhh..." "Ahhhh..." The two responded awkwardly, finally understanding. "I'll recommend you to a great armor smith then!" Devin said with a big smile on his face. And then looking at his grin... 'Devin's stupidity is getting into Lycus. This is bad.' Raye thought of that, kinda scared that Devin might infect him too. But then, suddenly¡ª "Oh, I've been meaning to ask... But aren't you in the magic course, why do you fight mostly in melee?" Devin suddenly asked that, changing the topic. "I fight in close quarters too, but that's because of my situation. I can't emit magic, after all." "But you're different¡ªyou straight-up rush at your opponent even though you're supposed to be a mage." Devin added. "Right... I almost forgot that Raye is in the magic course." Lycus then muttered, now looking at Raye curiously. "..." Raye paused for a moment. And then, casually... "Just because." He answered that. "Haah?!" Devin looked at him, clearly unsatisfied with his vague response. 'I can't really just say that I'm not the real Raye who enrolled in the magic course, but someone else who's more confident in close combat.' Raye thought, choosing to ignore Devin's frustration. ***** Anyway, after resting for a few minutes... Lycus, Devin, and Raye decided to have a go again at the free for all brawl. "..." Raye took a stance a few tens of meters away from Devin and Lycus. [Celestria] was on his left hand, and [Nyx] was on his right. Raye looked at the two... But they're looking at each other. And seeing this... "Ugh..." Raye frowned. Because this means... 'They're gonna team up against me!' Raye exclaimed in his head. This is how it usually happens when the three of them fight, because of their odd count... One is forced to take on two people at once! Earlier, Devin and Raye teamed up against Lycus. 'So now it's my turn, huh.' Raye thought. And just as he expected, as soon as they started... BAM-! SWOOSH¡ª Lycus and Devin immediately rushed at him! "..." Raye remained calm, looking at them. Tap- Lycus reached him first! Swish¡ª Lycus swiftly swung his dagger at Raye, aiming at his face! "...!" Fwish- Raye turned his head to the side and avoided it. SWOOSH¡ª And then he swung [Nyx] diagonally upward as a counterattack! TING¡ª Lycus blocked his sword with the dagger in his left hand! Fwish¡ª Then Devin suddenly appeared on his left side! "Hup!" FWOOSH¡ª Devin quickly threw a powerful right straight at Raye! CLANK¡ª S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. And Raye intercepted it with [Celestria]! Though, as both his weapons were occupied¡ª Swoosh¡ª Lycus struck again with his right dagger! FWISH¡ª While Devin aimed another punch with his left! "Urgh...!" Bam- Raye groaned as he leapt back to create some distance from the two! And as he was in midair¡ª Fwosh- Raye let go of the [Celestria] for a split second... Fwip- "[Bang]- [Bang]¡ª" And then he fired two quick shots at Devin and Lycus! Fwip¡ª And immediately caught [Celestria] again! "Huh?!" Psh- Devin crossed his arms and blocked the attack with his gauntlets. "...?!" Swish¡ª Lycus decided to avoid it. But as that was happening¡ª Tap- Raye landed softly on the ground... BAM¡ª! And he immediately kicked off and launched himself toward Devin! Then gripping both swords tightly¡ª SWOOOOSH¡ª! Raye slashed his blades horizontally from right to left! CLANG¡ª! His blades collided with Devin's gauntlet! "URGH?!" Devin groaned in surprise. "GRAAAHHH!!!" FWOOSH¡ª And then he was flung away! "You stay there for a bit." Raye smirked and said that! Chapter 89 89 - Brawl [2] After blasting Devin away..."You stay there for a bit." Raye smirked and muttered that. Fwish- "?!" But then he felt a sudden cold air on his nape! 'An attack from behind!' Raye thought. Swish- Raye turned to look back.... "?!" And he saw Lycus up in the air, both his daggers were aiming at him! "Urgh!" Swish- Raye forcibly raised [Nyx]... TAANG¡ª! And he just made it on time to block Lycus' attack! Fwosh- Raye then immediately thrust [Celestria] forward, aiming at Lycus stomach! But calmly... Swish¡ª Lycus just twisted his body to his right! Fwoo¡ª Making Raye hit nothing but the air! And taking advantage of the momentum of his spin.. SLASH¡ª! Lycus went and slashed Raye's left forearm! "Keuk...?!" Raye groaned in pain. But following that... FWISH¡ª He swiftly spun his whole body to the right! SWOOSH¡ª And swung [Nyx] with all his might horizontally! "...?!" Lycus was surprised by the immediate counter! Fwip- He crossed his daggers in front of him, and with it... CLANK¡ª! He received Raye's sword! Though... "HAAAA!!!" Raye put a lot of force behind his attack and combined it with his spinning momentum! "Urgh...?!" Fwiiiish¡ª Lycus was pushed and skidded back along with Raye's sword! But at that moment... Bam- Devin reappeared on Raye's left side! "HAAAAHHH!!!" And he launched a heavy right hook! 'Let me rest!' Raye exclaimed in his head, frustrated. CLANG¡ª! And then he blocked Devin's right fist with [Celestria]! "Ugh..fuck..." Raye frowned as he felt his left arm tingle in pain! BAM-! And then he launched a side kick at Lycus! "?!" Lycus was able to cross his arms in time to shield himself, but he was pushed back! Then with his right hand finally free... FWOOSH¡ª Raye thrust [Nyx] to the left, toward Devin's head! "Oh shit!" Devin exclaimed in surprise. Fwish- He turned his head to the side and avoided the attack. Though, as his focus was on Raye's blade... Fwip- "Huh?" Raye let go of [Celestria] and grabbed his right hand! Fwish- "?!" Raye pulled Devin close to him... BAAM-! And then he kneed Devin in the stomach with his right knee! "Gargh...!" Devin felt the air leave his body. But Raye wasn't done yet. Bam¡ª "Keuk?!" He struck Devin's throat with his right forearm! Thud¡ª The two of them fell to the ground. Then, while pressing Devin down with his weight... Fwish- Raye pointed the tip of [Nyx] at Devin's neck! "..." Devin, his eyes wide, stared at the blade in front of him. "Haaa..." And then with a sigh... "I give up." He declared that! "Heh." Raye let out a laugh and smirked. "I give up too." And then he said that too! Hearing his words... "Nice, I win." Lycus said that! He was standing behind Raye, his dagger was aimed at the back of Raye's head! Fwip- Lycus retrieved his weapon. And following that... "Hup." Raye and Devin stood up from the ground. "You guys are jerks." Raye said, dusting off his clothes. Then, with smug smiles on their faces... "What do you mean?" Devin and Lycus just shrugged. "Ugh, fuck you guys." Raye grumbled as he picked up [Celestria]. Swish- He absorbed his remaining mana imbued in it. And in doing so... Swoosh- The [Celestria] turned back into a ring. Raye wore it in his ring finger, left hand. Meanwhile... "..." Lycus and Devin are just looking at his ring, all jealous. 'Should I raid a dungeon?' They thought in unison. 'Nah.' But they immediately shook their heads after remembering what happened to Raye. ***** The three doesn't use much skills and magic when they're sparring. This is because they want to train their techniques and proficiency with their weapons. They don't want to rely on their skills too much. After all, they can't use it infinitely. Moving on... After their free for all fight just now... "..." Raye, Lycus, and Devin started meditating. Raye had told them months ago that he uses this method to increase his mana sensitivity. And upon hearing that... The two volunteered to join him. Now, this is what they do after their training. "..." Anyway, as they have their eyes closed... -Meep! Pyro appeared and chirped. "Hmm?" Raye immediately opened his eyes and looked at him. "Is it time?" He asked. -Meep! And Pyro replied, nodding his head. "Fuuu..." Raye stood up. Then, looking at Lycus and Devin who have their eyes closed... "Dinner's ready, let's join the old man." Raye said that. "Huh?" "Oh, okay." The two quickly opened their eyes. And after that... They all headed back to the cabin! Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. This also became a routine too. Devin and Lycus eat dinner with Raye and the old man after training because they're always so hungry by the time they finish. But because they don't want to trouble Old Man Rey... Lycus hunts his own food and gives the rest to the old man. Devin, on the other hand, brings spices from the shop and other necessary ingredients! Old Man Rey said they didn't need to do those... But the two insisted. They'll feel guilty eating for free, after all. ***** Getting back to the cabin... "Oh, you're all here. Let's eat." Old Man Rey greeted the four. -Meep! Pyro quickly flew beside Zephyrus. -That's your portion. Zephyrus said that, pointing at the plate with a big roasted deer meat. (His portion was slightly bigger that Pyro's though.) Anyway... Zephyrus evolved a few weeks ago, he now looks like a small chicken. "Thanks for the food!" "Thank you, Old Man." "Thanks, Mister Rey." Devin, Raye, and Lycus sat down on the table. And with that... The six of them ate dinner together. "Jerusha's not here today, huh." Devin said, taking a bite of the roasted beef in front of him. "It's not like she lives here." Raye casually replied, taking a bowlful of rabbit stew for himself. "She doesn't live here?" And then Lycus asked, genuinely shocked. He's confused! After all, Jerusha was always here in the cabin! She's actually the one that usually calls the three for dinner, not Pyro! "..." Raye looked at Lycus with a frown on his face. He can't believe that Lycus thought Jerusha lives in the cabin with him and the Old Man. Old Man Rey laughed a little, hearing Lycus. Anyway, shaking his head... "She's at the local orphanage, visiting the nuns and the children there." Raye mumbled that. Jerusha informed him and Old Man Rey of this before hand. "Ohh.." "Mhm..." Devin and Lycus nodded their heads, hearing Raye's words. And after that, they all just continued eating. Chapter 90 90 - At The Orphanage [1] The next day...Raye woke up early and began doing all his morning chores. "You're always early..." Old Man Rey came out of the cabin about an hour later, still yawning. "What do you want for breakfast?" Old Man Rey asked. And then, with a shrug... "Don't know. Anything's fine." Raye answered. THUCK¡ª! He continued chopping logs after that. "Hmm, okay." The Old Man sleepily nodded at Raye's words. Then he started preparing breakfast. "Light a fire for me." "[Ignite]" Swaaaa¡ª ***** After breakfast... Raye started heading to the library. He left Zephyrus and Pyro at the cabin to accompany Old Man Rey to the Northern Forest later. Raye had been leaving the two of them with the Old Man more often, only bringing them along if they wanted to come. And that's because... 'I can just summon them if I need them.' Raye could now use spirit summoning! He could call them whenever and wherever, and they'd appear! It had taken him a month of training to learn this skill though... 'Jerusha said she learned it after only a few days of practicing.' And with no mentor or anything! She just read it in a book! 'I know I did well, but she's making it look like I didn't.' Raye thought, shaking his head. And just then... "Ah, Raye!" "Hmm?" He bumped into Jerusha. "Where are you going?" Raye asked, noticing the many paper bags Jerusha was carrying. "I'm headed to the orphanage. I bought some food for them on the way!" Jerusha answered. She looked like she was struggling to hold all the bags. "Here, let me help." So Raye helped him, taking most of the bags. "Oh, no, I'm fine!" Jerusha protested. "..." But Raye just ignored her and continued. And then, after that... "I'll accompany you to the orphanage. Let's go." Raye offered! "Aren't you headed somewhere?" Jerusha asked. "That can wait. Don't worry." Then Raye just casually responded. "..." Jerusha fell silent for a moment. But then... "Thanks." She smiled and replied shyly. "It's nothing big." Raye nonchalantly said. And If he could shrug, he would. "Hmm..." But his hands were occupied at the moment. ... ***** Raye and Jerusha started heading to the orphanage... "Really, thank you for helping me." Jerusha said as they walked. "You've helped me before too, so don't worry about it." Raye quickly replied. And with that, they continued on their way. Anyway... You might think the orphanage was located in the town. But it wasn't! Contrary to that... Raye and Jerusha were now walking along the entrance to the Western Forest! 'No wonder Jerusha easily made a connection with the spirits at an early age.' Raye thought, looking at the dense forest beside him. Then, glancing at Jerusha... 'Hmm.' Raye fell silent as he remembered her backstory in the game. 'We're pretty similar, huh.' Raye reflected, because just like him... Jerusha also grew up in an orphanage. She was abandoned by her parents just a few days after birth. Nobody adopted her. She grew up isolated, barely interacting with the other kids by her own choice. Jerusha mostly only spoke with the nuns who took care of her as a child. She wasn't a happy-go-lucky back then. And then, when Jerusha reached the age of four... That's when she started seeing spirits! She immediately befriended a mid-rank spirit from the Western Forest just a few days later and made a contract with it! 'Ugh, talk about monstrous talent.' Raye frowned, slightly eyeing at Jerusha. Anyway, moving on... Jerusha told the nuns about her first spirit contract. The nuns reported it to the Zion Academy. And upon hearing the story... The academy became interested in Jerusha's talent! They invested in her, providing everything she needed to get stronger! Food, herbal elixirs, expensive equipment! And when Jerusha turned eighteen... They gave her a first-tier scholarship! (First-tier scholarship = everything free!) 'Wait... We're only similar in being orphans. I'm not as talented or lucky as her.' Raye thought after recalling Jerusha's backstory. "You okay?" Jerusha suddenly asked, noticing Raye's slight frown. "Oh." Raye snapped out of his thoughts and looked at her. Then, with a smile... "I'm fine, just thought of something." Raye simply replied. "Hmm..." Jerusha was curious. "Okay!" But she decided not to pry about it. ***** After a few more minutes of walking... "We're here." Jerusha said that as they reached their destination. "Whoa..." Raye was surprised. After all, the orphanage... "..." It was a two-story mansion! 'The academy really wants Jerusha's talent that much, huh.' Raye thought. Anyway, just then... "Oh, Jerusha!" A nun noticed them. "Ah, Sister is here!" "Sister Jerusha!" "Big sister!" And then three children ran out of the orphanage, two boys and a girl! They headed straight for Jerusha! Though, upon getting near her... "Huh?" They stopped in their tracks, noticing Raye. "..." "..." "..." The three kids stared at Raye. "..." And Raye just stared back at them. 'What are these weirdos looking at?' He asked in his head. "Oh, who's that with you?" Then the nun asked, approaching Jerusha. "He's my junior, a friend of mine." Jerusha quickly responded. "Ah, hello... My name is Raye." Raye introduced himself. "Hello, Raye. I'm Sister Irish." And the nun introduced herself in return. "I would shake your hand, Sister, if I could, but my hands are occupied at the moment." Raye said with a smile, carrying four full paper bags. "Ah, my apologies, where are my manners. Come on in." Sister Irish said, noticing Raye's burden. "It's okay... Sorry for the intrusion." Raye replied casually. Then, he followed Sister Irish inside the orphanage. "Let's go, Jerusha." S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Raye said, looking back. "I'll be right behind you." Jerusha replied, smiling at him. "Okay." Then Raye nodded and continued walking. Tap- tap- tap¡ª And when he was gone... "Hmm..." The three kids approached Jerusha while still eyeing at Raye. "Sister Jerusha." The girl called. "Yes?" Jerusha responded. "He's handsome. Is he your boyfriend?" And then the girl suddenly asked that! "Wha?!" Jerusha was taken aback. And immediately... "No!" She exclaimed that! "..." "..." "..." The three kids stared at her. And then, seeing her reaction... "Heh." They smiled mischievously and looked at each other! Chapter 91 91 - At The Orphanage [2] Entering the orphanage...'Uwahhh...' Raye was further impressed as he saw the interior. 'It's like a small noble lord lives here.' He thought. Anyway, moving on... "There." Thud¡ª Raye found a table and placed all the paper bags he was carrying on top of it. "Oh." He then noticed Jerusha entering with the three kids. 'Looks like she's telling them to keep quiet.' Raye concluded in his head, seeing her shushing at them. "Jerusha, here." He called out to her. "Ah, yes!" Jerusha flinched at his call... "..." But Raye paid no attention to it. ***** Inside the orphanage... There were roughly twenty more kids. And along with Sister Irish, there were four adults taking care of them. Three nuns and a retired teacher! Jerusha introduced Raye to them, and he greeted them in return. Then after that... "Hmm, this is comfy" Jerusha and Raye sat on a couch. "I'll cook you guys something, just wait here, okay?" Sister Irish said. "Okay!" And Jerusha replied cheerfully. Tap- tap- tap¡ª Sister Irish headed to the kitchen. Then, looking at Raye... "I'm sorry you were forced to stay." Jerusha apologized. "Meh." Raye shrugged. "Why are you apologizing? I'm staying because Sister said she'll cook for us. It'd be rude to decline." He said casually. "..." Jerusha smiled, hearing his words. She knew Raye was just being kind to her. But then, as she was smiling... "Yieee..." She heard a weak voice behind Raye! Jerusha turned to look. "?!" And it was the two boys and the girl from before! "Huh? What do you guys want?" Raye asked, noticing them too. sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. But immediately... "Hey, you three! Don't disturb him!" Jerusha exclaimed, shooing the kids away! "He he he he!" The kids then ran off, laughing mischievously. And looking after them... "Ugh, those three..." Jerusha slightly frowned. "..." Raye had no idea what was going on, so he just remained silent. 'Is every kid here weird?' Raye thought to himself. ***** A few minutes later... "Wow, your sword is cool!" "Is that real?" "Can you cut my book with it so I wouldn't have to read it?" The kids started gathering around Raye, curious about the new face. The boys were all about Raye's sword... "He's handsome, huh." "He must be a prince!" "Big sister's prince!" While the girls were focused on Raye's face. Amid the attention from the kids... "..." Raye had no idea how to react, so he's just there... All quiet. "Are they bothering you?" Jerusha asked him. "No, I just don't know how to react to them." And Raye honestly replied. "I don't mind them though." He added. "You sure?" Jerusha followed. "Yup." Raye simply answered. "..." Jerusha was still a little worried that Raye might be feeling uncomfortable. But just then... "Jerusha?" Sister Irish came out of the kitchen and called for her. "Hm, what is it?" Jerusha asked. Then, apologetically... "Can you buy something from the town real quick? We're out of spices." Sister Irish mumbled that. "Oh, umm..." Jerusha awkwardly glanced at Raye. Thinking that it'll be rude to leave him alone here. But then, with a smile... "I'll wait for you here." Raye just casually said that! And hearing his words... "..." Jerusha smiled once again. "Okay! What do I need to buy?" Then she turned to Sister Irish and responded. "Great! So buy one of these and this too..." *** Outside the orphanage... "I'm going now." Jerusha said that. Raye and the kids are seeing her off. "Want to bring my sword for safety?" Raye asked her, pertaining to his [Nyx]. But with a laugh... "No, silly. I'll be fine without a sword." Jerusha replied innocently. "Fair enough." Raye muttered. And with that... "I'll be right back!" SWOOSH¡ª Jerusha flew up in the air, headed toward the town. "Bye, Sister Jerusha!" "Come back quickly!" "Buy me a gift on your way back!" The kids waved her goodbye. And once she was out of sight... "Let's go play!" "Okay!" "Let me join!" "YAY!" The kids started playing in front of the orphanage. "Hmm..." Raye observed them running around like idiots. Then... 'I could look after them for a while.' Raye thought to himself as he sat on a large rock nearby. "..." He was like a parent watching his kids play in the park. Though, as he was doing that... "Hello!" "Hm?" Three of the kids approached him. They were the same three from earlier, the two boys and the girl! "Yes, what is it?" Raye asked, looking at them. Then the girl spoke first... "Do you like Sister Jerusha?" She asked. "Huh?" Raye was taken aback by the sudden question. But after a moment... "Yeah, I like her." He casually said that! 'I thought we wouldn't get along at first, but Jerusha is a nice friend.' Raye thought. "Ohh, what do you like about her?!" One of the boys asked eagerly. "She's kind." And Raye immediately answered! "She helped me a lot too, I'm indebted to her." He added with a small smile. "Ehh, do you think she's beautiful then?" The other boy asked. Raye looked at him... "Of course." Then he responded nonchalantly! 'Even when I was just playing the game, I thought Jerusha's character design was beautiful.' Raye thought to himself. And after that... "Well, do you...?!" The three kids continued asking him questions. Raye just answered them all casually, not thinking much about their curiosity. However... As their question and answer session went on... "KYAAAA!!!" Raye heard a child scream! "AHHHHH!!!" Then the others joined in! "...!" Raye immediately looked at the first source of the scream. And there... "?!" He saw a little girl on the ground, crying! And in front of her... -GRAAAAHHHH!!! There was something humanoid! It was unmistakably not human¡ªred skin, horns, claws, and a tail! And Raye immediately recognized what it was... 'A low-rank demon!' Raye thought, alarmed. -SHUT UP, TINY HUMAN!!! The demon roared. SWOOSH¡ª And it swung its claws toward the girl! But before its attack could land... "[Flash]" Fwish¡ª Raye appeared between the demon and the girl! CLANG¡ª -Urgh...?! And he parried the demon's hand with his sword! Fwip¡ª "Huh?" Raye grabbed the neckline of the little girl's dress. Bam¡ª "Kyaaa!!" And then he leaped backward, carrying her out of danger! Tap¡ª Raye landed softly on the ground... "Everyone, get inside!" And then he shouted that! "AAHHHHH!!!" "KYAAAA!!!" The kids screamed in fear and rushed inside the orphanage, including the girl he'd just saved. And with that... "..." Fwish Raye turned to face the demon who's a few meters away from him. And looking back at him... -Hmm, interesting. The demon mumbled that and smirked! Chapter 92 92 - Buying Time [1] [Brave Hearts], a typical RPG where the player plays as the hero who will eventually free the world from the terror of the demons!But so far... No demon had made an appearance yet. It's like they don't even exist. Raye hadn't heard anything about them ever since he was transported into this world. And he'd been here for more than half a year! But Raye didn't think much about it... After all, he knew that the demons would appear and make their move during Leon's sophomore year. He wasn't entirely sure when since the time of their appearance was vaguely mentioned in the game. So, Raye always carried his weapons just in case. But now, staring at the demon in front of him... 'Isn't this way too early? The vacation only just started!' Raye frowned with that thought in his head! ***** (Raye's POV) -Hmm, interesting. The demon mumbled that while smirking at me. He was topless and barefoot, but at least he was wearing a ragged shorts. His bulging muscles were on display¡ªclearly, he had a strong raw physical strength. Anyway, as I was observing him... -You said there were only kids and women here? The demon suddenly asked that. "Huh?" I was confused. He was alone. Who was he talking to? Then it hit me... 'Is he really alone?' And as soon as I asked that in my head... -I-I'm sorry, master... I w-was sure there were only k-kids and w-women when I scouted last week... hehe... A hunched-back man with a grotesque face and balding hair emerged from behind the demon! His face was so deformed that I almost felt sorry for him for a second! But I didn't¡ªafter all... 'That's a demon worshiper!' A human who had succumbed to the demons! Demon worshippers enter contracts to gain power, but at the cost of a sacrifice! 'And this fucker probably sacrificed his appearance... No way he's uglier than a demon naturally.' I thought with a frown on my face. Moving on... -No worries, it's just a single male anyway. The demon spoke calmly. Then, looking at his hand that I deflected earlier... -And he's not that strong either. He added that! -H-hehe... He's weak, huh? The deformed human muttered. 'Ugh, he's pissing me off just by him existing.' I thought. The demon worshipper is that creepy and disgusting. Anyway, I secretly glanced behind me... The kids were watching from inside the orphanage, crying and scared. Sister Irish and the other caretakers are hugging and comforting them. Though, they also looked terrified... "...!" Sister Irish then saw me looking and met my gaze. "..." I nodded to signal her¡ªeither call for help or be ready to run if the situation calls for it. "Mhm." She nodded back with a resolute expression on her face. 'I hope she got the message.' I thought, slightly worried. And then... -Where are you looking? The demon's voice snapped me back to the present! My eyes shot forward, and there... "?!" I saw the demon standing in front of me just a few inches away! I didn't even hear him move! SWISH¡ª I immediately slashed horizontally with [Nyx]! -Oh? Swish- But the demon just casually stepped back, narrowly dodging my attack! "Wha¡ª?!" I was surprised! And then in response... SWOOSH¡ª The demon launched a push kick! "Urgh...!" I crossed my arms and sent mana to [Celestria]! BAM! Then a gauntlet was formed on my left forearm, blocking his kick just in time! But still... "Ugh..." The force pushed me back slightly, pain spreading through my arms! 'My arms would've been broken if I took that directly.' I thought with a pained expression on my face. -Huh? Where did that come from? The demon asked, eyeing at [Celestria], the gauntlet in my forearm. "..." I said nothing, of course. -M-My lord... Then the deformed human called for the demon. "Hmm?" The demon looked back at him. I was tempted to attack but held back. After all... 'He's on guard. I'd get countered for sure.' Anyway, the grotesque man spoke again... -C-Can I make a r-request? He asked the demon. -What is it? The demon responded. -H-hehehe... His face... The ugly deformed fucker pointed at me. "...?" I tilted my head in confusion. And then, with a disgusting smirk on his face... -I-I want it... h-heheheheh... The mashed-up meat looking thing declared that! 'What?!' I exclaimed in my head hearing his words. -I see. The demon said, smiling at me. And with a mischievous grin on his face... -I just thought of something interesting. The demon muttered that! "..." I stayed silent, letting them talk. 'This will buy some time for the people in the orphanage.' I thought. Then, pointing at the deformed demon worshipper... -This one is newly contracted to me. The demon mumbled that, looking at me. 'So?' I frowned internally. -I want to test his capabilities. The demon continued. And then, turning to the deformed man... -Hey, you. -Y-yes, sir? -Fight this guy and kill him. I'll transfer your soul into his body if you succeed. The demon said that! "!!!" My eyes widened in surprise. On the other hand... -Hehe! The ugly fucker's eyes gleamed with excitement! And without hesitation... -G-Got it! He shouted that! ***** Hearing the demon worshipper's answer... -Great. The demon said that and leaped back with a grin. Bam- -This better be entertaining. He said. "..." Raye stood silent. 'At least I won't have to fight them both at once.' He thought to himself. Tap¡ª And then the deformed man stepped forward. -M-my name is M-Medina... hehe... He muttered. "..." Raye ignored him, he sent mana into [Celestria] instead. Fwoosh¡ª It transformed into a beautiful white sword. Then, frowning at the demon worshipper... "I don't fucking care, fuck-face." Raye responded! -HAHAHAHAHA!!! The demon burst out laughing hearing that. -Gurgh... Medina frowned in embarrassment. "Wow, I can't believe you can get even uglier." S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. And Raye remarked, seeing that. -I-I'll k-kill you! Medina exclaimed, enraged. -Be careful. That human is fast. The demon warned him. And following that... Swish¡ª Medina disappeared from Raye's sight! "?!" Fwish- And he reappeared right in front of him! -Is h-he faster than m-me? Medina asked with a crazed smile! SWOOSH¡ª Then he swung his disgusting right claw at Raye! Though, as Medina was about to hit him.... Fwish- Raye vanished in front of him! Swoosh¡ª Making Medina hit nothing but the air! -Huh? And as he stood there, confused... BAAM!!! -ARGH! He felt a strike slammed into his back, sending him face-first into the ground! Thud- And looking at him... "Of course I'm faster." Raye declared that! He was so nonchalant about it, saying it like he was stating the obvious! -Hoh, that was good. The demon mused, entertained. Even after seeing Raye's speed... There's no sign of him being concerned! Seeing his reaction is making Raye worried. He remained vigilant, keeping an eye on the demon. After all, just one sneak attack from him could kill him. And what's worst... 'He could go after the people in the orphanage too.' Raye thought. Just then... -GRAAAHHHH!!! Medina roared! "Huh?" Raye brought his attention back to him. And there on the ground, he saw him... He was growing in size! "What the fuck..." Raye muttered, seeing Medina expand into a 2-meter-tall muscular figure! 'Still ugly, though.' Raye commented in his head. Then, in anger... -I'M GOING TO KILL YOU AND STEAL YOUR BODY!!! Medina shouted that from the bottom of his lungs without stuttering! Fwish- And then his figure blurred out and he disappeared again! Though this time... 'He's faster!' Fwip- Raye crossed [Nyx] and [Celestria] in front of him... BANG¡ª! And he was able to block a massive fist that suddenly appeared out of nowhere! "Urgh...?!" Raye winced as the force of the attack pressed against his arms! Fwish¡ª Medina vanished again, faster than before! 'He's fast for his size!' Raye exclaimed in his head as he quickly turned around... TWHACK¡ª! And blocked Medina's left fist with [Celestria]! Then as a counter... SWOOOSH¡ª Raye slashed [Nyx] diagonally upward, aiming at Medina's neck! Though... THUNK¡ª The blade of his sword didn't cut through his skin! -WEAK! Medina sneered. But then... "[Blaze]" Raye muttered that calmly! SWAAAA¡ª Then [Nyx] caught on violent fire! SLASH¡ª And it sliced Medina's neck! -?!! Bam- Medina instinctively jumped back. And because of that... -GRAAHH?!! He was able to keep his head! Raye looked at Medina. Then, with a disappointed look in his eyes... "That's a shame, I thought I had you then." Raye mumbled that confidently! His voice brimming with certainty! In his head, he's not considering that he'll lose against Medina! -... And knowing that... -YOU'RE ANNOYING!!! Medina roared in anger once again! BAM¡ª And he dashed toward Raye with his right fist already extended! "Thank you for the compliment." Raye replied to him. THUNK¡ª! And then he blocked Medina's right fist with [Nyx]! -HAAAAA!!! Medina followed a punch with his left... THONK¡ª! But Raye just blocked it with [Celestria]! He was frowning pretty hard, though; Medina's attack packed a punch, after all. Anyway... -HAAAAA!!! Medina continued launching a barrage of swift, powerful punches with his mana-coated fists! THANK¡ª! THUNK¡ª! CLANK¡ª! TING¡ª! But Raye was just parrying and blocking them all! That's right... Raye... He's several times stronger than Medina! 'I'll buy time by fighting this ugly fucker slowly.' Raye thought! But unbeknownst to him... -Haaaah... The demon was slowly getting bored watching them. Chapter 93 93 - Buying Time [2] THANK¡ªCLANK¡ª TING¡ª THUNK¡ª Raye and Medina's exchange continued for a long time. Medina attacked relentlessly... S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. CLANK¡ª But Raye just kept on parrying and blocking every of his blow! -'This fucker...!' Then, in sheer annoyance... SWOOSH¡ª Medina swung his right fist wide, packing a tremendous amount of power behind it! And seeing that... 'Now!' Raye exclaimed that in his head! Fwip¡ª He crouched swiftly to avoid Medina's swing! Then from that position... Swish¡ª Raye slashed upward with [Nyx]! SLASH¡ª And he opened a deep cut across Medina's chest! -Ugh...?! Medina groaned in pain. But just a second later... Swiip¡ª The wound sealed itself shut without even spilling a blood! 'This guy's regeneration ability is absurd.' Raye thought with a frown. Bam¡ª And then he leapt back, creating distance between himself and Medina! -Haha, scared now? Medina taunted arrogantly. Tap¡ª Raye landed gracefully on the ground. And looking at Medina... "Yeah, your face is scary as fuck." He casually replied to him! -Your tongue is sharper than your swords, huh? Medina snarled, you can tell he's really pissed off now. Anyway... "..." Raye didn't reply to him. 'I should shut him up now.' He thought. Then, opening his mouth... "[Flash]" Raye muttered that! -What did you say? And before Medina even realized it... Fwish¡ª Raye was already in front of him! SLASH¡ª And his left hand flew off his arm! -GURGH...?! Medina's eyes widened in agony as he groaned! He didn't see what happened! But in response... -GRAAAAAAHHH!!! SWOOSH¡ª He aimed a crushing blow at Raye's head with his remaining fist! Raye saw his attack. And calmly... 'He's got power, but no technique.' He assessed. "[Wind Blast]" Then he suddenly muttered! SWOOSH¡ª BAM! -ARGH!! A powerful surge of condensed wind made of mana hit Medina square in the stomach, launching him backward! Thud¡ª The massive demon worshipper crashed onto the ground! And without missing a beat... Bam¡ª Raye stepped on his chest and pressed [Nyx] against Medina's neck! "..." His cold gaze bore into the demon worshipper. -Ugh...! Medina groaned with a defeated expression on his face. And seeing this scene... "Whoa!" "Big brother did it!" "He beat the ugly bad guy!" The children cheered in excitement! "Phew..." "Thank God!" "We're safe!" And the caretakers sighed in relief! -'Why can't I hit him?' Medina seethed silently, frustrated. His left hand was already regenerating. So he was plotting his next attack! Though... "I'm not giving you time to recover, idiot." Raye already knew of his plan! Swip¡ª He raised [Nyx]! And without hesitation... SWISH¡ª He slashed down! But just then... -That's enough, don't break the toy that I just acquired. The demon suddenly appeared in front of Raye! "?!" And before Raye could even react... PHUCK¡ª! The demon's claw pierced through his stomach! "Gurgh...!" Raye coughed up blood. "W-what?" He gasped in shock. SWISH¡ª The demon swung his hand, flinging Raye away! BAM¡ª THUD¡ª Raye slammed into a tree and collapsed onto the ground! And looking at his bloodied body... -It was fun... at least for a moment. The demon mused coldly! "NOOOOO!!!" "BIG BROTHER!!!" The children wailed in terror seeing that. "Oh no..." "No!" "We're doomed..." And the caretakers despaired with them! 'Please... someone help us...' Sister Irish silently prayed with her eyes tightly closed... Anyway... -M-Master! Medina called desperately to the demon. -... The demon just ignored him. -Y-you're standing on me, Master... Medina mumbled. -... The demon finally turned and, with an impassive face... BAM¡ª! He stomped at Medina's chest! -URGH...! The demon worshipper gasped in pain! -You're weak. Train when we return to the castle. The demon commanded before stepping off. -Y-yes, Master... Then Medina stuttered as he slowly stood up... His left hand had fully regenerated now. -Mhm. The demon nodded seeing that. Then, glancing at the orphanage... -Let's visit that beautiful purple-haired girl that you saw¡ªthe one you said fit to be my wife. He declared that! -The rest inside... kill them all. The demon instructed! And hearing his command... -G-got it! Medina cried in excitement! ***** (Raye's POV) -Let's visit that beautiful purple-haired girl that you saw¡ªthe one you said fit to be my wife. I heard the demon say that. 'He's talking about Jerusha.' I immediately concluded in my head. Anyway... My stomach hurts. Not from hunger... But because of the hole in it. My vision... It's getting blurry. "Haaaa... haaaa... Haaaa..." My breathing is rough now too and ragged. I can't think straight anymore... 'Am I going to die?' The thought crossed my mind. 'That sucks.' I admitted bitterly. Then memories flooded in¡ªeverything since I arrived in this world. "..." At first, I was frustrated, annoyed, and of course terrified. Why wouldn't I be? I got transmigrated to a completely different world, surrounded by people who hated me... I was forced to deal with messes that I didn't even cause... And no one was on my side... But now, after spending some time here... 'It's not that bad, actually.' I met Old Man Rey and the others. I became friends with the characters that I'd only seen on a screen. There's Zephyrus and Pyro too. And I even fulfilled one of a man's greatest dreams... 'I learned magic.' "..." A weak smile crept onto my face at the memory. But then... -The rest inside... kill them all. The demon's cold voice snapped me back to reality. "..." I forced my head up. And there they were¡ªthe demon and that deformed bastard... Tap- tap- tap¡ª Tap- tap- tap¡ª They're walking toward the orphanage. 'The kids...' They were crying... Sister Irish and the other caretakers aren't any better either... 'Jerusha would've been able to protect them if she was here instead of me...' Enjoy more content from empire I thought with a frown. "..." Then... "God... I'm so pathetic..." I muttered bitterly. Annoyed with myself... "Urgh...!" I groaned. I forced my body to move, to stand! 'What am I thinking, no one here can fight except me...!' I exclaimed in my head! So if I'm going to die anyway... 'I'll at least buy them more time¡ªseconds, milliseconds, anything...!' At least... "At least until Jerusha arrives..." Chapter 94 94 - Buying Time [3] "At least until Jerusha arrives..."-Hmm? The demon stopped on his track, turning back as if hearing something. And there¡ª -Oh, you're still conscious? He saw Raye, standing and glaring at him. He was staggering... But his eyes were fierce and steady! -Huh? Medina turned around too and noticed Raye, he was in disbelief seeing him up! "Big brother!" "He's back up!" "I told you! Big brother wouldn't die!" "He can still fight!" Then the kids and the caretakers cheered joyously! On the other hand though... 'Raye...' Sister Irish's face showed deep concern as she noticed the gaping wound in Raye's stomach! Anyway... "..." Raye clenched his swords tightly. Then, glancing at [Celestria]... 'I can't wield two swords right now.' Raye thought of that. Swoosh¡ª So he transformed [Celestria] into a beautiful white gauntlet covering his left hand! And following that... Fwip¡ª "Fuckers... I'm still standing here..." Raye pointed [Nyx] at his enemies and declared that! -... The demon remained silent. -HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! Then he suddenly burst into laughter! -You're really an amusing guy! The demon exclaimed, looking at Raye. -You deformed fuck, kill him quickly. And then he commanded Medina! -'U-Uwahh... M-Master started calling me that t-too because of this s-shitty guy...!' Medina groaned internally as he stepped forward to face Raye. ***** (Raye's POV) "Huff... haaaa... haaa..." I struggled to regulate my breathing. If my concentration faltered even slightly, my vision would blur again. "Urgh..." I coated my stomach wound with mana to prevent more blood loss. It didn't ease the pain... 'But it'll keep my condition from worsening.' Anyway, just then... Tap¡ª Experience new stories on empire -Y-You're stubborn. The deformed bastard stepped forward and faced me, he's only a few meters away. "Fuuuuu..." Swoosh¡ª I just ignored him and started circulating mana throughout my body instead. And as I was doing that... -DON'T IGNORE ME!!! BAM¡ª! Medina kicked off and rushed at me! "..." I kept my eyes on him. He was fast. Then when he reached me¡ª FWOOSH¡ª He threw a left straight punch! Fwish¡ª I twisted my body to the left, dodging it cleanly! "..." And locking my gaze on the ugly bastard... "[BLAZE!!!]" SLASH¡ª! I swung [Nyx] upward! -?!! Thud- And I severed Medina's right arm from his shoulder with a clean strike! -GRAAAAHHH!!! Medina roared in agony. SWOOSH¡ª And then he countered with a powerful hook from his remaining arm! Fwip¡ª BAAM!!! I raised my gauntlet-covered left arm to block the blow! Crack¡ª "KEUK...!!" I felt my bone crack! But ignoring the pain... Fwip¡ª I grabbed Medina's right fist with my left hand! "GRAAAAHHH!!!" And thrusting [Nyx] forward... PHUCK¡ª! I stabbed through his chest! -GURGH...! Medina groaned, he looked at me, pissed! And after that... Swaaa~ His eyes glowed red! He was about to transform! 'Like I'll let you, you bastard!' "[BLAZE!!!]" I poured more mana into that skill, igniting an even fiercer flame around [Nyx]! SWAAAAA¡ª! And the flames roared as they engulfed Medina from the inside! -GRAAAAAAHHHH!!! The bitch howled in pain! But I wasn't done yet! Swoooosh¡ª Violent winds wrapped around my arm, fueled by my mana! Then, from the depths of my will... "[TEAR!!!]" I shouted that! SWOOSH¡ª The winds covering my arm launched forward and travelled through [Nyx]! SLASH¡ª And it all blasted toward Medina! FWOOSH¡ª Medina's body was flung backward, it was split in two! There were small cuts all over his body... And he was burning! Though... -GAAAAHHH!!! He was still alive! 'Is he a cockroach?' I asked in my head. Anyway... I already know that Medina is easy to take care of. So, turning my attention away from him... I stared at the demon. "Your dog is gone... Next time, bring me a real challenge." And then I said that with a weak grin on my face! -He's really useless. The demon dismissed Medina with a sneer. Then, with a sly grin... -Guess you'll be facing me now, huh. The demon mumbled that! ***** -Guess you'll be facing me now, huh. The demon mumbled. And immediately after hearing that¡ª "[Flash]" Fwip¡ª Raye used a skill and vanished from where he was stood! -?! The demon's eyes slightly widened. Swish¡ª And then Raye reappeared right in front of him! SWOOSH¡ª Raye slashed horizontally! THUNK¡ª! But the demon just caught his flaming blade barehanded! Unfazed, Raye countered¡ª FWOOSH¡ª He launched a left straight at the demon's face! BAM! Though, the demon caught his fist too using his right palm! -What are you gonna do now? The demon taunted. And without answering him¡ª BAAM! -?! Raye kicked the demon on the stomach, forcing him to step back slightly! -That was a good attack! The demon said, smiling! Clench¡ª Raye then gripped [Nyx] tightly with both hands... "HAAAA!!!" SWISH¡ª! And then he swung it diagonally downward! Bam¡ª The demon leapt back to dodge it! -That one's dangerous. He commented mid-air. But before he could even land... Tap¡ª Raye stepped forward with his left foot, shifting to an inside stance! And from that... "HUP!" FWOOSH¡ª He thrust his sword forward, aiming straight for the demon's heart! -?! The demon's eyes widened as he blocked with his left hand! Phuck¡ª! But Raye's blade pierced through his palm! SWAAA¡ª And the flames scorched his flesh! -Urgh...! The demon grimaced as he landed on the ground! And for the first time... -... His smug demeanor faltered! -YOU BUG! He roared! Fwip¡ª And then he clenched his left hand around Raye's sword... Swish- And he pulled him closer! Being weak... "?!" Raye's body jerked forward! And when he entered the demon's range... BAM! The demon delivered a brutal kick to Raye's injured stomach! "GRAAAAAHHHH!!!" Raye screamed in agony! He felt on the verge of passing out! But nevertheless... Clench¡ª He refused to release his grip on his sword! Swoosh¡ª Raye transformed [Celestria] once again... It tightened around his waist and changed into a corset-like armor, stabilizing his wound and stopping the blood from flowing out! TAP¡ª! Raye planted his feet onto the ground! And then twisting his body to the side.... "GRAAAHHHH!!!" SLASH¡ª! Raye screamed and forcefully swung his sword horizontally! -Keuk...! And he was able to slice off the demon's left hand! Thud- His hand fell onto the ground! This greatly annoyed the demon! So with a frown on his face... -DIE! BAAM! He kicked Raye on the stomach again! "GAAARHH!!!" Bam- Thud! Raye was flung away and bounced onto the ground once before falling face-flat! And looking at his non-moving body... -You want to be a hero, huh?! The demon exclaimed that, pissed off. -Wait for me here... I'll bring you the heads of everyone inside that fucking orphanage! And then he declared that! Fwip- The demon turned to the orphanage. And after that... Tap- tap- tap¡ª S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. He started walking toward it. "..." "..." "..." The kids, the caretakers... They were all silent, crying, terrified, and in despair! And seeing their faces... -I'll enjoy this... The demon muttered that with a sly smile on his face! Though, as he was walking... "[Bang]" He heard a voice behind him! Psh¡ª! -Ouch...?! And then he felt like someone threw a rock at the back of his head! -'No way...' The demon thought. Swish- Then he quickly turned around. And there... "Huff... haaaa..." He saw Raye, standing again! -... The demon went silent. There's no life in Raye's eyes left, he's barely conscious... But the demon can tell that he's looking straight at him! -You're really persistent, huh. The demon said, frowning. -You've lost now, I'll kill you later after killing them and torturing you for a bit. Just stay still, human. He added. But with a weak smile on his face... "Wrong... I win..." Raye declared that! -What? The demon was confused, he thought Raye had already lost his mind. But just then... "Did you do that to Raye...?" He heard an ominous voice behind him! -?! This alerted the demon, he hadn't felt their presence! And turning to look at the source of the voice... -Huh? He saw a beautiful purple-haired girl! She was floating up in the air... And there's this majestic aura coming out of her! Yes, that's right... "..." It was Jerusha! And looking at her... "I told you bastard... I won..." Raye whispered that under his breath! Thud- And then he fell onto the ground again... "..." And he lost consciousness! Chapter 95 95 - Thank you "Big sister Jerusha!""Big sister is back!" "Big brother is saved!" "Jerusha!" The kids and caretakers exclaimed upon seeing Jerusha up in the air. "..." But Jerusha didn't hear them... She was focused on Raye's bloodied body lying on the ground. And then, opening her mouth... "I'm gonna ask again... Are you the one who put Raye in that condition?" Jerusha asked the demon that. -... The demon remained silent, feeling a slight chill down his spine. And because of that... -...? He frowned. Receiving no reply from the demon... "Are demons so stupid that they can't understand human language?" Jerusha mumbled that. And hearing this... -What did you just say? The demon asked, annoyed. "Oh, so you can understand me after all..." Jerusha said. Then, looking at her... -'She's stronger than that male human, but she's not stronger than me.' The demon assessed. -'She must be the one that ugly fucker said is fitting to be my wife.' He concluded in his head with a mischievous smile on his face. Anyway... "What are you smiling about? Aren't you going to answer my question?" Jerusha spoke again! And her voice pulled the demon out of his thoughts. Then, with a grin... -Hmm, and why should I answer you again? The demon asked that arrogantly! And immediately after hearing his response... "[Water Spear]" Jerusha used a skill! Swoosh¡ª A two-meter-long spear made of water formed beside her! Fwoosh¡ª Then it launched straight toward the demon! -Huh?! The demon, surprised... Bam¡ª Jumped back to avoid it! And the place where he had been standing... Explore stories on empire Boom¡ª!!! It was destroyed! A massive crater appeared as Jerusha's skill hit the ground, producing even a weak earthquake! -'She's a lunatic.' Tap¡ª The demon thought, landing softly on the ground. But smiling slyly... -I can handle her, though. He whispered that under his breath! Swoosh¡ª The demon circulated mana, preparing to attack Jerusha! But before he could even try to... "Jerusha, take care of Raye... Leave the demon to me." He heard a different voice somewhere! -?! The demon was shocked¡ªanother human had approached without him noticing! Swish¡ª He quickly turned toward the voice... And then... -Huh? He saw a tall, muscular man who looked like a bear, with a big cigar in his mouth! It was Ramiel Hale! "Hey there, little demon." Ramiel casually said! And looking at him... -'He's strong...' The demon immediately realized that and grew wary! On the other hand... "..." Jerusha looked at Ramiel. "The academy gave the orphanage a magic crystal to contact us when they need help. That's one of your conditions to enroll in Zion, right?" Ramiel said, looking at Jerusha. "We received a distress signal earlier, so I hurried here." He explained. "Raye probably held off that demon on his own for a while. He's in a dangerous state¡ªhelp him." And then he continued, taking the cigar out of his mouth and puffing out smoke. Hearing his words... Jerusha immediately realized what she needed to do at the moment. "Okay..." She replied and nodded her head gratefully. Then, turning her back against the demon... Swoosh¡ª Jerusha flew toward Raye. -Not on my watch! Bam¡ª The demon suddenly dashed toward her and Raye! But... Fzzzt¡ª Ramiel appeared in front of him in a flash! "Not on my watch either." He said. Bam¡ª! And then he punched the demon in the face! Bzzt¡ª! -Urgh...?! The demon groaned¡ªnot just from the punch but from an electric shock that felt too! -'What was that?' The demon wondered, confused. Then, with a smirk on his face... "Shocked?" Ramiel asked arrogantly! He was cool and all... "You get it?" "I asked if you were surprised, but I used 'shock' because I shocked you with my electric power." All until he started explaining his stupid pun! ***** (Jerusha's POV) Tap¡ª Landing softly beside Raye... "Raye." I crouched down and checked his condition. I flipped his body to face upward... "...!" And my eyes widened when I saw the gaping hole in his stomach! 'He's losing a lot of blood!' I exclaimed internally. Raye's skin was pale, sweat dripped from his body, and his lips quivered! Then his breath... "Hufff... huff... haa..." It's becoming shorter and weaker! "[Grace Healing!]" I immediately used my strongest healing skill on him. And Raye's breathing eased a little bit... "Ugh... huff... haaa..." But he was still in a dangerous state! "Please..." I muttered, looking at him. 'Please don't die...' I silently prayed, closing my eyes. "Sniff..." Tears threatened to fall from the corners of my eyes. I was disheveled and in panic... But just then... "I'll help." I heard Sister Irish's voice. "Huh?" And opening my eyes... I saw her on the other side of Raye, her hands aimed at him. She opened her mouth... "[Goddess' Healing]" Swoosh¡ª And then Sister Irish used holy magic on Raye! "Haaaaaa... Haaaaaaa..." Raye's complexion quickly improved, and the blood stopped gushing out from his wound! And seeing this... "Thank you!" I exclaimed that to Sister Irish! "..." She didn't reply immediately, she was focused on healing Raye. Beads of sweat fell from her forehead. It was clear that continuously using such a strong holy magic was taking a big toll on her body. After all, Sister Irish doesn't have a large mana pool, just like Raye! Anyway, forcing a smile as she glanced at me... "Your friend here tried his best to defend us..." Sister Irish muttered that. "The kids and I are only alive right now because of him... I'm just returning a small part of what he did." "There's no need to thank me... I'll be the one thanking him after he wakes up." And then she added. "..." sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. I was speechless. Then, looking at Raye... "Thank you." I thanked him sincerely. 'I'll say it again later, after you wake up...' I thought. 'So please, don't die.' And with that... Swaaaa~ I calmed down and just focused on healing Raye too. Sister Irish and I paid no attention to our surroundings, we were solely focused on our task. 'Please handle that bastard, professor.' I thought, slightly glancing at Professor Ramiel before closing my eyes again. Chapter 96 96 - Slippery Bastard! -...The demon remained silent. His left hand had regenerated now, and he was staring at Ramiel. Behind Ramiel were Jerusha and Sister Irish, they were healing Raye. -'Tsk, they're trying to save that bug.' The demon thought with a frown on his face, looking at the two woman. And just then... FZZZT¡ª "What are you looking at?" Ramiel suddenly appeared in front of him and asked that! -Wha?! The demon was shocked, but he immediately crossed his arms! And because of that... BAM! He was able to block Ramiel's punch! Though... BZZT¡ª Another electric shock coursed through his body! -Urgh...! The demon groaned. -HAAA!! SWOOSH¡ª And then he slashed with his right claws horizontally as a counter! "Slow." Ramiel muttered. Thud¡ª And he just grabbed the demon's right arm with his left hand! BAM! -URGH?! Then Ramiel threw a fast right jab straight into the demon's face! -'This human is stupidly fast and strong!' The demon thought, feeling another electric shock pierce through his body! And as soon as he realized Ramiel's strength... -GRAAAAAAHHHH!!! The demon let out an ear-deafening roar, producing a powerful mana shockwave! Bam¡ª Ramiel jumped away from him with a slight discomfort on his face. "That was dangerous." He casually mumbled. Then, looking at the demon... "Well... this could be a problem." Ramiel saw him transforming! The demon's already large muscles bulged out even more! His black hair grew waist-length! He doubled in size, ripping apart his already ragged shorts! And that's not all... Swoosh¡ª The horns on his forehead elongated! Fwish¡ª And a pair of ominous black feathered wings sprouted from his back! Swooo~ Then, after transforming... -... The demon stared at Ramiel with blood-red eyes. "Humm humm humm~" And then he just saw Ramiel humming calmly! He was putting on combat gauntlets onto both of his hands! -'This fucker is really annoying...' The demon thought, pissed off. Anyway, noticing his glare... "Oh, you done?" Ramiel looked at the demon and just asked that. -You're going to regret letting me transform. The demon sneered. And then with a frown... -I'll also make sure to wipe that brazen attitude off your face. He added that! Ramiel opened his mouth to respond. "Would I really regr¡ª" But before he could even finish his words... Fwish¡ª The demon suddenly appeared in front of him! SWOOSH¡ª The demon launched a swift, powerful left hook! BAAM¡ª! And a loud noise echoed as his fist collided with Ramiel's gauntlet! That's right! Ramiel blocked the attack with his right arm! SWOOSH¡ª And then he countered with a left straight! BAM! The demon caught Ramiel's fist with his right hand! And this time... BZZT¡ª The electric shock no longer affected him! "Well, that's no fun now." Ramiel said. TWHOCK¡ª! And then he blocked the demon's right push kick with his left shin! -Huh??? The demon was confused, he was sure that his kick just now would be a clean hit. But ignoring that... SWISH¡ª The demon punched again with his left fist! S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Fwish¡ª And Ramiel just swayed to his left to avoid that! FWOOSH¡ª Then he performed a roundhouse kick, aiming at the demon's head! -?! BAM! The demon shielded his face from the attack with his right arm! But as he was in that position... "An open spot." BAM! -Urgh...?! Ramiel threw a fast jab at the right side of his jaw! BZZT¡ª Then the electric shock he felt now was a lot stronger than any of the ones before, it pierced through his improved defense! -Shit...! The demon stumbled from that strike just now! And not missing that opportunity... Swish¡ª TWHACK¡ª! -Gargh?! Ramiel sweep-kicked him! Thud¡ª -Ugh...! The demon fell onto his butt! And before he could even try to recover... BAM! He received a powerful straight punch in his face! Ramiel's right fist literally hit him square on the nose! -GRAAAHHH?! The demon groaned, he was flung backward! Bam¡ª Thud! He bounced off the ground and landed face-first! Then, looking down at him with cold eyes... "So far, I'm not regretting letting you transform." Ramiel casually declared that! "Fuuuu..." And then he puffed out smoke from his mouth! -'What the fuck is happening?!' The demon questioned in disbelief. -'Why am I getting wrecked by humans?!' He followed another question, feeling humiliated! First Raye, then Jerusha, and now Ramiel! Even Raye, much weaker than him, had humiliated him earlier! And thinking about this angered the demon! His body trembled in rage... And clenching his hands into fists... -I will kill every single one of you! The demon exclaimed that! He immediately took a stance again... But when he looked back at Ramiel... Tap¡ª -Huh?! He saw him standing just a few inches away from him! And opening his mouth... "[Thunder Clap]" Ramiel muttered that! FWOOOZZZH¡ª!!! And then he shot a fast, electric-charged right straight toward the demon! -'I can't dodge!' The demon immediately concluded in his head, seeing the fast attack incoming! -GURGH...! He groaned, forcing his body to move! And following that... BOOM!!! Ramiel's fist struck the demon with an explosive force! FZZZZZTTT¡ª!!! A shockwave of electricity scattered across the area! Swoosh¡ª A strong gust followed, kicking up a thick dust cloud! "...?" Jerusha and Sister Irish from the back glanced at their direction, waiting for the dust to clear. They were curious about what just happened... Of the outcome of the fight! Then after a few moments... "..." Everything settled down. And from the dust cloud... "...!" Sister Irish and Jerusha saw Ramiel standing alone, holding something! And upon closer inspection... It appears that he's holding the demon's entire right arm and horn! Where's the demon? That's the problem, he was nowhere to be seen! "..." Ramiel frowned at the severed limb in his right hand. "Tsk." He clicked his tongue, annoyed. "He's slippery, I'll give him that." And then he mumbled! That's right... The demon escaped! The demon had sacrificed his arm and horn to survive the attack! And after that, he fled to the Western Forest! "I'm going after that demon." Ramiel said. But before he could even take a step... "Wait, don't!" Sister Irish stopped him. Chapter 97 97 - Bad News "Wait, don't!"Sister Irish exclaimed. "Huh?" Ramiel froze in his place. "...?" Jerusha turned to Sister Irish, confused. Then, opening her mouth... "There's another enemy. It's not just the demon." Sister Irish declared that firmly! "Hm?" Ramiel slightly frowned at the information. "Huh?!" And Jerusha's eyes widened in shock! "Where are they?" Ramiel immediately asked. Then, looking to her left... "There." Sister Irish spoke with confidence in her eyes. She can't use her hands to point because she's using them to heal Raye... Swish¡ª "...?" Ramiel turned his head to where Sister Irish was looking at. And sure enough... "...!" He felt someone's presence in that direction! It was also in the Western Forest, but it's in the opposite direction of where the demon had fled! The presence was nasty and repulsive, so upon sensing it... "Ugh." Ramiel's face cringed. "There's actually another one?!" Jerusha exclaimed, confused. "Why didn't they attack earlier?" She asked. "That's right." Ramiel was curious too and turned back to Sister Irish. "..." Sister Irish looked back and forth at them... And then, without hesitation... "Raye defeated them before you two arrived." She explained simply! "What?!" Jerusha was surprised. "...?" Ramiel was too, actually. He was just speechless, unsure how to respond. Anyway, ignoring their reactions... "They have a regeneration ability too. Right now, they're probably regaining strength." Sister Irish added that, referring to the other enemy beside the demon. Then finally... "If you had gone after the demon, we'd be defenseless here for him to attack." She pointed out her reasoning for stopping Ramiel! "Mhm." "So that's why..." Ramiel and Jerusha nodded, relieved at Sister Irish's quick thinking. Then their attention shifted back to Raye... "..." He was still motionless. If Jerusha and Sister Irish stop healing him even for a moment... There is a high chance that he would instantly die! 'He stopped two attackers from reaching the orphanage, huh.' Ramiel thought, impressed. "..." Jerusha had similar thoughts. Both of them were really awed by Raye's perseverance! But moving on... "I'll handle the other enemy. You two stay here." Ramiel declared that. "Okay." "Take care." Jerusha and Sister Irish nodded in agreement. Bam¡ª And then Ramiel dashed toward where the repulsive presence is. ***** Inside the Western Forest... Not far from the orphanage... -I-I'll kill that f-fucker once I recover! Medina is lying on the ground and shouting in rage! Raye had blasted him away earlier, splitting his body into two too in the process! His lower half lay several meters away from his torso, preventing him from reconnecting it and standing up! So now, he's regenerating everything from the waist down! His arms were also beaten up with small sharp cuts so he's healing them, and can't use them to crawl! Medina received a lot of damage from his fight with Raye. And because of that... It's taking him forever to recover, and he's currently immobile! -'This fucking sucks!' He exclaimed in his head, staring at the leaves above him. Anyway... 'Right now, Master had probably slaughtered everyone in the orphanage already.' Medina thought of that with a twisted smile on his face. He had unwavering faith in his master's strength. Then, as he was thinking of that... Swish¡ª 'Huh?' Medina felt a strong presence approaching rapidly! -'Master! He's come to retrieve me!' Medina celebrated internally. -I hope he left the beautiful nun for me and still plans to transfer my soul into that fucker's body... hehe. He said with a disgusting laugh. But just then... "The fuck are you talking about?" Ramiel suddenly entered his sight, looking down at him! -Huh?! This surprised Medina! But showing no care or whatsoever... "Fuuu..." Ramiel just puffed out smoke straight onto his face! "Sorry for ruining your daydreaming, but your master had already fled after fighting me. He abandoned you." And then he said that casually! -W-What?! That's i-impossible! You're lying! Medina shouted, refusing to believe everything that Ramiel had just said. "Look, I don't care if you believe me." Ramiel declared. Then, raising his right hand... "I just want you to look at my hand." He followed that! -H-Huh? Confused, Medina glanced at his hand. And as soon as he did... "Hah! Made you look, sucker!" Ramiel smirked and exclaimed that! BAM¡ª! Then he punched Medina's nose with full force! -GRAAA!! Medina groaned in pain! -... And he lost consciousness after that! "Like master, like dog, huh¡ªThey're both stupid." Ramiel muttered. Fssssssh¡ª And then he started dragging Medina's body back to the orphanage! "This guy sure is ugly." Ramiel commented while walking casually and smoking the cigar in his mouth. ***** When Ramiel got back to the orphanage... "Prioritize healing this student, he's in a critical condition!" "Others, check on the kids and the caretakers inside the orphanage!" Academy staff was already there and they were handling the situation. Zion's special healers are also present, they're already tending to Raye. "He would've died even with the ring artifact's passive ability if you two hadn't helped." An old man, who appears to be the leader of the healers, addressed Jerusha and Sister Irish. "Good job, both of you." He added. Sister Irish and Jerusha doesn't know how to respond to him, and so... "..." They just bowed their heads respectfully. Then, as her head was lowered... "Please save him." Jerusha suddenly said that. Her voice trembled with worry... The old man looked at her, then with a shrug... "Don't worry, he'll be fine." He confidently declared that! Then after that... The healers carefully carried Raye to safety, two of them were continuously healing him so his condition wouldn't worsen. Just then... "Ah, Professor Ramiel!" Jerusha saw Ramiel approaching. Of course, she also saw Medina who was being dragged by him! Medina looked like minced meat¡ªhorribly beaten, he was unpleasant to look at. "Ugh..." Jerusha grimaced at the sight of him. "Ugly, right?" Ramiel asked, frowning too. "Eww..." And then Sister Irish followed that! "Anyway, this bastard appears to be a demon worshipper. I'll be taking custody of him and we'll interrogate him in the academy once he wakes up." Ramiel explained. And hearing his words... "Oh, okay." Sister Irish simply replied and nodded her head. On the other hand... Jerusha was still staring at Medina in disgust! S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. 'Raye probably roasted him a lot because of that face.' She thought. ***** After ensuring there were no more threats and everyone in the orphanage was safe... Ramiel left with the academy staff. They brought Raye with them, they're planning to treat him in the academy hospital. And once things calmed down outside the orphanage... "Sister Irish!" "Big sister Jerusha!" "Big sister!" The kids started to run outside, they were all crying! The caretakers are just as terrified as them, but they're guiding the kids professionally. "Are you guys okay?" Jerusha asked gently, crouching down as the kids approached her. She comforted the kids as they cried, it's obvious that they were traumatized by the demon's attack. Jerusha frowned bitterly, saddened by their fear. But just then... "Big sister..." A tug on her shirt caught her attention. "Huh?" She turned around. And there... She saw a little girl and two boys. They were the same three kids who greeted Raye and her as soon as they arrived earlier. Their names were Lucia, Cole, and Kent. "What is it?" Jerusha asked Lucia who was holding onto her shirt. And as soon as Lucia heard the question... Tears started streaming down her face! "Wha?!" Jerusha was flustered! Then suddenly... "Is Big Brother Raye going to be okay?" Lucia asked that! The little girl's voice trembled as she sobbed. "..." "..." Cole and Kent started crying too. And not just them! "Sniff..." "Sob... sob..." "Big Brother...!" "Waaaaaaaah!!!" The other children started crying with them, they were mourning! After all, for the kids... Raye was their defender! He was their hero! That's why everyone was so worried about his well-being! Seeing them like that broke Jerusha's heart. But still, she was kind of happy by the fact that the kids like Raye. And so, with a reassuring smile on her face... "He's strong. He'll be fine." Jerusha declared that! "Really?" Cole asked her. And without hesitation... "He'll survive, and I'll bring him back here as soon as possible." Jerusha promised that! The kids calmed down slightly, hearing her words. "Hear that? He'll come back." "Let's surprise him then." The caretakers stepped in to comfort the kids too. And seeing the kids becoming better... "Hmm..." Jerusha smiled softly. Though... "..." Her smile quickly vanished. And then, with a small frown... 'I need to inform Old Man Rey about this and Raye's condition.' Jerusha said that in her head. "..." She was worried about how the Old Man would respond. She knows that he'll be super devastated if he hears about this! But still... 'He needs to know.' And so, with a resolute expression on her face... "Sister Irish, I need to go somewhere." Jerusha stood up and said that. "Mhm." Sister Irish immediately realized she was about to do something related to Raye. So without hesitation... "Sure, I'll take care of the kids. You can go." Sister Irish muttered that with a smile. "..." Jerusha nodded gratefully at her. She then said her goodbyes to the kids and the other caretakers. And after that... SWOOSH¡ª Jerusha flew up in the air, headed to the cabin! ... She brings bad news for the Old Man and the others... Chapter 98 98 - Hearing The News Not long after...Jerusha reached the cabin. "Oh, you're here pretty early!" Old Man Rey greeted her with a warm smile on his face. -Meep! -Hello, Jerusha. Pyro and Zephyrus then followed. The three of them were really cheerful. And seeing them like that... "..." Jerusha frowned. Her heart ached. Her lips quivered, unable to utter a word. She couldn't get out the bad news that she was about to tell them. "Hmm, something wrong?" The Old Man asked, seeing her disheveled. "Huh?" And this snapped Jerusha back to reality. "..." She saw Old Man Rey staring at her. -...? -... Pyro and Zephyrus were also doing the same, waiting for her to say something. "..." Jerusha remained silent for a while. But then, with a resolute expression on her face... "It's about Raye..." She started telling them what happened and about Raye's condition! ... ... ***** As soon as Jerusha told them everything... "Let's go!" Bam¡ª -Meep! -On it! FWOOSH¡ª Old Man Rey, Pyro, and Zephyrus quickly closed the cabin and started heading toward the Academy's hospital! "I'll lead you there." Jerusha said. And with that... They went to where Raye was being treated! ... ... Arriving at the Academy's hospital... Old Man Rey was stopped by security. "He's with me. He's also a guardian of a patient here." But Jerusha vouched for him, so they got in without any problem. "Where is Raye being treated?" The Old Man asked, looking around and seeing a lot of rooms. "I don't know either." Jerusha then replied with a small wrinkle on her forehead. -Me and Pyro can fly around and check the rooms. Zephyrus suggested. -Meep! And Pyro agreed to him. Old Man Rey and Jerusha were about to leave it to them. But suddenly... "Oh, you're that young lady from earlier." They heard a voice behind them! "I wouldn't forget that purple hair of yours that fast, even though I'm old." The person added. And when Jerusha and Old Man Rey turned around... They saw an old man! "Ah!" Jerusha recognized him. It was the leader of the healers who brought Raye to the Academy's hospital! "You looking for the kid with the hole in his stomach?" He asked casually. "Yes!" And Jerusha responded immediately. "Follow me, I'm on my way to his room now too." S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The Healer Old Man said. And with that... Tap- tap- tap¡ª Jerusha, Old Man Rey, Zephyrus, and Pyro silently followed him! ***** Raye's room was on the second floor. And as soon as they got there... "His life is not in danger anymore, but he's still not waking up." The Healer Old Man said that. "..." Old Man Rey stared at Raye, lying on a bed, motionless. He was topless, so the Old Man also saw the huge bandage on his stomach! "Raye..." Old Man Rey called, his voice quivering. Tap- tap- tap¡ª He walked toward Raye. And looking down at him... "..." A complicated expression appeared on his face. Though, sadness was evident in his eyes. "We can't put a shirt on him yet as it might irritate the wound. But as soon as it heals a little, we'll put a hospital gown on him, don't worry." The Healer Old Man then explained. And after that... "I'll give you privacy, then." Creak¡ª Thud¡ª He left the room. "..." -... -... The room fell silent. Jerusha, Zephyrus, and Pyro were just looking at the Old Man. On the other hand... "..." Old Man Rey didn't know how to react. It was the first time he felt something like this. And so... "Wake up soon, brat." He just muttered that. His voice was trembling... ... ... ***** The next day... The demon's invasion quickly spread throughout Zion Academy! And not just to the students... But also to the civilians living within the academy! "The demons are starting to move again!" "Ugh, why can't they just lay low for another century?" "I wish they'd just stay silent forever!" The townsfolk said. The demons had been silent for more than 50 years since their last war with the humans and other races... But one had just appeared yesterday in an urban area and even tried to attack an orphanage! This news caused chaos among the people! Though, as they heard this... They also learned that someone had stopped the demon and its lackey! A student named Raye! Hearing this, the townsfolk thought of him as a hero who saved the orphanage from devastation! And knowing he almost died in doing so, they admired his bravery and achievement! They wished for his speedy recovery too! On the other hand... "What?! Raye did that?" "I can't believe it." "If it were Raye from the first semester, he would've been the attacker of the orphanage!" The students were shocked! But still... "He really changed, huh." They didn't doubt the story to be fake! After all, they had witnessed firsthand the change in Raye throughout the semester. "Still, I can't believe he changed that fast." "He might be a different person possessing Raye. What do we know?" "I don't really care if that's the case. I prefer him, even if he's fake, to that idiot original." The students then commented. ... ... Meanwhile... The headmaster held a meeting in his office with the professors. "The monsters are starting to move toward the safe parts of the forest. They're slowly making their way to civilization." Bryan said, looking at the professors. "I suspected the demons were behind this but wasn't sure before. Though, their infiltration of the academy confirmed that they're somehow connected to this." He added. Then, turning to Professor Justo, who handled the artifact engineering classes... "The fact that they infiltrated the academy's premises without alerting us is also concerning. Please work on that, Professor Justo." Bryan instructed firmly. "Got it. I'll work on it immediately." Professor Justo replied with a serious expression. And after that... They discussed how to improve their security, including teaching students how to respond if they saw something suspicious or encountered a demon. Then as they deliberated... "How's Raye's condition, by the way?" Bryan asked, looking at Ramiel. Sariel and the other professors familiar with Raye also turned toward him. "Fuuuuu..." Casually puffing out a smoke... "He's still in a coma." Ramiel declared that! Sariel and the others frowned at the news, they feel sorry for Raye. And then, whispering to himself... "Just as the friendly exchange between the academies was about to happen, one of our main cards is down." Bryan mumbled that! ... ***** Three days later... Outside the academy... Or to be specific... In the Alvah Dukedom! "Hey, did you hear?" "What? I didn't hear. I don't gossip as much as you do." "Ugh, shut up." Two maids in the mansion were talking. Their name were Julia and Jullien. "So, what is it?" "It's about that devil of a young master we had." "The one that got disowned?" "Yep." And their topic was Raye! "So, what about him?" Julia asked. Jullien carefully looked around... "Apparently, he saved an orphanage from being attacked!" And then she responded! "What?" Julia was shocked. "Are you sure he wasn't the attacker instead?" She asked skeptically. But shaking her head... "The attackers were a demon and a demon worshipper." Jullien clarified that! "What?!" And her words made Julia even more surprised! "Julia, keep your voice down!" "Ah, sorry." Looking around to ensure no one overheard them... "Are you telling me that devil of a young master warded off a demon and a demon worshipper to protect an orphanage?" Julia asked. "Yeah, that's what I heard." And Jullien immediately responded! "You sure it's not just a fake rumor?" "I didn't see it myself, but plenty of merchants from Zion Academy said it was true." "..." Julia went silent, processing the information. 'Funny how a devil stopped a demon. Evil versus evil, huh.' She thought, slightly smirking. 'What is even the difference the devil and demon? Aren't they just the same?' Then her thoughts just flew somewhere. Julia was stuck in her thoughts. But suddenly... "That's an interesting story you have there, Jullien." They heard a voice behind them! "Huh?!" "Wha¡ª?!" They both turned around. And there... They saw a handsome man with long, flowing white hair and piercing blue eyes, exuding an intimidating presence! It was Lucian Alvah¡ªRaye's biological father and the patriarch of the Alvah Dukedom! He just looked like a grown-up version of Raye! Anyway... "Mind telling me your story in detail, Jullien?" Lucian asked that with a smile. But his presence terrified her. Trembling... "O-Okay..." Jullien stammered. And after that, she began recounting everything she'd heard! Her voice shaking, and tears forming in her eyes! "..." Even Julia can't move too because she's scared! She hadn't received permission to move yet, so she just remained there, terrified! ... After hearing the entire story... "You two can leave now." Lucian finally spoke! He was really silent the whole time, scaring the two maids more. "Y-Yes, Sir!" "T-Thank you!" The two maids then quickly ran off. And left alone... 'Raye, huh...' Lucian thought of that. "I didn't expect to hear his name now." He muttered emotionlessly. Chapter 99 99 - Upcoming Event Five days after the demon's invasion...Raye had still not woken up. "The vacation will end in two weeks. He'll be left behind if he doesn't wake up by then." Lycus mumbled, looking at Raye lying peacefully unconscious in a hospital gown. He, Devin, Lena, and Kyle were currently in Raye's hospital room. "He'll wake up before that... I just know it." Kyle said confidently. "Yeah, I don't know why, but I feel the same." Devin then added. "Mhm." And Lena simply nodded in agreement. "..." Lycus shared their sentiment deep down. But he just couldn't help thinking of the possibility that Raye might not recover in time! When the four of them had learned of the incident and Raye's condition from Jerusha that same day... They followed her to the Academy's hospital to check on him! And since then, they visited daily, even taking turns staying with him in case he suddenly woke up! It's been days, that's why they're starting to worry! But then... "Even if the academy starts and he wakes up late, I'm sure he won't be left behind." Lena declared that! The three boys looked at her. And with a shrug... "Well, yeah, this is Raye we're talking about." Devin muttered as if it were obvious! "He started improving late, but now he's on the top of the Freshman Ranking." Lycus then added. "Heck, Brother Raye survived a dungeon for a whole month! This is nothing to him." And Kyle chimed in! The group, along with Jerusha and Old Man Rey, had witnessed Raye's incredible growth. They knew this wouldn't be the end for him! The four of them slightly smiled, looking at Raye sleeping. Though... "..." The smiles of Lycus, Devin, and Lena quickly vanished! And as seriousness returned to their expressions... 'Raye is slowly getting ahead.' They thought of that! The three of them were really shocked to learn that Raye had defeated a demon worshipper and faced off against a demon. In their group, Raye had faced the most life-threatening experiences. And because of that, even if Lena had higher stats or Lycus was nearly his equal... None of them felt confident that they could beat Raye in a serious fight! "Kyle, you're staying with Raye today, right?" Lena then suddenly asked. "Huh? Yeah." Kyle answered, looking back at her. Lena nodded her head, and after that... "I'm going to leave now and train. See you guys later." She announced! And without delay... Creak¡ª Thud- She left the room! Immediately after... "Lycus, want to spar?" Devin asked that! And with a serious expression on his face... "I was just about to ask you the same." Lycus replied! "..." The two of them looked at each other. And after nodding their heads... "We'll be going now too, Kyle. See you later." "See you." They said that. Creak¡ª Thud- And they left the room too! Once again, Raye's actions had reignited the determination of the main characters! Everyone from the 1st Year [S Class] had heard of his feat, and now they found themselves eager to improve as well¡ªespecially Leon and Allen, who had been sparring against each other relentlessly for the past five days! Anyway, being left alone... Pat- Kyle sat quietly on a wooden chair beside Raye's bed. "Everyone's so busy, huh." He muttered. "Guess I'll wait for Old Man Rey and Jerusha, then." And then he added while monitoring Raye's condition. ... Jerusha and Old Man Rey joined him not long after along with Pyro and Zephyrus. ***** A couple more days had passed... And Raye was still in a coma... Find more to read on empire It's the seventh day after the demon's invasion. And the headmaster held another meeting with the professors in his office... "How's the progress in strengthening security?" The headmaster, Bryan, asked. And immediately... "It's done. I'm confident they won't be able to enter the academy premises again without being detected. Even if they try to dismantle it, it'll be harder than before and probably take months to do so." Professor Justo confidently declared that! "Mhm." Bryan nodded, hearing that. "Then, we just need to increase surveillance staff along the academy walls to stop their attempt to dismantle it, right?" He then asked. "Yes." And Professor Justo quickly confirmed. After that... Bryan turned to Ramiel. "Any news about the demon worshipper? Has he started talking?" And at his question... "Fuuu... Yeah, he began talking yesterday." Ramiel casually replied. Then without beating around the bush... "The demon that attacked the orphanage was of the noblesse lineage. Though currently low rank, he has the potential to rise to a high rank." "He was verging on mid-rank when I fought him, I'm sure of it." He stated that! "Oh, he's that strong?" Bryan muttered. "Yeah, and their target was Jerusha." And Ramiel added! "What?!" This information surprised the professors. "Apparently, the demon wants to take Jerusha as his wife because of her spirit magic." "?!" But Ramiel's next words just shocked them even more! "So they're trying to kidnap talented people, huh." Professor Sariel mumbled, he looks really angry! The meeting then shifted to finding ways on how to protect the students from being abducted by the demons... ... At the very end of their session... "Any other concerns we should discuss?" Bryan asked that. And then... "Ah, we received a message from Duke Alvah." Sariel spoke up! "Huh? That bastard? What did he say?" Bryan inquired. "He's asking why we haven't kicked Raye out of the academy yet..." And Sariel muttered that with a frown! "What?" Bryan scowled. But then, with a twisted smile... "Inform him that the son he abandoned has demonstrated remarkable improvement and rapid growth, earning a scholarship in the process." "He's now in the S-Class, one of the academy's strongest students. Assure him there's no need to worry¡ªwe have no intention of expelling him." He announced that! If you noticed, he holds a clear disdain for Duke Alvah. "He's being praised as a hero by the townspeople too. Add that." "Got it." Sariel responded, finding the situation amusing. After that... "Now, let's discuss the upcoming event next week." Bryan shifted the meeting's topic once again. "Let's talk on how we'll receive the professors and students from the other academies." He said. "And also, how we'll dominate the upcoming competitions." And then followed with a smirk! That's right! Top students from the other academies were coming to Zion, and a friendly competition will be held! Though, it's only friendly in name! S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 100 100 - Awake! It's been eight days since the demon's attack...And finally... "Ugh...?" Raye regained his consciousness! Immediately, he opened his eyes... "What happened?" Raye sat up on his bed and looked around. And in doing so... "Huh?" He saw Old Man Rey sitting on a wooden chair beside him, he was asleep. Pyro was sleeping on his lap too. "..." Raye just stared at the Old Man, unsure of what to do. And just then... -He's been taking care of you ever since you got admitted here. He's tired, so just let him be for a while. He heard a voice above him! Raye looked up. And there... -Finally decided to wake up, huh. He saw Zephyrus, looking down at him! Swoosh- Zephyrus flew toward Raye and landed on his shoulder. And then, looking at him... -Why didn't you summon us? Zephyrus asked Raye. "..." Raye remained silent for a few seconds, just looking back at Zephyrus. But then, opening his mouth... "I was worried that the demons also attacked from the other part of the forest. You two are the only ones there to protect the Old Man." "I'm more worried about him than I'm worried about myself." Raye declared that with a serious expression on his face. -... Zephyrus stared at Raye. Though, after a while... -Okay. He simply replied and nodded his head. -And here I thought you didn't trust us. He said. "On the contrary, I trust you two so much that's why I left Old Man Rey's protection to you both." Raye immediately followed. Shrugging with his tiny wings... -Don't worry, I get it now. Zephyrus said that. -Gosh, I can't believe you two aren't real father and son. And then he commented, looking at the sleeping Old Man. -Still, call for us if you really need us. Zephyrus said, bringing his attention back to Raye. And with a smile... "I would, don't worry." Raye responded. Just then... Creak¡ª The room's door opened. Zephyrus and Raye turned toward it... Tap- And they saw Jerusha enter! "Huh?" Jerusha then saw Raye, sitting up and conscious. And immediately after that... "Raye!" Bam- Jerusha jumped toward Raye and hugged him! "Wha?!" Raye was surprised and flustered, but because he just woke up... He didn't have the strength to break free from her arms! (And not like he wants to. He's just embarrassed.) -'Ugh, they're always like this.' Zephyrus thought, slightly frowning. And during the commotion... "Huh?" -meep...? Old Man Rey and Pyro woke up! "..." They saw Raye. "..." And Raye saw them too. Then, with an awkward smile on his face... "Hello." He muttered that while Jerusha was hugging him! ***** After seeing Raye awake... Old Man Rey and Jerusha quickly called Raphael. He was the Healer Old Man. "Hmm..." And currently, he's checking on Raye's condition. "Anything hurt?" He asked. "Nope." Raye immediately responded with certainty. "Okay, then..." Raphael stood up straight. And with a casual expression on his face... "He's free to go." He declared that! "What? Really?" Old Man Rey asked. And looking at him... "The kid's injuries had healed days ago. The only reason we're keeping him here is because he hasn't woken up yet." Raphael explained. "And seeing that he's feeling nothing wrong, it's safe to say he's fully recovered." He added. "Haaaa..." Jerusha sighed in relief hearing his words. -Meep meep! And Pyro danced in the air, knowing that Raye's all well now! "..." Raye kind of felt guilty seeing how much he had worried them. But a small smile erupted on his face... He was happy to see that people do actually care for him. "Sorry for worrying you guys." Raye mumbled. And hearing him... -Meep! Bam- "Urgh?!" Pyro tackled his chest! He was trying to hug Raye. "I'm just glad you're okay now. You did good saving the kids." Old Man Rey then said, hugging him too. "Well, I'll be going now." Raphael then announced. But before going... "You might feel a little weak physically because you missed a lot of meals and hadn't moved for days, but that's normal, so don't worry." He said that to Raye. "Thanks." Raye replied, looking at him. But with a smile on his grumpy face... "No, thank you." Raphael muttered. "I'm close to the director of the orphanage; we're childhood friends. Thank you for saving her." He followed! And with that... Creak¡ª Thud- He left the room! After that... "Hmm, get a good night's rest now so we can go back to the cabin first thing in the morning." Old Man Rey separated himself from Raye and said that. It's currently 9 PM... "Okay." Raye simply replied. "Ah, wait! You should eat something first, you must've been feeling hungry." But then the Old Man insisted. "Erm, yeah... My stomach hurts a lot." Raye shyly whispered. "I'll buy you something outside." sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The Old Man mumbled. Then, slightly glancing at Jerusha... He looked at Zephyrus and Pyro. "You two, come with me. Search for an open store with me." He said. -Hmm, got it. Glancing at Jerusha too, Zephyrus nodded his head and agreed. -Meep! Pyro just innocently and excitedly responded. And with that... "Jerusha, keep an eye on the brat for a while." Your journey continues at empire "Ah, okay." Creak¡ª Thud- The three of them left the room. "..." And the room fell awkwardly silent. "..." "..." Raye and Jerusha didn't know what to say, so they just remained silent. Jerusha was embarrassed too for hugging Raye earlier in the heat of the moment. 'Ugh, why did I do that?!' She asked herself. Just then... "So, what happened after I passed out?" Raye spoke first, breaking the silence. And looking at him... Jerusha saw him awkwardly smiling. He was trying to lighten the mood by starting a conversation. 'He's really considerate, huh,' Jerusha thought with a small smile. Pat- Then, sitting on the wooden chair beside Raye... "Well, this happened¡ª" She began recalling what had happened that day. ... Jerusha told Raye that after her arrival, Ramiel came and handled the demon. With the help of Sister Irish, the two of them continuously healed him to prevent him from dying. Raye thanked her for that, saying he would thank the Sister later. Jerusha also informed Raye that the ugly fucker, Medina, had been caught and was currently being interrogated by Ramiel himself. Raye was relieved to hear that. ... "Wow, so that much happened in a day, huh. What chaos." Raye muttered after hearing the whole story from Jerusha. And looking at him... "..." Jerusha went silent. She was glad that he was now awake... "Hmm? Is something on my face?" Raye asked, noticing her staring. But instead of answering... "Huh?" Jerusha grabbed Raye's hand! And then, embarrassed... "Thank you for saving them." She softly muttered that! "..." Raye was stupefied, flustered. He then opened his mouth to respond to her... "I¡ª" Though... Creak¡ª "I've got you something!" -It's a stew, not rabbit though. -Meep! Old Man Rey and the two suddenly came back, interrupting him! Fwip- Jerusha quickly retrieved her hand. Fwip- And Raye did the same! "..." "..." The two of them then became silent, both embarrassed. And looking at them... "Huh? Why are you two red?" The Old Man asked. "It's not that hot here..." He added, looking around the room! Chapter 101 101 - Level Up! [1] The next day...Raye and Old Man Rey set out to return to the cabin around 9 AM. Devin, Lycus, and Kyle helped them. And when they got to the cabin... "Hello, everyone." "We're almost done, wait a little." Lena and Jerusha were there, preparing food for everyone! "We used your cooking equipment, Mister." Jerusha said while cooking. And with a shrug... "It's fine, thanks for cooking for us." Old Man Rey simply replied. 'This is nice. I'm starting to get hungry again.' Raye thought. He had just eaten roasted beef not long ago, which Kyle had brought for him... Anyway, after a few minutes... Lena and Jerusha finished cooking. Devin and Lycus then helped them prepare the table. And with that... "Let's eat!" "Thanks for the food." "Thank you, Lena and Jerusha, for cooking for us!" -I like this part of the deer meat. -Meep meep meep! They all ate together! It was pretty cramped, but they all enjoyed their meals. "For Raye's recovery!" Devin exclaimed. "YEAH!!!" And the others responded in unison. "Haha..." Raye just laughed, seeing how energetic they were. ***** Around 11 AM... "We'll be leaving now." "Rest well, Raye!" "Recover fast so we can start training together again!" "Take care." "Visit the shop soon, Brother Raye!" Jerusha and the others were about to leave. "Thank you, guys. See you later." Raye said, seeing them off. And after that... Tap- tap- tap¡ª Tap- tap- tap¡ª They left. "Hmm, what should I do now?" Raye asked, watching them disappear from his sight. Then, frowning at him... "The doctor told you to rest, so just go to your room and lie down on your bed." Old Man Rey said that. "But¡ª" Raye tried to rebut... "No buts. Rest so you can recover your strength." But the Old Man interrupted. "Fine." Raye simply replied. And with that... He headed to his room. 'It's boring to just do nothing. It's not like I have a phone or whatever.' Raye thought on his way. ***** Entering his room... "Ugh..." Raye lay down on his bed. "I missed this place." He mumbled. Then, looking up at the beat-up ceiling... "..." Raye started recalling his fight with the demon. "Pathetic..." He grumbled with a frown. 'I went down easily. I'm still not ready for the main story.' He thought. Raye felt frustrated with himself. He had trained every day for five months! He tried his best... 'But it still wasn't enough.' His body's limits were starting to show. Raising his stats was becoming much harder. And now, all he could do was hone his skills! "This body has really shitty talent." Raye said. "..." Then he went silent, just staring dumbfoundedly at the ceiling. But after a while... "Hup!" He sat up on his bed. And then... Fwip¡ª He took out his small spatial cloth bag. And from it... "Hmm." He took out an enhancement pill! Currently, Raye still had five of these with him! "I can't train right now. This is the only method I can use to increase my stats." He muttered seriously. He was stuck with the original Raye's mediocre talent. 'But I can't really change that.' And so... "I'll just do whatever I can to get stronger." Raye declared. "It's not like the main story or the demons would go easy on their attacks because of my situation." He added with a shrug. "Hup." And then he shifted into a lotus position. While thinking of Zephyrus and Pyro... "[Summon]" Raye muttered that. Swoosh¡ª -Huh? -Meep...? And the two of them were summoned in front of him! -Bruh, really? Zephyrus asked, realizing what had happened. -We're just outside the cabin. You could've just called. He added with a slight frown. "Meh, too lazy to do so." Raye shrugged. And without further ado... "You guys guard me." He instructed that. -Meep! Pyro readily replied with a big, cute smile. But Zephyrus... -Huh? He noticed what was in Raye's hand. -... And he went silent. "Just so you know, I won't let you stop me." Raye announced. Zephyrus looked at him. He saw Raye's face¡ªdead serious, his hunger to get stronger was evident. -'Every defeat really pushes him to be even greedier, huh.' Zephyrus thought. Then, lightly shaking his head... -You have five, right? Take two of them. He stated. "Huh?" Raye was surprised and confused. He thought Zephyrus would stop him because of his condition! -We healed your broken arm before with the enhancement pills. It's okay to take them with your condition right now. They'll help with your recovery if ever. Zephyrus then explained as if he was reading what was in Raye's mind! "Oh, okay." Raye replied, nodding his head. "But why two?" He asked. Zephyrus shrugged. And opening his little beak... -That's the best amount for you to take considering your body. He declared. "..." Raye was speechless. He looked at the enhancement pill in his hand... But then, with a resolute expression... Continue your journey on empire "Got it." He said and took out another pill from his spatial bag. "I'm going to start now." Raye mumbled. 'It's time to level up.' He thought. And without beating around the bush... GULP¡ªGULP¡ª Raye swallowed the two pills immediately! Seeing him do that... -Idiot! You're supposed to take the second one after absorbing the first! Zephyrus exclaimed with wide eyes! "What?" Raye asked. But before Zephyrus could even reply... "...?!" SWOOSH¡ª S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. He felt his whole body suddenly heat up, as if he'd jumped into a raging fire! "GRAAAAAAHHH!!!" Raye shouted in pain. But fearing the Old Man might hear him and worry... "GURGH...!!!" He bit his lips to stifle his cries! "URGH!!!" Raye groaned as his whole body turned red, veins bulging all over his face, looking ready to pop. Sweat poured out of him as blood began streaming from his eyes, nose, mouth, and ears! -Meep! Pyro exclaimed, worried to the point of tears. -Raye, don't lose consciousness! Zephyrus instructed with a frown. (Bruh, biggest challenge for Raye: Don't pass out.) -Try to absorb the pills' essence and calm it down! Zephyrus added. Hearing him... "GURGH...!" Raye tried his best to follow his instructions. He closed his eyes as saliva and blood dripped from his mouth. -Meeeep! Pyro was panicking. -Calm down! Don't distract Raye, let's guard him! But Zephyrus snapped him out of it. -meep... Pyro calmed down and followed Zephyrus's lead. "GRAARGH...!!!" While Raye continued absorbing the essence of the two enhancement pills. Chapter 102 102 - Level Up! [2] After two hours of grueling pain..."GAAAHH!!!" SWISH¡ª Raye successfully absorbed the enhancement pills' essences! He was sweating all around, blood was splashed everywhere... And Raye... "Haaaa... Haaaaaa... Haaaa..." He looks like a dried-up zombie at the moment! -Raye, can you understand me?! Zephyrus asked. And weakly... "Haaaa..." Raye looked at him and nodded his head. -Good, do you want anything? Zephyrus followed. Forcing himself to speak... "Wa...ter..." Raye muttered that. -Got it. Zephyrus responded, hearing his words. SWOOSH¡ª And then he quickly flew out of the room! On the other hand... -meep! Pyro was left alone with Raye, he was sick worried about him. -meep... Fwoosh¡ª Pyro flew around Raye, he doesn't know what to do. Raye looked at him... "Don't worry... I'm good..." And then he said that. -Meep! Of course, Pyro didn't believe him. And so... Swoosh¡ª He started channeling a bit of his mana to Raye. Raye immediately felt a bit better... "Thanks..." He mumbled with a weak smile. And just then... Fwoosh¡ª -Here! Zephyrus came back to the room! There's a cupful of water floating beside him too! Swoosh¡ª The cup flew in front of Raye. And looking at it... Fwip¡ª Gulp¡ª Raye quickly grabbed it and drank it! "Much better..." Raye whispered with a smile. Thud¡ª And then he fell on his back, on his bed! He was lying in his own blood! But being too tired and exhausted to care for that... "..." Raye just closed his eyes and lost consciousness! -Meep! Pyro chirped, worried. -He's just sleeping, he's fine now, fortunately. But Zephyrus said that and calmed him down. -... They then just looked at Raye for a while, making sure he's all good now. And after that... -The Old Man will be worried if he sees this. Zephyrus mumbled, looking at the mess inside Raye's room. -meep... Pyro agreed with him. Then by controlling winds... Swoosh¡ª Zephyrus collected a huge pool of blood and made it float in the air! While looking at it... -Burn it, Pyro. He said that! And understanding his assignment... -Meep! SWAAAA¡ª Pyro set the pool of blood on fire! It evaporated not long after and disappeared! -This could do. Zephyrus said. And with that... He continued cleaning Raye's room with Pyro's help! And those from the sheet, he squeezed the blood out using his magic and Pyro burned the dirt! ***** After 8 hours... "Ugh...?" Raye regained his consciousness! He immediately sat up and looked around. "Huh?" He was surprised to see that his room was clean. 'I swear it was like a shit place before I passed out.' He thought... Raye was sure he wasn't hallucinating before because he can smell himself, he stinks. Just then, suddenly... -Pyro and I cleaned it. Zephyrus talked, landing on top of his head! "Huh? Where'd you come from?" Raye asked. -I was just flying around, making sure no blood stain was left. And Zephyrus answered. -I also told the Old Man you were sleeping so he wouldn't get worried. He added. Hearing that... "Thanks." Raye was relieved. "Where's Pyro?" He followed. -Outside, helping the Old Man cook. Zephyrus replied. "Ohh, okay." Raye mumbled. -What you did earlier was utterly stupid. Then Zephyrus suddenly stated that. "Ugh." Raye groaned, embarrassed... But Zephyrus just continued! -Shouldn't it be obvious that taking one pill at a time is common sense?! He shouted. -You're lucky you're contracted with Pyro, a fire spirit. And then he grumbled. "Huh? What do you mean?" Raye asked, clueless. And proudly... -The enhancement pills' essence originated from fire, that's why you feel hot all over your body when you consume it. Zephyrus started explaining. -Because you're contracted with a fire spirit, you automatically have, even a little bit, fire resistance. -And because of that fire resistance, you were able to contain the enhancement pills' essence without suffering internal damage. He declared. -There's a possibility you'd be back in a deathbed if it wasn't for that. "Oh." Raye was shocked to hear this. "Guess I should be thankful to Pyro." He muttered with a smile. -Yeah, you should be, the kid's stressed because of you! Zephyrus snapped at him. S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Ugh, sorry." Raye apologized. -Forget about that. Zephyrus paused a little. And then, opening his mouth... -Open your stats. He instructed that! "Oh, right." Raye almost forgot about that. Looking at the ring artifact in his hand... "Status." Raye mumbled. Swoosh¡ª And a system window appeared! Though, before he could even take a look at it... "Raye, are you awake?!" He heard Old Man Rey calling from outside. "Huh?" Fwip¡ª Raye immediately closed his status window. 'Meh, this can wait.' He thought. And after that... "I'm awake!" He responded to the Old Man. "Good, let's eat!" "Okay!" After their brief shouting exchanges... Raye stood up from his bed. Tap- tap- tap¡ª Creak¡ª Thud¡ª And then he left the room! -... Zephyrus was left speechless inside the room, flying in the air. And with a shocked expression on his face... -I didn't expect that the effect would be that high. He muttered that! Fwoosh¡ª Anyway, he followed after Raye not long. ***** Outside the cabin... "How are you feeling?" Old Man Rey asked that as soon as Raye came out. "You've slept for about ten hours, that's new for you." He then commented. "Yeah, I'm feeling pretty good." Raye replied. And he's not joking, he feels really energetic right now! "Just kind of hungry, though." He added. -Meep! Pyro then, seeing Raye, flew over to him. Worry was apparent in his eyes. "Sorry for worrying you, Pyro. I'm fine now." Raye whispered to reassure him. -meep... But Pyro was still down. And so, to make him feel better... "Did you know? Zephyrus said that¡ª" Raye told Pyro what Zephyrus told him, that Pyro is the reason he was able to absorb the enhancement pills without having internal damage. "Thank you for that." Raye finished off with that. And after hearing the story... -Meep! Pyro proudly chirped, puffing out his chest. 'He's really just a kid.' Raye thought with a smile on his face. Following that... "Sit down, brat. Let's eat." "Ah, okay." -Meep! -What's for dinner? The four of them ate dinner. ***** Around 10 PM... Raye is back in his room. -... -... Zephyrus and Pyro were already asleep. "I can't sleep." Raye mumbled. He raised his right hand in the air while looking at the ceiling... "Let's see..." Raye muttered. And opening his mouth... "Status." He whispered that under hus breath! Swoosh¡ª A window system appeared. And this time... Raye took a proper look at it! ===== Name: Raye Alvah Age: 18 Year Level: 2 Race: Human ----- Stamina: 55 Intellect: 60 Mana: 49 Strength: 54 Speed: 60 Talent: 59 Luck: 56 ----- Wind Element: Level 21 (99%) Fire Element: Level 22 (3%) Spirit Magic: Level 20 (83%) Bow: Level 18 (48%) Dagger: Level 19 (58%) Sword: Level 25 (26%) Cooking: Level 20 (5%) ... ... ----- Overall Grade: D Growth Rate: S+ ===== "Neat, my overall grade increased by a rank." Raye said with a smirk on his face after seeing his stats. Chapter 103 103 - Rewards A week had passed...And the academy started again. Raye and the main characters are now sophomores. There was no class placement this semester as it was just held before... So they based the class placement on grades and performance this time. The [S Class] remained as it is. Most classes did, actually. Only in [C Class] and [D Class] were there changes. Anyway, today is the first day... And currently... "Ugh, back to school." Raye is standing in front of the classroom door, complaining. 'Professor Ramiel will work us to the bone again.' He grumbled in his head before entering the room. Creak¡ª Thud¡ª ***** Inside the classroom... Raye talked with Lena and Lycus, waiting for the class to start. The students in this class are divided into groups. They've all been classmates for five months now, but there are still walls separating them. S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Not that it bothers them... Anyway, after a few minutes... Creak¡ª The room's door opened. And then, the devil entered... "Yo! You guys missed me?" It was Ramiel. He had this annoying grin on his face. "Ugh..." The students groaned just by seeing him. "I'll take that as a yes." Ramiel said, hearing them. "Anyway, we all already know each other, so let's not bother with the introductions again." He followed. And casually... "I have an announcement to make." He declared! "Huh?" And before the students could even react... "We're going to have a friendly competition with the other academies, and the students from the S Classes are guaranteed to join." Ramiel announced that! 'He's really straight to the point, huh.' Raye said in his head. He already knew this from the game, so he wasn't surprised. On the other hand... "What?!" "With the other academies?!" "A competition?!" His classmates weren't the same. "..." Lena was frowning. "A competition against the other academies, huh..." Meanwhile, Lycus, Leon, and Allen had their eyes wide open. They were excited for this event. Though, their excitement was short-lived... "Anyway, that's that. Let's go to the training ground and prepare for the upcoming events!" Ramiel exclaimed with a mischievous smile on his face. "Huh...?" "On the first day? Again?" "This sucks!" Of course, the students weren't thrilled about this. "..." Raye, Lena, Lycus, Leon, and Allen had small frowns on their faces. They were cursing Ramiel in their heads. Though, just then... "Ah!" Ramiel paused and remembered something. He looked at Raye. And opening his mouth... "I almost forgot, you go to the headmaster's office first." He said. "Hm?" The others looked at Raye... "..." And they all remembered what he did about two weeks ago. 'He's probably about to receive some nice rewards for protecting the orphanage.' 'Lucky, he doesn't have to deal with Ramiel's bullshit as soon as the academy starts again.' they thought. "Oh, okay." Raye stood up and answered. And while containing a smile... 'Sweet, I'll take my time getting back to class.' Raye thought. "Okay, everyone else... Follow me to the training grounds!" Ramiel shouted. Creak¡ª Thud¡ª And then he quickly left the room. "Tsk." "This is shitty." And while grumbling... Tap- tap- tap¡ª The students, except Raye, all started to follow after him. "See you later." Lycus said to Raye before going. "..." And Lena just waved goodbye at him. "See you." Raye muttered. And after that... Tap- tap- tap¡ª He started heading to the headmaster's office. Creak¡ª Thud¡ª ***** After a while of walking... "..." Raye was now standing in front of the headmaster's office. And without much thought in his head... Creak¡ª Tap¡ª He entered the room. "Hello, long time no see." Bryan, sitting behind his table, greeted Raye as soon as he came in. "It's nice to see you again." Raye greeted back with a slight bow. "Sit down here." Bryan then instructed, looking at the leather chair on the opposite side of his table. And silently... Pat¡ª Raye complied. "Do you know why you're here?" Bryan asked. And with an uninterested look on his face... "Well, yeah. It's pretty obvious." Raye answered. 'This kid is really, really straightforward.' Bryan thought with a smile. "Well, that saves me the trouble of explaining, then." He muttered. "You're here to be commended for the action you took in protecting the orphanage." "I actually wanted a ceremony to be held to reward you, but it would be pretty stupid to do so as you're the only one being rewarded. The ceremony would be at most five minutes long. The preparation would be much longer and harder." Then Bryan added. Hearing his last words, Raye was glad the ceremony didn't happen. 'I'm fine as long as I receive the rewards. I don't need a stupidly fancy ceremony held for me.' He thought. And just as he did... Tap¡ª Bryan placed a fancy-looking silver ring between him and Raye, on top of the table. "...?" Raye looked at it curiously. And as he was doing so... "That's a high-end spatial storage." Bryan suddenly declared that with a proud smirk! "...?!" Raye's eyes widened in surprise upon hearing that. But that's not all... "The royal family also rewarded you two hundred coins for your achievement. It's inside the ring." Bryan added! "..." Raye was speechless. But then, the corners of his lips raised... And soon, a smile rested on his face! 'Jackpot.' Raye thought. "You can take it now." And as soon as he heard that from Bryan, without hesitation... Fwip¡ª Raye took and wore the ring! It was on his middle finger of his right hand, and the size of the ring magically adjusted to fit perfectly! 'Neat.' Raye said in his head, looking at it. He thought he was done here and was ready to leave. But, as he was admiring the ring on his hand... "Raye, there's actually another reason why I called you here." Bryan suddenly said that. Hearing this... "Huh?" A confused look appeared on Raye's face. "You've heard that students from the other academies are coming, right?" Bryan asked. "Yeah." And Raye nodded in response. "..." Bryan paused for a moment. And after looking at Raye straight in the eyes... "I want you to be our secret weapon." He declared that with a serious expression on his face! "Huh?" Raye muttered, unsure if he just heard that one right. Chapter 104 104 - Spar [1] "I want you to be our secret weapon?""Huh?" Raye was shocked by what he had just heard. He was waiting for Bryan to correct his words. But even after a few seconds had passed by... "..." Bryan remained still, just looking at him seriously. And at that moment... "Haaaaa..." Raye just decided to accept what he heard was right. "Why me?" He asked Bryan. 'This was supposed to be Leon's role.' He thought to himself. Then, opening his mouth... "Because of your monstrous growth." Bryan answered Raye's question. "Your achievements and improvements have just happened recently, and because of that, the other academies have no data about you. All they know is... you're a scum trash disowned by his family." He explained. 'The latter part was uncalled for.' Raye said in his head. Anyway... "I want to surprise them, using you." Bryan declared that. "..." Raye was speechless. 'This is probably the reason he put me in S-Class willingly and gave me a scholarship.' He thought. And he was absolutely right about that... 'This guy is really competitive, huh.' Just as Raye was thinking of that... "So, do you accept?" Bryan asked him again. Then, with a slight frown on his face... "Depends on the reward." Raye responded! And with a sly smirk on his face... "Rewards." Bryan corrected him! "Just show me a good performance and you wouldn't regret it." He shrugged. And casually... "Then, I'm all in." Raye replied. ***** After their last talk, Raye was about to leave. Though, before he did... "Ah." Bryan suddenly remembered something. "Your father sent us a message about you. Are you curious to know what it is?" He said and asked Raye. And looking at him, uninterested... "No thanks, I'm fine." Raye answered. "Haha, got it." Bryan replied. And then, following that... "Your older brother from the Night Academy will be coming as well, you know?" He added. This time... "..." Raye showed a reaction. He frowned. 'Ugh, I know the original Raye doesn't have a good relationship with any of his family members. This will be annoying.' Raye thought. "I just hope I didn't do anything back in the day to piss him off." And then he said that, responding to Bryan. "Anyway, I should be going now." He followed that. "Okay, you're excused." And Bryan replied. Raye then stood up... Tap- tap- tap¡ª And he started walking toward the door. Though, before he went out... "You're going to use Leon as a secret weapon too, right?" S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Raye looked back and asked Bryan that! "?!" Bryan's eyes slightly widened at his sudden question. "How did you know?" He asked. But with just a shrug... "It's just pretty obvious." Raye answered. Creak¡ª Thud¡ª And then he left the room! "..." Bryan was left speechless in his office. Meanwhile... 'With his reaction, I can at least confirm that I didn't steal Leon's role, I was just added.' Raye was able to confirm that! He had a smirk on his face right now. ***** Tap- tap- tap¡ª Raye was now walking toward the training grounds where Ramiel and his classmates were. He was taking his time, even walking slowly... 'I'm currently recovering, he can't force me.' Raye thought confidently on his way. He really tried everything he can to waste time. ... ... After a few minutes... Raye reached his destination. "..." He just stood still for a while outside the indoor training ground. He was still not ready to meet the devil. But against his will... "I still need to meet him." And so with that... Creak¡ª Raye opened the door. Tap¡ª And then he stepped inside the room! And as soon as he did... "Haaaaa... Haaaaa... Haaaaa..." He saw his classmates lying on the floor! 'They're dying!' Raye exclaimed in his head as he saw them¡ªthey looked worse than him when he just woke up from the coma! They are lying down on their own pool of sweat! "..." Lena and Lycus were sitting while resting their backs against the wall. They couldn't even look at Raye! "Haaaa... hufff... fuck...!" Leon and Allen were breathing heavily, face-down on the floor. They couldn't move their bodies! And seeing them like this... 'What the fuck did that devil do? I was gone for just half an hour max!' Raye became nervous. He looked up at the arena. And there... He saw Ramiel looking at him with a smirk! "Well, well, well, look who decided to show up. I could feel your presence just standing still outside the training ground earlier, you know?" Ramiel said mischievously! And hearing his words... "...?!" Raye felt chills down his spine! "Raye." Ramiel called for him. "W-What?" Raye stuttered. And with a stupid grin on his face... "Come up here. Let's have an educational spar." Ramiel declared that! ***** "I can't believe this." Raye muttered as he stood on top of the arena, holding a wooden sword. "Is the sword your main weapon?" Ramiel, who was standing on the opposite side of the arena, asked him. "Well, you could say that." Raye replied. "Do you use other weapons?" Ramiel followed up with another question. And this time... "Mhm." Raye just nodded his head as a response. "Okay... I don't care how many weapons you've got. Use everything you want in this fight." Ramiel declared. "You sure?" Raye asked to confirm. And Ramiel just shrugged his shoulders! "Can I use my spatial storage then?" "Suit yourself." And after getting the go sign... Tap- tap- tap¡ª Raye quickly went back to the weapon area! Fwip¡ª He took another wooden sword, a wooden dagger, a bow, and then arrows! And with that done... Tap- tap- tap¡ª He silently climbed back onto the arena. "I'm ready," Raye declared. "Good." And Ramiel responded. "Because I'm clearly stronger and you're still not in your best shape, I'll only launch non-mana attacks." He added while putting on his training leather gloves. "That sounds good." Raye said. And with that... Fwip¡ª He took a fighting stance! "..." "..." His classmates, who were exhausted earlier, were now resting in the resting areas. They were looking on top of the arena with curiosity. After all... 'Let's see how strong he's gotten.' They were curious about Raye's current prowess! "..." Seconds passed, and the room remained silent. Tension was rising, and the atmosphere was getting heavy. And then, not long after... "Start!" Ramiel exclaimed that with a crazed smile on his face! "[Flash]" And Raye immediately muttered that! Chapter 105 105 - Spar [2] (Raye's POV)"Because I'm clearly stronger and you're still not in your best shape, I'll only launch non-mana attacks." Ramiel declared as he put on his leather gloves. And immediately... "That sounds good." I said that. Fwip- Then I took a fighting stance while holding a wooden sword on each hand. 'He's wrong about one thing.' I thought as I looked at Ramiel. It's true that he's definitely stronger than me. But right now... 'I'm actually in my best shape.' I declared in my head. "Start!" And when Ramiel announced the start of our match¡ª "[Flash]" I immediately used that skill! Bam- Swish- I launched forward toward Ramiel! There were only about ten meters between us, so in a matter of milliseconds... Fwish¡ª I appeared in front of him! "...?" Ramiel's eyes slightly widened, seeing me in front of him. SWISH¡ª So I took that chance and slashed horizontally with my right sword, aiming at the left side of his body! "No wonder that Charles guy wasn't able to respond." I heard Ramiel casually say. And before I could even process it... Bam! "Urgh?!" I was punched in the face! But I was already aware that Ramiel's specialty was his speed despite his massive size. So, as I stumbled back and without being surprised¡ª SWOOSH¡ª I followed with a rising strike from the bottom with my left sword! Though... "Hm?" Tap- Fwish¡ª Ramiel just stepped back and completely avoided it. And looking at me... Fwoosh¡ª He launched a back kick! TWHACK! I used the wooden sword in my right hand to block it. "?!" But the force behind his attack was strong. Bam- So I leaped back to soften it. As soon as I did, though... Fwish- "This is how you do ambushes." Ramiel suddenly dashed toward me and reached me as I was in mid-air! Fwoosh¡ª Then he launched a heavy right straight! "Gurgh...!" I frowned hard, seeing that. And forcibly... 'Reach...!!' I extended my right foot to the ground! Tap- And when it barely touched the floor... "[Flash]" I used that skill again! B ut this time... Swoosh¡ª I launched myself up into the air! Swish¡ª And Ramiel's fist hit nothing but air! "Huh?" Ramiel followed me with his eyes. sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. And then, he smirked. "Bad decision. There's nowhere for you to dodge now." He said, preparing a heavy attack to catch me. Though, calmly... "I can still attack though." I said that. Fwish¡ª And then I stored both of my swords in my spatial storage! Clap¡ª I clapped my hands in front of me. "[Lit up]." And then I muttered that! Swaaaa¡ª A raging fire covered my hands! And seeing that... "...?" Ramiel frowned. I hadn't shown this skill to anyone else except Jerusha. So he didn't know what was coming! Fwip¡ª I pulled back my right hand. FWAAAA¡ª Then the fire in my hands took the form of a bow and arrow! And aiming it at Ramiel below me... "[Shoot]." I smirked and muttered that! SWOOSH¡ª The fire arrow shot forward, heading straight to Ramiel! And feeling the mana packed into it... "Hmm, that's interesting." Ramiel mumbled that. Bam¡ª And he decided to avoid it! BOOM!!! The fire arrow hit the ground, and a loud explosion occurred! Swoosh¡ª A huge dust cloud was created from the debris. Tap¡ª And I landed inside of it! "I can feel your presence, you know?" I heard Ramiel say. "I can feel yours too." And I casually responded! Fwip- I took out the bow from my spatial storage, and after loading it with an arrow... Fwish- I aimed it at Ramiel! And as soon as I did... Fwop- I let go of the bowstring! "[Gust]" And then I cast that to make the arrow fly faster! SWOOSH¡ª The arrow flew forward and tore through the debris! "Huh?" I heard Ramiel mutter outside the dust cloud. Swish¡ª And then I felt his presence move to the side! 'He avoided it.' I didn't waste a second. I loaded another arrow into the bow. And after aiming it again at Ramiel... "[Gust]" FWOOSH¡ª I shot again! Your next chapter is on empire "Ugh." Ramiel groaned, annoyed. And this time... TWHOCK¡ª I heard wood hitting something! I immediately knew that Ramiel had deflected the arrow this time. And as if that wasn't enough... BAM¡ª I felt his presence dashing toward me! 'Ugh, I was hoping to buy more time with the bow.' I thought. Fwip¡ª And then I stored the bow back and took out the wooden swords again! Soon enough... "That was really annoying, the arrows." Ramiel reached me! And looking at him... "Glad you liked them." I replied! SWOOSH¡ª And swung my right sword diagonally up! TWHACK¡ª But Ramiel just grabbed and stopped it with his left hand! SWISH¡ª I responded by launching another attack, I slashed vertically down with my left sword! But just like the first one... TWHOCK¡ª! Ramiel just caught it with his right hand! "What now?" He asked, looking at me arrogantly. He looked really annoying, to be honest. "..." Anyway, without responding to him... Fwip- I let go of the wooden sword in my right hand. Fwish- Then I took out the wooden dagger! And while holding it in a reverse edge out grip... Fwish¡ª I launched a swift, horizontal slash! "?!" Ramiel was surprised by this, I could see it on his face. Tap- Fwoosh¡ª He took a single step back and avoided my attack. But seeing that... 'Caught you!' I exclaimed in my head and smiled! Tap- I immediately stepped closer to him with my right foot! And with my dagger raised... FWOOSH¡ª I brought it down, intending to stab Ramiel in the head! I was smiling, seeing my dagger near Ramiel's face! But then... BAM¡ª! I suddenly felt a heavy strike on my stomach! "KEUK?!" I felt the air escape my body! And the next thing I knew... FWOOSH¡ª I was flung away, outside the dust cloud! Thud- And I fell face-first on the arena! 'Why in the stomach again?!' I exclaimed in my head as I gasped in air. Chapter 106 106 - Spar [3] (Raye's POV)"Urgh..." I groaned in pain as I lay on the floor. I think I was flung about fifteen meters away! I'm on the edge of the arena now... I grabbed my stomach, it hurts like hell. 'Why my stomach again?!' I asked in my head. Then, looking up toward the disappearing dust cloud... I saw Ramiel, looking down at me. "That was a great response earlier. I needed to increase my speed just to counter you." He said with a stupid looking smile on his face. He's also holding one of my wooden swords. I know he was holding back by a lot, but I didn't expect him to use more power just to counterattack me! 'Should've just let me hit you, idiot!' Tap¡ª I exclaimed in my head as I stood up. I then swapped the places my dagger and sword. And looking straight at Ramiel again... S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Fwip- I took a fighting stance once more. "Nice fighting spirit." Ramiel said as he slowly walked toward me. Tap- tap- tap¡ª Crack! He broke my other wooden sword in half on the way and threw it on the floor. 'Bruh, I hope the headmaster deducts it from his paycheck.' I thought. Anyway... "..." I waited in silence as Ramiel approached me. Tap¡ª Each of his steps echoed throughout the room. And as he got near me... "Ugh..." The tension and the atmosphere grew much more intense. After a while... Tap- Ramiel stopped about ten meters away from me. "..." And without saying anything... Swish¡ª He disappeared from my sight! Fwish- And reappeared just a meter away from me! "...!" I was surprised. But as a response... Fwoosh¡ª I threw the wooden dagger in my left hand forward! "Oh?" Fwish¡ª Ramiel turned his head to the side to avoid it. And at that moment... Fwip- I grabbed the handle of my wooden sword tightly with both hands. SWISH¡ª And I slashed horizontally! It was a swift and heavy attack! "Woah, easy there." Fwoosh¡ª Ramiel crouched down and avoided it! "Ugh...!" I used a lot of force behind my attack, and because of it... Swoosh¡ª My body did a complete spin! But gritting my teeth... "HUP!" Swish¡ª I used my momentum and launched a side whip kick, intending to stomp Ramiel's head with my left foot! Bam- Ramiel leaped back, seeing that. BAM! So my foot only hit the floor! Crack- The floor cracked upon impact. But ignoring that... "Tsk." I clicked my tongue in annoyance. Then, when I looked in front of me to launch another attack... "?!" I just saw Ramiel's fist in front of my face! It wasn't moving. And seeing that... "Haaaa..." I just let out a sigh. "I lost." And then I admitted. Upon doing so... "You did good." Ramiel said that and retrieved his hand away from my face. ***** "..." Everyone who watched Ramiel and Raye's bout was speechless. It wasn't that long, but their exchanges were so fast they almost lost track of them! Except for Allen, of course. He specializes in speed too, after all. But after watching the two fight each other... Allen realized one thing. 'I'm still not fast enough.' Discover hidden tales at empire He thought. And so, he decided to train more to increase his speed! And it wasn't just him that felt something... "..." Everyone else felt like they should do something too. Because if they didn't, it'd feel like they were being left behind. "Ugh, Raye's speed of growth is annoying." Josh Harris, a main character in the game and a student in [S Class], said that with a frown. And hearing his words... "..." The others just silently agreed. They were all already doing well enough. But Raye was making them feel like they weren't. 'He's gotten faster compared to our last spar before he went into a coma.' Lycus thought. 'What happened to him?' He asked in his head, really curious. On the other hand... 'Would I win if I fought him again?' Leon asked that to himself. Just half a year ago, the answer would be easy, of course he'll win. But now... 'I'm not sure...' Leon thought with a slight frown on his face. And im silence... "..." He decided to increase his training! Anyway, back to Raye and Ramiel... "You were great." Ramiel praised Raye's performance. "Thanks. You're fast as hell" Then Raye responded. Ramiel just shrugged his shoulders... "You heard about the secret weapon plan from the headmaster, right?" And then he asked. "Yeah." Raye simply nodded his head as a response. "I actually asked you to spar with me so I could check your current strength." Ramiel stated. And looking at him... "So, how did I do?" Raye followed. "Well, you're fast for your age¡ªreally fast." Ramiel said. "But you can go faster." And then he added! "Huh?" Raye was confused by his words. But before he could even say anything about it... "Until the competition with the other academies, I'll train you personally during our class sessions." Ramiel one-sidedly decided that! "Huh?" Raye muttered, still confused. ***** ... Except for Ramiel's class... Raye's other classes went normally and calmly. After all, it was only the first day of the academy. Raye attended his [Alchemy Class], [Artifact Engineering Class], and [Runes & Ancient Symbols Class]. He listened intently to the lessons... After his classes, he headed to the library with Lena to study some more. They studied for a few hours. And now, currently... Tap- tap- tap¡ª Raye was walking on his way back to the cabin. "..." His surroundings were silent. Raye glanced around, then, out of boredom... "Open window." He muttered that. And as soon as he did... Swoosh¡ª Two system windows appeared in front of him! ===== Surprise Event: Defend the Sanctuary of Innocence against the Demon and its Dog! (Complete) ===== ===== Rewards: ----- +50% EXP to all skills Increase growth speed by 60% for a month ===== Raye received these messages earlier when he got his rewards from Bryan, he just hadn't had time to read them properly. "Increase growth speed, huh." The second reward caught his attention. Raye knew it from the game, and it basically meant what it said. 'I'll grow stronger faster for a certain period of time.' It's something good for Raye at the moment. After all, his growth speed is starting to decrease... "A month, huh." Raye mumbled. And with a slight smile on his face... "I should train more for a month then." He declared that! (Is he a masochist? Rest dude...) Chapter 107 107 - Welcoming The Guests [1] A week had passed...And Raye's schedule was still as hectic as ever. For the past few days... He was being trained to the bone by Ramiel every morning to increase his speed and technique's proficiency. Raye spars with Ramiel every day. And after that... He does leg workouts until his legs give up! He's not allowed to use mana to enhance them and he can't get them healed up! So he always spends the rest of his day with his legs shaking... He attends his other classes like that, frowning hard every day. And after his classes... Raye studies artifact engineering in the library with Lena. He has the proper set of knowledge now to work on artifacts, but he doesn't have the materials to do so. 'Guess I already know what I want for one of my rewards for this secret weapon bullshit.' Raye thought to himself. Anyway, after spending a few hours in the library... Raye returns to the cabin. And after eating with Old Man Rey, Pyro, and Zephyrus... He starts his repair of the cabin! Jerusha comes a couple of hours later, and when she does... She and Raye head to the Northern Forest. And there... "[Flash]" Raye will train to increase his proficiency with his special skills and improve them with the help of Jerusha! Not long after that... "Yo!" "Hi, Raye, Jerusha." Devin and Lycus will arrive. "I'll call you guys later." Jerusha then goes back to the cabin and helps the Old Man make dinner. She'll call the guys once they're ready. And when she leaves... "Let's get started." The three will start their free-for-all training match! This had been Raye's routine for a week now, his chores not included. He suffered a lot for a couple of days, but halfway through the week... 'Hmm, my stamina increased.' He started doing fine. ... Now, it's the first day of a new week... And the students from the other academies finally arrived at Zion Academy! ***** Raye is currently in one of the indoor training grounds with his classmates. Ramiel left them there. Meanwhile, him... He's outside welcoming the people that came from the other academies. 'Twenty students came each from three academies, and they're all elite students. Not including the staff and professors that came with them, there are roughly sixty guests, huh.' Raye thought. He's doing squats while carrying a 50-kilogram heavy dumbbell on his back. 'I can already tell how annoyed Ramiel is right now, heh.' He then added with a smirk. Raye knows that Ramiel hates attending events like these, but he has no choice because the headmaster makes him do it. He's happy to think that Ramiel is suffering because he made him suffer for the past week. Anyway, inside the training ground... The others are training as well. Allen was actually trying to copy Raye's training for the past days, hoping to increase his speed too. And Lycus... "Thanks for agreeing to spar with me during this class, Leon." He was training with Leon! "No, I actually like training with you. You're strong." Leon said to him. On the other hand... "..." Lena was just in the resting area, meditating to increase her already monstrous mana capacity. The others were just training on their own, preparing for the competition. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Though, as they were doing so... "Hm?" Raye felt a lot of presence outside the training ground. And it's not just him... "Huh?" "...?" His classmates felt them too. The presences were strong, and they were slowly approaching where they were. 'Ramiel's strong presence is not with them, so it's probably not the professors... Are they the students from the other academies?' Raye concluded in his head. And as soon as he thought of that... Creak¡ª The double doors of the training ground opened! Tap- tap- tap¡ª Tap- tap- tap¡ª Tap- tap- tap¡ª And thirty young men entered the room! "..." Raye and the others quickly dropped what they were doing and turned to the people who had just entered. They were all wearing uniforms¡ªthree designs, a blue one, a black one, and a red one. So it was easy to know who they were... 'Yep, they're students from the other academies.' Raye thought. Just then... Stay connected via empire "Hello, guys." Someone in the red uniform suit said that with a smile. He was a red-haired student from the [Crimson Academy]. 'Ugh, that smile is so fake.' Raye said in his head. And so did his classmates... "..." So, they didn't answer the red-haired guy's greeting. "I'm already getting a silent treatment, huh." The guy said. And just purely out of impulse and intrusive thoughts... "Yeah, maybe you should get silent as well." Raye casually mumbled that! "Ah." And he was shocked when he realized he said that out loud! "..." The room went totally silent. And everyone looked at Raye! Raye, well... "..." He just kept a poker face and looked at the red-haired guy. 'Fucking hell, it just had to slip out.' Raye grumbled inside his head. "What's your name?" The red-haired student then asked Raye. And while keeping a straight face... "Why don't you tell yours first?" Raye said that! "Oh, my bad." The red-haired student replied. He was pissed, but was still smiling. "My name is Ignis Valefor, a first-class sophomore student at Crimson Academy." He introduced himself. And following him... "Raye, S-Class sophomore, magic course." Raye introduced himself back. "So, what are you guys doing here? Because we're not buying your nice acts." And then he immediately followed that! 'I already messed up, might as well end this as soon as possible.' He thought. And hearing his words... "Is that so..." Ignis muttered that with a smirk. "All of us here are also sophomore elites from prestigious academies. We just want to see you guys." He stated. "After all, we want to see the faces of the opponents we're going to defeat." And then he added that! "..." Hearing him made Leon and the others frown. "Don't misunderstand, we won't be working together. We just thought that Zion's students are getting weak now as you can enter the elite class just by being rich." Ignis declared with a smug expression. His words really pissed off Leon and the others. He was clearly talking about the event where the nobles got exposed for bribing their way up! Anyway, realizing what he was doing... "Meh." Raye shrugged his shoulders. "You don't need to provoke us, you know?" He said. And then, looking at the students from the other academies one by one... "We'll defeat you guys either way." He declared that casually! 'You guys got destroyed by the main characters in the game, dumbasses.' 'It's canon event.' This is what Raye meant when he said that. Chapter 108 108 - Welcoming The Guests [2] "You don't have to provoke us, you know?""We'll defeat you guys either way." Raye said nonchalantly. He wasn't bragging or being arrogant, it was just like he was stating a fact! And because of this brazen attitude of his... "..." The students from the other academies frowned. They were pissed! 'Woah, this guy is really a nutjob.' Raye's classmates thought, looking at him. S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Haha, is he an idiot?" Lycus muttered with a small laugh. "Pfft..." Even Lena found the situation funny. The two of them were pretty far away from the group. "I see." Ignis, holding back his anger, muttered that with a fake smile again. "Guess we did something unnecessary, then." He added. "Yeah, you did." And Raye immediately followed that! 'Gosh, he just won't shut up, huh.' His classmates thought, slightly nervous. 'Can't he see that guy is barely suppressing his anger?' They were scared that a fight might suddenly break out. Anyway, after a pause... "Well, that's all we really want. We'll take our leave now." Ignis said that. "Well, hurry up. We were training. You could've just waited until our classes were done, in the first place." And Raye responded! "..." The room went silent again, and heavy tension filled the air. 'Is this idiot really trying to start a fight?!' Leon thought with a frown on his face. Raye's classmates started thinking that Raye's past personality was starting to resurface! Anyway, with veins bulging out of his head and as he tightly clenched his hands into fists... "You know we're currently staying in the same dorms as you top scorers." Ignis stated that. "So?" Raye casually replied. And looking at him straight in the eye... "I'll be waiting for you there." Ignis declared with a threatening voice! "...?" Raye was confused. But before he could even start speaking again... Tap- tap- tap¡ª Ignis walked toward the door... Creak¡ª Thud- And then he left the room! "..." The other students remained and stared at Raye and his classmates. "..." Raye and the others just stared back at them. A strange tension was building up. And soon... Tap- tap- tap¡ª Tap- tap- tap¡ª Tap- tap- tap¡ª They all just started leaving too without saying a word! 'Weirdos.' Raye thought to himself. But then... "Hm?" Someone caught his attention. It was a young man, and he was looking at him too. He was wearing a black fancy suit¡ªa uniform of the [Night Academy]. And seeing the young man's long white hair... 'That's Raye's big brother, huh.' Raye immediately recognized who it was! The young man was mouthing something to him... Raye concentrated and tried to understand what he was saying. And upon doing so... 'I'll be waiting for you as well.' Raye understood what he wanted to say. "Huh?" He was confused by this again. 'Whatever.' So he just decided to not mind their words. And soon... Thud- The students from the other academies were gone! "..." And peace returned to the room! "Man, are you crazy?" Joshua Bassett, another classmate of Raye and a main character in the game, approached Raye and said that. And it wasn't just him... "What you did was kinda satisfying to watch, haha." "Yeah, that red-haired bastard was totally silenced!" Raye's other classmates did the same! They were surprised by Raye's actions because he was normally quiet, but they liked what he did just now. "..." Even Leon and Allen thought so, they were just remaining quiet. "Haha, what were you thinking, picking a fight with the guest?" Lycus asked, approaching Raye. And looking at him... "They were going to pick a fight with us anyway. So I just did it first." Raye casually answered. "You've really gone crazy." Lena said, walking over to him. "Meh." Raye just shrugged at her words. Anyway, after that... They all returned to their respective training. And not long after... Creak¡ª Ramiel returned with a small frown on his face. "Ugh, I hate those guys from the other academies." He said. Then, looking at his students... "Beat their students all up!" He instructed that! And while smiling... ""YEAH!!!"" The students replied in unison. ***** Except for that encounter with the students from the other academies... Raye's day proceeded as usual. He fought Ramiel for the rest of the class when he returned. And he attended his other classes exhausted. Then, after that... He went to the library with Lena and studied there for a couple of hours. Following that, he visited Devin and Kyle in the shop to eat with them. ... ... Meanwhile, around 6 PM... "I want to kill that fucker." Ignis was waiting outside the [Ascendant Hall]. It's the dormitory where the students from [S Class] stay, any grade level. Anyway, who was Ignis waiting for? Raye! He was waiting for Raye! And it wasn't just Ignis, there were three more people with him waiting for the same person! They just assumed Raye stayed in this dorm because he was from the [S Class]... "Still, he's a bold guy, huh." Christian Hartford said to Ignis. He's a blue-haired young man wearing a blue fancy uniform. Christian was from the [Special Group] of the [Zephyros Institute]! "I just hope he can back his words with his skills." Stay updated via empire Ace Silvercrest then muttered. He was a handsome black-haired young man wearing a clean black uniform. He was from the [Special Order] of the [Night Academy]! Ignis, Christian, and Ace¡ªthe three of them were the representatives of their academies! They were strong individuals who could rival the main characters! Anyway... "He's nothing but all talk." Someone suddenly intervened and said that. He was also wearing a black uniform. But his hair was bright white and long! He had blue eyes and was handsome, and his body was well-built! It was Elias Alvah¡ªRaye's older brother! "What do you mean by that?" Ace asked, hearing him. Christian and Ignis looked at Elias too, curious about his words. And then, with an emotionless expression on his face... "Raye, my brother... He got disowned for being trash, both in talent and personality." Elias declared that! "Huh... Guess beating him up wouldn't be so hard." Ignis mumbled, hearing Elias' words. "Ehhh, he's boring then." Christian followed. And then, while frowning a little... "That's disappointing." Ace muttered. "Anyway, let's wait for him and give him a proper lesson!" Ignis exclaimed. And with his words... "Okay." He and the others waited for Raye. They waited and waited... For hours... One hour... Two hours... Three hours... Until it was 10 PM! "..." "..." "..." "..." But Raye didn't appear! "I'm really going to kill that fucker." Ignis whispered to himself. His eyes were blood-red in anger, and he's clenching his hands into fists tightly. Today... Raye successfully pissed off the student representatives of the other academies and his older brother! Chapter 109 109 - Next The next day...Tap- tap- tap¡ª Raye headed to his class like usual. He had no idea that he pissed off the student representatives of the other schools and his big brother. Heck, he didn't even know that they were waiting for him yesterday! "Hmm..." 'The atmosphere seems a bit off.' Raye thought as he walked through Xapham Hall. The students were on edge, and they seemed fidgety. 'They're nervous. Probably because of the other academies being here.' Raye concluded. "Meh." And then he just shrugged and continued on his way. He didn't really care, to be honest. ... Anyway, not long after... Tap¡ª Raye reached his destination, the [S Class]'s classroom. But when he got there... "Huh?" He just saw Lena and all of his classmates outside the room. "Why are you all out here?" Raye asked as he approached them. Lycus looked at him, and opening his mouth... "There's no class today." He declared that. "What?" Raye muttered in confusion. "Professor Ramiel and the other professors are having a meeting with the staff and professors from the other academies. They'll probably be talking about the competition next week." And then Lena explained. "Oh." 'Well, that's logical.' Raye said in his head. 'This part was probably cutout in the game.' He added. Then, after nodding his head... "So, where are you guys headed?" Raye asked that. After all, if the classes were canceled, then these guys would've separated ways long ago. It was unusual for Raye to see them all together other than when in class. Moving on, the one that answered Raye's question... "We're going to one of the indoor training grounds." It was Allen, surprisingly. "..." Raye looked at him. And then, looking back at him... "The students from the other academies are there, apparently." Allen followed that. "Is that so..." Raye mumbled with a slight nod. "Then why are you all still here?" He asked. This time... Swish¡ª "..." All of his classmates looked at him. "...?" Raye was confused. He frowned. He felt like something bothersome was going to happen. He opened his mouth, but before he could even say anything... "We were waiting for you." Leon suddenly declared that! "..." Raye's head quickly turned to him. "Why though?" He asked while still frowning. And with a shrug of his shoulders... "You're currently the face of our class after what you pulled yesterday, so obviously you should come with us." Leon said that. "Umm, no." And Raye immediately replied. But following that... "You should come, it's a strategy too." Lycus said. "The students from the other academies will focus on you, you'll be overshadowing us. And while that's happening, we'll be observing them from the back, gaining us the upper hand in the competition." And then he quickly explained. "..." Raye became silent, hearing his words. He pondered for a while. And then, after a few moments... "Fine, I'm curious about them too." Raye agreed to come with them! 'This will help the plot, and I'll be just a decoy anyway.' He thought to himself. And with that decided... "Okay then, let's go." "..." Tap- tap- tap¡ª Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Tap- tap- tap¡ª Tap- tap- tap¡ª They all left together, headed toward the indoor training ground where the students from the other academies were. 'I wouldn't have come here if I knew there was no class today.' Raye thought on the way. ***** A few minutes later... Tap¡ª "We're here." Raye and his classmates reached their destination. They stood outside the double door of the indoor training ground where the students from the other academies were supposed to be. And without beating around the bush... Creak¡ª Tap¡ª Raye opened the door and stepped inside the room! And as soon as he did... "...?" He felt a lot of gazes fall upon him! "Hm? Why did you stop walking?" Lena asked as she followed after Raye. And curiously... Tap¡ª His classmates followed after too. And when they got inside... "..." They became speechless. And they immediately realized why Raye froze in his place. Inside the room... There were about 10 students from the other academies, their uniforms varied. Also, sophomore students from Zion were there. Raye and the others immediately realized that they were the [A Class]. Anyway, that's not what made them speechless. Up on the arena... There was a blonde student from the [Crimson Academy]. He was with Ignis yesterday. He had this annoying grin on his face, showing his fangs... And he was stepping on someone! And that someone... "Urgh..." It was Devin! And it wasn't just him... "..." There were other students from [A Class] lying on the arena floor too, men and women¡ªthey were all unconscious! Seeing that... "What's happening here?" Lycus asked. His voice was calm, but his face certainly wasn't... His question made the atmosphere heavy. "We're just having a friendly spar, don't worry." The blonde student from the [Crimson Academy] answered with a shrug and an unserious tone. "Shut your mouth. I'm not talking to you." Lycus declared, glaring at him. "Woah." The blonde student then responded and closed his mouth. Lycus looked at the nearby student from the [A Class]. And even without him having to say anything... "We were just training normally earlier." That student started explaining what happened. "And then those guys appeared and asked for spar training..." The student said, looking down. "We first declined them, but they said they'll go after the B-Class if we did." And then he added, clenching his hands into fists. "Devin reluctantly accepted their challenge upon hearing that, but he asked for a few minutes for us to rest because we were just training, so we're exhausted." The student continued. "They agreed and even bought us drinks to replenish our energy, we thought they were just being friendly so we took them." "But those guys..." And after a short pause... "They put something in the drinks that made us unable to use mana!" The student exclaimed that, anger can be heard in his voice and seen on his face. "..." He became silent after that, just trembling in rage. "..." Lycus became silent too, there's an eerie atmosphere around him. Lena and the others are pissed off at what they had just heard, they were still speechless. But breaking the silence... "Well, we were just hoping to warm ourselves up before the competition. Who would've known they were this weak?" The blonde student on the arena said that. "Right? HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" "HAHAHAHAHAHA!" And the students from the other academies laughed with him. 'I'll kill them!' Lycus exclaimed in his head as he violently turned his head toward the arena! But before he could even let out a single word... Tap¡ª A loud footstep echoed throughout the room. "..." And it silenced everyone! "Huh?" "...?" Lycus, the blonde student, and everyone else¡ªthey turned toward the source of it. It was on the opposite side of the arena from where the blonde student stood. And when they looked there... "..." They saw Raye, casually standing and staring at the blonde student! 'When did he get there?' Lycus and everyone else asked in their heads. "You want to warm up, you say?" Raye asked. And without waiting for a reply... "I want to warm up too." He quickly followed that! "Huh? What are you talking about?" Discover stories with empire The blonde student asked in pure confusion. So, to make him understand... "I'm asking you for a duel, birdbrain." Raye simply declared that! "..." The birdbrain was pissed by his words, of course. But with a smile... "And why would I accept it?" He just asked that. Immediately though... "Unless you're a scared bitch, then there's no reason for you to decline." Raye rebutted! "What?" The birdbrain asked, he couldn't believe what he had just heard. But ignoring him... "Do the other academies just teach you to bark and not fight?" Raye asked that! And his words... "..." It provoked not just the blonde student... "..." But also the others that were with him! Raye silenced and pissed them all off! He's really talented in this aspect, annoying and provoking people! Anyway, after being silent for a while... "You're just as Ignis said... Annoying..." The birdbrain student said that. And with veins bulging out of his face... "I accept your fucking challenge!" He shouted that! "Prepare to get crippled." He added with a smile. ***** After that... "I'm fucking ready." "I'm ready too, birdbrain." Raye and the birdbrain went to the other empty arena. Meanwhile... 'I'll leave it to you, Raye.' Lycus went to retrieve the passed-out students from the other arena, including Devin. Moving on... "..." The blonde student stood at the end of the arena, holding a big wooden staff. "I'm Rickrey Marcos, second-class mage sophomore student of the great Crimson Academy." He introduced himself. And casually... "Raye, sophomore, magic course." Raye replied. 'Heh... He'll be thinking we're both magic students, without knowing I'm also proficient in close combat!' 'I'll beat him up with this staff of mine and report it to Sir Ignis later!' Rickrey exclaimed in his head while holding back a smile. Anyway, after bringing the passed-out students to the resting area... "I'll start the match now." Lycus went to the arena where Raye and Rickrey were to referee the match. "Okay." "..." Raye and Rickrey nodded at him. And with that... "..." The whole area fell completely silent. All eyes were glued to the arena, waiting for the match to begin. And not long after... "Start!" Lycus announced that! 'Come!' Rickrey exclaimed in his head with a mischievous smile. But then... "HUP¡ª?!" Rickrey suddenly felt a hand covering his mouth! And when he came to his senses... "?!" Raye was in front of him, holding him by the mouth and lifting him into the air! Confused... "Hmph! HMPH!!!" Rickrey tried to shout with wide eyes, kicking his legs to break free from Raye's grasp. "..." But just staring at him with cold eyes, Raye tightened his grip on his face... Crack¡ª And he broke his jaw! "GRAAAAAAAAHHHMMMP!!!" Rickrey screamed in pain, spasming and struggling to escape... "..." But Raye didn't even budge! And opening his mouth... "[Wind Blade]" He muttered that! SLASH¡ª And a sword-sharp gust of wind blasted point-blank into Rickrey's face! "GARGHH!!!" Rickrey groaned as his eyes went all white! Swoosh¡ª And then his ring artifact's passive ability activated, covering his face with a mana shield! This meant... Raye's attack would've killed Rickrey if they weren't in the academy! Anyway... "..." Rickrey passed out. Blood flowed from his mouth, eyes, nose, and ears! There was even a huge, grotesque cut on his mouth, making him look like the Joker¡ªonly the cut was much worse! And seeing him like that... Fwoosh¡ª Thud- Raye just threw him outside the arena! "..." The whole room remained silent. Everyone was shocked by what they had just witnessed. They didn't know how to react... And what broke the silence... "I'm still not warmed up. Next." Was Raye's cold voice! Chapter 110 110 - Walk of Shame "I'm still not warmed up. Next."Raye's words echoed throughout the room. "..." No one spoke nor made a noise. And because of that... "What? You guys already done?" Raye turned directly to the students from the other academies and asked that! He's now openly challenging them! "He's really crazy." Lena mumbled to herself while healing Devin. And although she said that, there's a small smile on her face. She's cheering for Raye! "..." Raye's classmates were the same. They don't particularly like nor hate Raye, and they're not saying anything right now... 'Beat them up!' But they are all on Raye's side this time! Not just them... "..." Every student in the [A Class] was rooting for him too! They were looking at the students from the other academies with angry expressions, putting pressure on them to not turn their tails back. And seeing this... 'I couldn't believe a villain in the past would be a hero in this situation.' Leon thought of that, looking at Raye up in the arena. "..." Lycus didn't say anything. But there's a slight smile on his face, looking at the unconscious body of Rickey on the floor. Anyway... "What? You guys scared?" Raye followed another question, seeing that no one was responding to him. "You guys are such a bitch." Then he added that! And this time... "Shut up!" Someone from the [Night Academy] took the bait! "..." Everyone looked at the guy. He had yellow hair and wore a black uniform. He's trembling in anger, glaring at Raye! And looking at him with a sly smile... "Come up here and try to make me." Raye declared that provokingly! "You don't have to tell me. I was already going to do that." The student from the [Night Academy] responded while clenching his hands into fists. ***** The people with the student from the [Night Academy] tried to stop him from challenging Raye. But with bulging veins on his face... "I won't just sit still while that bastard talks shit about our academy." He just said that! "If you guys have no pride, then just be quiet here and cower in fear. I'll defeat that fucker." And then he added that with a resolute look on his face before heading up to the arena! Tap- tap- tap¡ª "I'm Jerome Adams, First Order sophomore in the Night Academy." He introduced himself as soon as he stepped onto the arena. He was carrying a wooden sword. 'Night Academy mostly trains their students in close combat.' Raye thought to himself, remembering that detail in the game. He then looked at Lycus, and opening his mouth... "Can you get me a wooden sword too?" Raye requested that! "...?" The students from the other academies were confused by his words. 'Aren't he in the magic course?' They asked in their heads. But on the other hand... "..." Everyone from Zion didn't bat an eye. After all, they already knew how Raye fights! "Sure, wait a second." Lycus simply said, replying to Raye. Fwoosh- He jumped down the arena. Fwip- Grabbed a wooden sword. Bam! And then jumped back up to where Raye was! "Here." Lycus said, handing the wooden sword to Raye. And taking it... "Thanks." Raye responded to him. And with that... Fwip¡ª He finally faced his opponent once again. "What kind of foolery is this?" Jerome asked, frowning at Raye. And just to stir him up... "I just thought that because you're a swordsman, I should fight using a sword too." Raye said that with a shrug on his shoulders! "What?" Jerome couldn't believe what he had just heard. "Do you think using the sword is just like that?!" He asked, shouting in annoyance. And casually... "Yeah, just swing here and there, right?" Raye answered in a mocking tone! "..." Jerome became silent, but he's obviously pissed! "I'll make you regret those words." He said to Raye in a threatening tone. "Meh." Raye just shrugged his words off. Following that... "Get ready." Lycus spoke, signaling the near start of the match. Swish- Jerome took a charging stance. "..." But Raye just remained standing still, casually! "..." Tension filled the atmosphere again... And everyone's eyes were on the arena once more! Seconds passed, and everyone became nervous. And after a while... "Start!" Lycus suddenly announced that! 'You're fucking dead!' Jerome exclaimed in his head. BAM¡ª And then he immediately dashed toward Raye! Jerome was fast! He reached Raye not long after! And while tightly holding onto his weapon's handle with both hands... SWOOSH¡ª He launched a swift, heavy horizontal slash from his right to left! His weapon was even covered with mana! And seeing that... 'Hah! What an idiot.' Raye said that in his head! Twhock! And then he just received Jerome's attack by putting his wooden sword in front of him! Fwip¡ª Raye then slightly tilted his hold of his weapon. SKIISH¡ª And Jerome's sword just slid through his sword's blade! Swish¡ª Barely missing his face! "Huh?" This surprised Jerome. But before he could even respond... BAM-! "Urgh?!" Raye struck him in the nose using the bottom of his wooden sword! Tap- tap- Jerome stumbled back. And when he looked up at Raye again... "Bam." TWHACK¡ª! He was hit in his fucking jaw by a wooden sword! "GURGH?!!" Jerome groaned as his eyes rolled back. And this time, before he could even recover... "Good night." He heard Raye's voice. TWHOCK¡ª! "KEUK!!!" Then he was hit by a mana-coated thrust attack straight in his stomach! Thud- Jerome fell on his back, unmoving. And he... "..." He lost consciousness! The fight started just seconds after it started and Raye didn't even move from his place! "See, using a sword is easy." Raye said while looking at the passed-out Jerome. Swoosh¡ª Swish¡ª He's randomly swinging his sword too just to annoy the sword users from the other academies. On the other hand, Jerome suffered a broken nose, broken jaws, cracked skull, and a few cracked ribs! Saliva and blood was flowing out of his mouth, it was disgusting. Anyway, ignoring him... "So?" Raye looked at the quiet students from the other academies. And with a slight frown on his face... "Some of you still want to warm up?" He asked that! Every student in Raye's side looked at the students from the other academies too. And because of that... "..." The pressure falling on them was much greater than when it was just Raye! "Kurgh..." One of the students from the [Zephyros Institute] clenched his hands in annoyance. Stay updated through empire He clicked his tongue and looked down on the floor. "..." The others with him did the same too. And seeing how meekly they were being... "Fuck off if none of you would fight, bunch of retarded dogs that are all bark and no bite." Raye declared that! "We will tell this to our academy representatives." The student from the [Zephyros Institute] said that as he was glaring at Raye. And looking at him... "You're not scaring me, bitch." Raye casually responded! "You could run and tell your parents too. I couldn't care less." And then he added that! "..." The guy from the [Zephyros Institute] became silent, but he was obviously pissed. He just refrained from talking because he knew Raye would just say something even worse back! "..." The others thought the same too, so they didn't say anything nor even mutter a word. And so, silently... Tap- tap- tap¡ª The Zephyros student guy started walking toward the doors! Tap- tap- tap¡ª Tap- tap- tap¡ª And the students from the other academies just followed after him too without saying anything! SKIIIIIISH¡ª SKIIIIIISH¡ª They were dragging Jerome's and Rickrey's bodies with them. "Tell your superiors to get ready. I'll beat the shit out of them next." Raye said loudly as he watched the students from the other academies leave. "..." He didn't receive a reply, of course. Some of them glared at him, though. They were cursing Raye in their heads. Then soon... Thud- The room's double door closed, and all that was left inside the indoor training ground were the students of Zion! And with that... "WHOAAAAAHH!!!" "GOOD JOB, RAYE!!!" "THEY HAD A WALK OF SHAME WHILE LOOKING DOWN!!!" Everyone from the [A Class] started cheering for Raye! The students from the other academies could hear their cheers from the outside. "Tsk." But all they could just do was frown and walk away! "You demolished them, huh." Lycus said, approaching Raye. And with a shrug... "They deserve it." Raye responded. "That's right. Though, you used your strength... They'll surely tell them to the others that we will fight." Lycus mumbled. Raye looked at him, and with a confident smirk... "They haven't even seen half of what I'm capable of." He just said that! "Meh, you're right." Lycus muttered. And with that... "Whatever, then." He just shrugged it off! Meanwhile... "RAYE!!" Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "BEAT THEM ALL UP IN THE COMPETITION TOO!!!" "UGH, MY EARS, SHUT UP!" The cheers and shouting continued. "..." Raye just ignored them. And nonchalantly... Tap- tap- tap¡ª He started walking down the arena. He's not feeling proud nor happy at the moment. After all... 'I just defeated two extras, it's nothing big.' Raye said in his head. Well, he did beat up Rickrey for being a scumbag and gave them what they deserved after spiking the drinks they gave to the students of the [A Class]! "I guess that's fun." "It made me feel satisfied seeing their faces as they left." Raye whispered with a small smile on his face. Chapter 111 111 - They Dont Know! "Thanks."Devin mumbled with a smile as soon as he saw Raye approaching him and Lena. "It's not like I did it for you." Raye said with a shrug on his shoulders. (He did it for him.) "Yeah, sure." Lycus muttered, walking behind Raye. "Nobody believes you." And then he added. "What?" Raye asked, then he looked at Lena. "Yep." Lena simply replied, agreeing with Lycus' words. And hearing that... "Whatever." Raye just whispered that under his breath. Moving on... "Anyway... Thanks, Devin." Lycus suddenly muttered that. "Hmm?" Devin looked at him, confused. But Lena and Raye already knew why Lycus was thanking him. 'Sofia is in B-Class. Devin knows that, and he also knows how special she is to Lycus. I'm pretty sure when he heard those bastards would go after them if they declined the challenge, Devin accepted it to protect not just Sofia but his former classmates as well.' Raye said in his head. And just then... "Ah." Devin realized why Lycus was thanking him. "It's nothing big." He said with a genuine smile on his face. "..." And looking at him in silence... "How's your body?" Raye asked Devin that. "Hmm, I'm good now. Thanks to Lena." Devin responded. "Your mana?" Raye followed. And with an awkward smile on his face... "Oh, I can use it now." Devin replied, he was avoiding eye contact. "..." Lycus and Raye noticed this. 'He's hiding something.' They thought. "What happened?" Lycus asked that. "Nothing, really." Devin still didn't say anything, just casually waving his hand, brushing the question off. But then... "His overall mana capacity shrunk." Lena suddenly spoke. And hearing her words... "Huh?" Raye and Lycus turned to her. "What do you mean by that?" Raye asked. "Wait, it's nothing!" Devin exclaimed. But Raye and Lycus just frowned at him. "Lena." Lycus muttered. And after nodding her head... "I felt it when I was healing his bruises and wounds... His mana was all over the place, and an unnatural amount of excess mana was leaking out of his body. It's a sign of his mana capacity shrinking." Lena explained that! "..." Raye and Lycus were speechless after hearing that. The frowns on their faces deepened. "It's nothing big, really. I barely feel a difference." Devin said with an awkward laugh. (He's lying. He can definitely feel it.) "I just don't want to worry you guys, haha." He added with an another fake laugh. "..." Raye looked at him. And opening his mouth... "I'll beat the shit out of them." He declared that. "What?" Devin asked, surprised. "At the competition... I'll completely destroy them." Then Raye answered! "They crossed the line." Lycus then muttered, he's seething in rage. And it's not just them two... "..." Lena too! She was frowning slightly, annoyed! Everyone in the [S Class] heard what happened to Devin. And even though they don't know him... "Those bastards..." Just the fact that they're from the same academy was enough to make them angry for him too! And so, just like that... 'Bring it on. We'll destroy you.' Everyone in the [S Class] silently agreed to do their best and obliterate the other academies in the upcoming competition! And while that was all happening... "Devin." Raye called out to Devin. "...?" Devin just looked at him, curious. Then with a serious expression on his face... "You would surely win against all of them if they didn't do something to your body." Raye declared that! "..." Devin was silent. "Haha, is that so?" And then he laughed and asked that. "Mhm." Raye simply nodded his head as a reply. And seeing that... "Thanks, Raye." Devin mumbled, smiling and looking up at the ceiling. 'I should train some more.' He thought to himself. ***** This incident with the students from the other academies quickly spread throughout the Zion Academy. How they put something in the drinks of [A Class]'s students... And how Raye singlehandedly put them in their places! The students of Zion were enraged when they heard what happened to the students of [A Class] sophomores. That's right, it's not just Devin¡ªeveryone who drank the drinks given by the students from the other academies had their mana capacity shrunken! Everyone protested for the students involved to be punished! But unfortunately... There was no evidence that the other academies did this. The bodies of [A Class]'s students were scanned and examined... But there were no signs of them being drugged or whatnot! And because of this... The students from the other academies got away scot-free! This pissed off every student in Zion, but they knew they couldn't do anything about it. And so... They left everything to the people that would fight the other academies in the upcoming competition! 'Destroy them!' The students of Zion thought in unison. ... A few days after that incident too... "Ugh." Raye got called to the headmaster's office. And currently... "I'm still sleepy." Tap- tap- tap¡ª He's on his way there! ***** Not long after... Tap¡ª Raye reached his destination. And standing in front of the door of the headmaster's office... "I'm here, headmaster." Raye said that. "Come on in." He heard a reply from Bryan from the inside. And after that... Find adventures at empire Creak¡ª Tap¡ª Raye opened the door and entered the room. "Hello." He greeted as soon as he came in. "Hello, Raye." Then Bryan greeted back. "Sit down." He said. "Mhm." And Raye silently complied. "I heard what happened." Bryan said as soon as Raye was seated. "..." Raye didn't say anything. "What about our plan to make you our secret weapon?" Bryan asked, looking at Raye. And with a shrug... S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "It's still going to happen." Raye declared that. "How so?" Bryan muttered. Raye looked at him, then, opening his mouth... "I'm in S-Class. They were probably already expecting me to be somewhat strong even though they haven't heard of me. And with what I did a few days ago, they'll be able to confirm that assumption, but I didn't even use half of my strength. Heck... I didn't even use a skill." "So, when they think they already know how strong I am, I'll show my full strength and surprise them even more. After all, it's more surprising if you think you know something and it turns out you actually don't, right?" He explained calmly. "..." Bryan remained silent. But after a while... "Hahaha¡ª" He started laughing. "You're good." Bryan said while tearing up a little and with a mischievous smile on his face. Chapter 112 112 - Just Weird "You're good."Bryan said with a smile. Explore hidden tales at empire "Yeah, I know." And Raye replied with a shrug! "It's true that when they literally know nothing about you, they'll just try to stop you in any way." Bryan said. "But now that they've seen your strength, they'll analyze and plan strategies about you. Though it'll fail because of the fact that they're miscalculating your strength." And then he added! "And even though it might not work like that, we can still take advantage of this incident in a different way." "That's right, even if they focus their attention on me, it's still fine. They'll lose sight of my classmates, where we still have Leon, Lena, and Lycus." Raye followed with another explanation. "Yes, that would work." Bryan smiled slyly, just thinking of how the other academies will respond once they realize they've been had. And bringing his attention back to Raye... "Good job. We can continue with that plan." Bryan said that. "Thanks." Raye simply replied. "Anyway, is that all why you called me here?" And then he asked. "No, there's one more." Bryan muttered while shaking his head. Then, opening his mouth again... "I'll tell you about the competition too." He declared that! "Ramiel would've told you this anyway later, but I'll tell you now." Bryan said, and following that... "So the competition will be a five-versus-five monster hunt¡ª" He started telling Raye the content of the competition! ***** "I'll be going now." Raye said, ready to leave after he listened to everything Bryan had to say. "Okay, be on your way." Bryan responded. And with that... Creak¡ª Thud¡ª Raye left the headmaster's office. "Ugh, time to meet the devil." He whispered underneath his breath. Tap- tap- tap¡ª And then he started heading to the indoor training ground where Ramiel usually takes him and the others every morning! 'I already know what the competition is. I just stayed to listen to the headmaster to waste time before going back to Professor Ramiel's class.' Raye thought on his way. So, it's like this... Twenty sophomore students from the other academies had come to Zion. And every academy has their own [S Class]. In Crimson Academy, they have the [First-Class]. In the Zephyros Institute, they have the [Special Group]. And for the Night Academy, they have the [Special Order]. They're the elite students of their respective academy. And just like in [S Class], there are only ten students in those classes too! So what will happen is that the competition will have two sets! Set A and Set B. Each academy will send five of their elite students per set. And both sets will compete in the monster hunt at the same time, and the competition will happen for three days! Then, while that's happening... The remaining ten students from the other academies that were not from the elite classes will have a tournament duel with the selected few from the [A Class]! From the sophomores, of course. And Devin is aiming to win that thing to get his revenge against Jerome and the other students that belittled the [A Class]! 'I'm sure he'll be able to do it.' Raye thought, thinking of Devin. And just then... Tap¡ª He reached where Ramiel and his classmates were. "Ugh..." Raye groaned. But without beating around the bush... Creak¡ª Tap¡ª He entered the room. "Wow, you didn't just stand still outside this time, huh." Ramiel said as soon as Raye stepped in. He was on top of the arena. And before Raye could even say anything... "Come on up here, let's spar again." Ramiel said that! 'This guy is just doing this to annoy me, not to train me!' Raye exclaimed in his head as he walked toward the arena against his will. sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Lena, Lycus, Leon, Allen, and all of Raye's classmates were all focused on their own training at the moment. ***** Meanwhile, as all of that was happening... "..." The student representatives of the other academies were currently gathered together! Ignis, Christian, and Ace! Raye's older brother, Elias Alvah, was also with them! They were in his dorm room, actually. "So maybe he's not as weak, but who cares?" Ignis said with a shrug. He was sitting on top of Elias' bed. "He just defeated a bunch of extras. I can do that too." He added. He was talking about Raye, he was their topic, in fact. "Well, that's true. But it doesn't hurt to take precautions." Christian said with a smile. He was sitting in a lotus position on the floor, meditating. "That's right. That Raye guy has a different feel to him for some reason. He's not as he's like from the rumors that we had gathered." Ace followed strictly, sitting on a chair like a normal person. "But we don't have to worry too much." Elias said, sitting on the opposite side of Ace, looking at everyone. "About half a year ago, when I last saw him, he was weaker than an average teenager. There's no way he could catch up to us in such a short amount of time. He doesn't have the talent for that, and he doesn't work as hard as us." He declared! "See, even the older brother said so!" Ignis exclaimed after hearing Elias' words. Thuff¡ª Then he laid down on the bed. And while looking up at the ceiling... "I bet you my personal mansion that I can beat him in less than a minute." Ignis confidently muttered that! "..." The other three in the room became really silent. They knew that Ignis was serious, and because they knew of his abilities... 'Meh, he probably could do it.' They didn't doubt him! Anyway... Ace looked at Elias. And then, curiously... "Why was your little brother in the magic course anyway?" He asked him that! "Huh?" Elias turned his head to Ace when he heard his question. And shaking his head... "I don't know. He just suddenly decided that on his own. That's why Father didn't expect much from him since the beginning." Elias simply answered. Ignis and Christian glanced at Elias. They were curious about the topic too that Ace had opened up. The two were also questioning why Raye was trying to be a mage. After all... The Alvah Dukedom is a renowned swordsman family! "That guy is just weird since birth." Elias casually said, referring to Raye. Chapter 113 113 - Monster Hunt [1] A week had passed ever since the arrival of the students from the other academies.And now, today... The competition begins! ... "Hmm, so what you're saying is the competition will be broadcast throughout the empire?" Leon asked, bewildered. "Yeah, the venue where the competition will take place is apparently covered in communication mana-stone. The competition will be recorded and broadcast in real-time all over the place." Allen answered casually, waving his hand. "So if you want to make a name for yourself, this is the perfect time to do so." He added. And hearing his words... "Ugh, a lot will be watching us, huh..." The students of [S Class] became nervous, excited, and shy all in all. "..." Not Raye, though. He already knew of this way before after all. Discover more stories at empire Anyway... Raye and the others were in their classroom at the moment, preparing themselves and their equipment for the competition soon. 'I'm done.' Raye thought. He already had everything he needed in his spatial ring. "Aren't you nervous to come out there?" Lycus then suddenly asked, walking toward Raye. And looking at him... "I've almost died a few times. I've been glared at with deep hatred for a long while too before. Being in front of many eyes doesn't scare me anymore." Raye simply said that. "Ehh, fair." Lycus said, sitting beside Raye. "How about Mister Rey?" And then he asked. "He said he'll be watching the competition with Zephyrus and Pyro. Jerusha, Kyle, and Devin will visit him too for the next three days." Raye muttered. "Ah, and he said good luck to us. Lena included. I'll tell her later after she finishes meditating." He added, looking at Lena in the corner of the room, sitting in silence with her eyes closed. "Haha, he's really a good old man." Lycus said with a laugh. "Yeah, he is." Raye followed, looking at his new black cloak that he was wearing¡ªit was given by Old Man Rey yesterday. The ten of them then waited peacefully in the classroom, feeling a bit nervous. But most of all... 'Soon, it'll begin.' They couldn't wait to beat the students from the other academies! ***** (Raye's POV) After about half an hour of waiting in the classroom... Creak¡ª The room's door opened. "Yo!" Tap¡ª And then Ramiel entered. "It's starting. Let's go." He simply said. And without beating around the bush... Fwoosh¡ª We all stood up silently in unison. S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. There were resolute expressions on our faces. And seeing that... "Haha, show them hell." Ramiel mumbled. Tap- tap- tap¡ª And he started walking away. Tap- tap- tap¡ª Tap- tap- tap¡ª Tap- tap- tap¡ª Me, Lycus, Lena, and my classmates silently followed after him. I'm feeling a bit nervous, to be honest. But more than that... 'I'm excited for some reason.' I said in my head as I tried to calm my thoughts. But as I was doing that... "Good luck to us." Lena suddenly whispered, she was walking on my right. Lycus and I heard her. And with small smiles on our faces... "Yeah, good luck." "Let's win this." We replied to her respectively. ... ... After a few minutes of walking... We reached the entrance of the Northern Forest. And there... 'Hmm, interesting.' I saw a huge system-like window being projected up in the air. "Whoa..." Leon and the others saw it too. It immediately caught our attention. There was something written on the window. And so... We read it. ===== [Set A] {Zion Academy's Team} 1. Raye Alvah 2. Lena Dravenhart 3. Leon Lightbringer 4. Lycus Fenrath 5. Allen Iverson {Crimson Academy's Team} 1. Ignis Valefor 2. Hunter Lauz 3. Otep... ... {Zephyros Institute's Team} 1. ... 2. ... ... {Night Academy's Team} 1. ... 2. ... ... ===== ===== [Set B] {Zion Academy's Team} 1. Josh Harris 2. Joshua Bassett 3. Ravien Morrow 4. Lian Kai 5. Stephen Ru {Zephyros Institute's Team} 1. Christian Hartford 2. ... 3. ... ... {Night Academy's Team} 1. Ace Silvercrest 2. Elias Alvah 3. ... ... {Crimson Academy's Team} 1. ... 2. ... ... ===== "What?" Lycus, who's on my right, asked with a frown on his face. And it's not just him... "..." Leon, Lena, and Allen were frowning too! I can't blame them, after all... 'They were training so hard to face the student representatives of the academies, but two of them were on a different set.' It's annoying if you think about it. Not me, though... 'I already know about this.' And I'm not worrying, after all... 'We'll still be able to face those two in the latter part of the competition.' I thought with a shrug. Anyway, suddenly... "Huh? Alvah? Do you know that guy, Raye?" Lena beside me asked, looking at the Elias guy in the system-like window up in the air. I just looked at her, and with a nod... "He's my older brother." I casually answered that. "What?!" "...?" "?!" Lycus, Leon, Allen, and my other classmates were surprised to hear my words. 'I didn't think it would be this big of a deal for them.' I said in my head. Anyway... Tap- tap- tap¡ª Me and the others continued to head to where the headmaster and other staff were. And just then... "Huh?" Someone caught my eye. "Old Man?" It was Old Man Rey! He was standing behind a barricade near the entrance of the Northern Forest! He was looking at me, waving his hand up in the air! -Meep! -Good luck! Pyro and Zephyrus were with him too! And not just them... "Good luck, everyone!" "Do your best!" "Win this, guys!" Jerusha, Devin, and Kyle were there too! "..." Lena and Lycus saw them too. And with smiles on their faces... "Thanks, guys!" "Count on us." Lena and Lycus replied to them. Meanwhile... My eyes returned to the Old Man. He was still looking at me. And then, with a smile... 'Good luck.' He mouthed me that! "..." A smile crept up on my face. Pat- pat¡ª I tapped the cloak he gave me. And with that... 'I got this.' I confidently mouthed that back to him! The nervousness in my body completely disappeared after this. ***** A little while later... Raye and the others gathered at the entrance of the forest. The students from the other academies were also there. And outside the barricades... Students and citizens were grouping, watching the event in curiosity. Anyway, just then... "It seems like everyone's here." Bryan said that as he walked in front of the lined-up students. "Attention." And then he muttered with a mana-enhanced voice! Swoosh¡ª A shockwave was created. And because of that... "?!" Everyone's attention went toward him! "That's better." Bryan mumbled with a smile on his face. And then, opening his mouth again... "I'll explain the competition once more." Bryan started telling everyone the content of the competition. 'Why do formal events have to be like this?' Raye thought with a frown, he was already bored. Bryan also formally greeted and introduced the staff from the the other academies, even the students during his explanation. It was full of pleasantries. "Meh." So raye didn't bother listening at all. ... "The team, or teams, with the lowest score, they'll be eliminated for the second part of the competition." Bryan declared, ending his explanation. Everyone thought that he was done. "..." But Raye knew there was more. And just as he expected... "Another thing." Bryan spoke again. And with a mischievous smile on his face... "You can kill your opponents." He announced that! "?!" Everyone's eyes widened upon hearing that! But before they could even say anything... "They won't actually die, don't worry." Bryan hurriedly followed that! "...?" Leaving the crowd confused. So to clear things up... "Because of the help of the Zephyros Institute, we got our hands on the famous 'Training Dome Artifact.' It's an artifact for training, obviously. It allows one to train their bodies to the limit without worrying about dying!" "How so? Because if you die inside the Training Dome... You'll be just kicked out of it, scratch-free!" Bryan explained! "The whole northern part of the forest is covered by the Training Dome Artifact." He added. "I think that's all." Bryan mumbled, he was getting bored of talking too. And so, without further ado... "Let's start the competition, run wild!" Bryan exclaimed that! "?!" Raye and the others were confused and surprised by the sudden start of the event. But immediately responding to the situation... BAM¡ª! Everyone started dashing inside the Northern Forest! ***** The Northern Forest was split in half by barricades, and staff of the Zion Academy were standing in the middle of it too. The left side was for the [Set A]. And the right was for the [Set B]. This event where four academies compete against each other... It rarely happens! About once every 10 years! And even with that, normally only two academies are fighting! And so... This competition between Zion Academy, Night Academy, Crimson Academy, and Zephyros Institute... It took the attention of everyone in the empire! Be it commoners or nobles, they were currently watching the competition in real-time! Betting and whatnot! "This will be fun. Servants, get me some food." Even the Emperor was watching! And also... "Hmm..." Lucian Alvah¡ªRaye's biological father! "Let's see if those rumors were true." He said, sitting on his chair in his office, and looking at Raye in the holographic video being projected by his communication crystal! Chapter 114 114 - Monster Hunt [2] A few minutes after the competition began..."Maybe we should go a bit deeper into the forest?" Lycus asked, looking at Raye and the others. "Yeah, we should. These guys don't give much points," Raye said, looking at the dead bodies of small goblins all around them! There were roughly twenty corpses of goblins on the ground. And Leon was the only one who killed them all! "Ugh, I want to fight those bastards." Allen mumbled to himself, referring to the students from the other academies. "..." Lena, Leon, and Lycus felt the same as him. They were frustrated that they were currently stuck hunting monsters because of the 10-minute no-fighting rule at the start of the competition. Now, they didn't know where Ignis and the other enemies were. But as they were worrying about that... "All we need is to get as many points as we can for the first day," Raye suddenly spoke. "Hm?" And his words caught the attention of the four. Then casually... "They'll come to us first thing on the second day if we get a lot of points," Raye declared that! "How do you know?" Leon asked him, frowning. Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. And with just a shrug... "It's obvious. Don't you get it?" Raye said that and refused to explain! 'It's not actually obvious, but I just don't know how to explain to him that I know it from the game.' He thought to himself. "..." Leon became silent. He was still frowning. He felt like Raye had just called him stupid with his words just now. 'Yeah, I kinda still hate this guy,' Leon said in his head. ***** Moving on, after Allen and the others finished collecting proofs of killing the goblins... Tap- tap- tap¡ª They headed deeper into the forest. "This is making me remember our first encounter, haha." Lycus said as he was walking beside Raye. Raye just glanced at him, then with a smile... "Yeah, it has been a while." He responded. 'I can't even imagine that I'll be this close to the main characters back then.' Raye thought. Anyway, after a bit more walking... "Enemies ahead." Lena suddenly said that. She's the group's radar. She senses enemies before they even get near by spreading her mana on the surroundings. "Where?" Raye asked. And confidently... "Just tens of meters away, in the northeast." Lena responded! "How many are they?" Leon followed. "Roughly forty, could be more." And Lena immediately answered! Then, focusing her mana for a bit more... "It looks like they're Kobolds," She added that! 'Ugh, them again?' Raye asked in his head, remembering his time in the Old Mansion Dungeon where he fought Kobolds for days nonstop. ***** The group headed to where Lena felt the presence of the Kobolds. And they reached it not long after! "There's a lot of them, huh." Lycus said, hiding behind a big tree with the others. "Let's make a plan to eliminate them all." Allen muttered, trying to sound strategic. He kept on secretly glancing at Lena. 'Ugh, he's so obvious,' Lena thought to herself, slightly frowning. She made sure not to look at Allen. Anyway... "That's a good idea." Leon replied. "..." Lycus just looked at Allen and Leon. He was staring at them like they were idiots for stating the obvious. But shaking his head, he opened his mouth to try and share his idea... "So¡ª" But before he could even finish... "[Bang]" Everyone just heard Raye mutter that! Swoosh¡ª A small ray of fire blasted off from the tip of his finger. Psh! Thud- And it hit a Kobold straight in the head, immediately killing it! "...!" "..." Lycus, Lena, Allen, and Leon looked at Raye in surprise. Their eyes were wide open. But just looking back at them and shrugging... "Who needs a plan? Let's just overpower them and finish this already." Raye said that! -GRAAAAAAHHHH!!! -KAAAAAHHH!! -GROOOOAAH!!! BAM¡ª! And then the Kobolds discovered where they were hiding and started rushing at them! 'This guy!' The four exclaimed in their heads, looking at Raye with a heavy frown on their faces. Bam¡ª! Then Allen, Leon, and Lycus dashed toward the herd of Kobolds! And looking at the three go... "Haha, let's just support them from the back." Raye mumbled that to Lena! 'He's still a scumbag sometimes, huh.' Lena thought. "[Thunder Shock]" And then she cast a wide-area electric spell toward the monsters! Enjoy more content from empire Fwoozzzh¡ª BZZZT¡ª! Her spell flew and hit a lot of Kobolds! -GURGH?! It didn't kill them... -KERGH?! But they were stunned in their place! "Haha, nice." Raye said with a laugh. "[Bang]- [Bang]- [Bang]¡ª" And then he started shooting off the Kobolds casually from afar! 'Man, this is easier than when I was in the dungeon.' Raye said in his head, smiling. Meanwhile... "Hah!" SLASH¡ª! -Grargh?! Leon, Allen, and Lycus are fighting multiple Kobolds at once at the very front! 'Fuck you Raye!' Allen and Leon cursed in their heads. And just a few more... "Urgh...!" Swoosh¡ª SLASH! Lycus will do the same. ***** After a few minutes... Thud- Raye and the others killed the last Kobold. "Haaa... Haaaa... haa..." Lycus and the other two close combatants were chasing their breaths. "Do you have any wounds? I'll heal them." Lena asked. "No, we're fine." Leon said. "Mhm." Then Lycus and Allen just nodded their heads, agreeing with him. "Great job to us, guys. Haha." Raye declared and laughed. And after that... "Hup." He started collecting the claws of the Kobolds as proof of killing them. "..." The four just watched him in silence. While it was true that they were exhausted more than they had to because of their lack of strategy... "Tsk." Leon, Allen, and Lycus, who fought the most, can't say anything about this to Raye. After all... They were able to finish off all of the Kobolds in a matter of a few minutes! And that's not all... 'Raye covered our backs flawlessly.' Lycus thought. "..." Allen and Leon think the same. While they were fighting earlier... Raye would shoot from the back and protect them from the enemies coming from their blind spots! All they had to do was continue their assault... And Raye would make sure no attack reach them! 'He has a good grasp of the battlefield.' Leon thought. Anyway, as the four of them were just standing still... Fwish- "..." Raye looked at them with a frown. And opening his mouth... "Umm, little help in collecting the claws? This is too much for me alone, you know?" He grumbled. 'He's shameless.' Lena and the others thought, hearing his words. But nevertheless... "Fine fine." They helped him. ***** After collecting the claws of the Kobolds... Raye and the others continued hunting more monsters. Lena searches for them, then Lycus, Allen, and Leon hunt them! Raye provides support from the back. Lena doesn't actively participate in battles as she saves her mana in case the teams from the other academies ambush them. She'll be the one responsible in fending them off. And so, Lena focuses on healing her teammates more at the moment. And with that... The five of them continued hunting systemically! Though, they always enter fights with no plan nor strategy because Raye would always attack immediately, exposing them from the enemies! But the others stopped caring all and all as their enemies were just small fries after all. They hunted Goblins, Kobolds, Monster Boars, and many more! The strongest they faced is a Mutated Bear. And it's only an [E] rank monster. ... ... Around 7 PM... "Let's stay for the night here." Raye said that as they stood on a fairly open space inside the forest. "Hmm, okay." "It's already dark too." "I'm hungry." "Me too." Lena, Lycus, Leon, and Allen replied respectively. And so, just like that... Fwip¡ª The five of them started setting up the tents they brought for themselves! They finished not long after... "We should probably eat." Allen suggested as soon as they were done. "Yeah, we should." Raye responded to him. And with just a casual swing of his right hand... Swish¡ª A big chunk of raw beef meat appeared out of thin air! Raye took it out from his spatial ring! "...!" Allen's eyes widened looking at the meat that appeared. "..." Even Leon was staring at it! "I can already tell it's from Kyle and Devin." Lycus said with a smile. "Yep." Raye simply responded. Then suddenly... "I'll cook it." Lena volunteered! "Thank you, Lena." "Thanks." Lycus and Raye said to her. "I'll help you!" Allen exclaimed. But just taking the meat and ignoring him... "Don't even try to, you don't know anything about cooking." Lena declared that! "..." Allen became silent hearing her words, he was frozen in his place. And looking at him like that... "Erm... At least you tried." Pat¡ª Leon said that and patted his back to comfort him! ***** Lena cut the big chunk of the beef meat into five portions enough for everyone. And the extra meat, she gave it back to Raye. "[Fire]" Swaaa¡ª Lena started a bonfire using magic and roasted the meats in it. Raye also bought spices with him, and so, they used it on the meats! And after a while of waiting... "They're done." Lena finished cooking! "Let's eat." "Hell yeah!" "Finally." "I'm getting hungry." And the five of them started eating peacefully under the moon. 'Tomorrow, we'll be done here.' Raye declared in his head, looking at the stars up in the sky. Chapter 115 115 - Monster Hunt [3] The second day of the competition.--- Around 5 AM... Raye is now done with his role of standing guard for ambushes and unexpected events. It's now time to wake up Leon because it's his turn. But because he's not feeling tired or sleepy anyway... "Meh, they could all just rest. They did most of the fighting, after all." He decided not to wake him up and continued guarding on his own. Though, suddenly... "So you weren't planning to wake me up, huh." He heard a voice behind him. "Hm?" And when Raye turned his head... "..." He saw Leon standing casually. "Morning." Raye greeted. "Hm, morning." Leon greeted back and sat beside Raye. They're now both sitting on a fallen tree log. "..." An awkward silence fell upon them. "..." Then, out of boredom and curiosity... "Why were you angry at me back then again?" Raye asked that, breaking the silence! And in doing so... "...?" Leon looked at him, frowning! "Are you retarded?" He asked. And before Raye could even answer... "You seriously forgot?" He followed. "Yeah, kind of." Raye just casually answered! "..." Leon was silent hearing that. He was shocked and kind of annoyed at Raye at the moment that he could punch him in the face! But seeing Raye looking at him seriously... "Haaa..." Leon just let out a defeated sigh and shook his head. "I don't really know what happened to you anymore." He whispered under his breath. Then, looking at Raye straight in the eyes... "You made fun of my father for being a commoner farmer, and my mother for being a servant in some baron's mansion." He said that with a serious voice! "Oh." Raye muttered. "And then, you hired some local thugs to destroy the crops my father had just harvested." Then Leon suddenly added that! "Ohhhhhhhhhh...!" This time, Raye finally understood why Leon wanted him dead before. 'The original Raye was such a scum, huh.' He thought. Then, opening his mouth... "Sorry about that. I wasn't in my right mind back then." Raye mumbled that. "..." Leon just stared at him silently, not showing any emotion. But after a while... "Whatever." He shook his head. "You've changed now, and although what you did back then annoyed me, I don't really hate you right now anymore." Then he declared that! "I still don't like you very much, though." Leon added, frowning at Raye. "Fair." Raye responded. And after that... "..." Silence fell upon them again. But now, it's not as awkward as before. "Hmm..." Raye started looking around... 'They should come soon.' He thought to himself. And with that... He waited. "..." Leon just sat beside him, keeping guard too. ***** Raye didn't have to wait long. Because just a few minutes after Leon joined him... Rustle- rustle- rustle¡ª The two of them heard someone approaching their location! And when they spread out their mana... "...!" They felt a lot of unfamiliar presences around them! Their camp was surrounded! "What the hell?" Fwip- Leon mumbled in surprise and immediately held his sword tightly. "..." Raye, on the other hand, had expected this already. And so, calmly... Fwish¡ª He took out [Nyx] from his spatial ring and held it in his right hand! Swoosh¡ª Then he transformed [Celestria] from a ring into a beautiful white sword in his left hand! And just then... "Woah, you two are aggressive, huh." Ignis came out from hiding. He was on their right side! Fwish¡ª Raye and Leon immediately turned to him. He was alone. Literally. There was no presence coming from his side except him. Instead... They could feel a lot of people on the other side! And sensing that... "You face them and wake up the others." Raye whispered that to Leon! "What? Are you telling me to leave you to face him?" Leon asked with a frown. But with just a shrug... "What? It's not like he can defeat me." Raye said that! "..." Leon was speechless at his confidence. But after thinking about it for a second... "Fine." He finally agreed to Raye's words! "Just finish up here quickly, or we'll defeat the others before you can even defeat this one." Leon said. And without waiting for Raye's response... Bam! He dashed back to where their teammates were sleeping! "Oh, did he get scared?" Ignis asked Raye, seeing Leon run away. "..." Raye just looked at him. And suddenly... "Yeah, can't blame him though. I almost ran away too when I saw you came out, I thought you were a demon or something, seeing your face." He responded! "..." Ignis was silenced by his words. ***** (Raye's POV) "..." Ignis stood a few meters away from me in silence. He looked pissed. Anyway... I already expected his arrival. After all, I know this from the game. The second day of the competition... 'The other academies teamed up and hunted Zion Academy.' And it's not just for us... This is probably the situation in Set B too. Moving on... "Your tongue is really sharp, huh." Ignis said that after staying silent for a while. "But you wouldn't be able to keep that smug attitude of yours for long." Then he added confidently. 'Bruh, even if I'm not here, the main characters would've obliterated you and your team.' I thought to myself. Ignis then looked at my hands... "...?" A frown appeared on his face. "Swords?" He muttered in a questioning tone. "I thought you were a magician?" And he asked. "..." I didn't say anything. I'm focusing, and I'm not obligated to answer anyway. But seeing that I had no plan to respond... "Did you try using swords to regain your place in your family? To make Duke Alvah proud and take you in again?" "Hah, that's so funny!" Ignis exclaimed that, trying to provoke me. He was starting to get annoying to listen to, so looking straight into his eyes and opening my mouth... "Barking again? Why not try biting this time?" I simply asked him that. "Hah!" Ignis let out a fake laugh, hearing my words. "That's a good suggestion." He said. And then, with a crazed smile on his face... "Here then!" He exclaimed that. "[Fire Blast!]" And he launched a Mid-Rank spell at me! 'Woah, he cast that one fast.' I thought, seeing a fire the size of a pillar coming straight toward my face. '[Blaze]' I muttered in my head. SWAAA¡ª And then [Nyx] was covered by a violent, raging fire! And with it... SWOOSH¡ª I swung vertically upward! SLASH¡ª! S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. And I cut through Ignis' spell! "Huh?" Ignis was shocked seeing that. And not missing that opportunity... "[Bang]" I shot at him with my left hand! Swoosh¡ª A fast bullet made of fire flew straight toward his face! "?!" Ignis was taken aback by its speed! "Ugh...!" Fwish¡ª And so he ducked down by instinct to avoid it! And just then... "[Flash]" I muttered that! Fwoosh¡ª And suddenly... 'Surprise, fucker.' I was literally in front of Ignis! I couldn't see his reaction because he was looking downward. I don't even know if he realized that I was already in front of him. Nevertheless, I don't actually care... BAM-! So I launched a left knee kick straight into his face! "Urgh?!" Ignis' head was violently knocked back up! And with my left foot still raised... BAM! I followed up with a front kick to his stomach! Crack¡ª I heard a few bones cracking. "KEUK?!" Ignis groaned. He had a surprised and pained expression on his face! Thud- Then he fell on his back onto the ground! And looking down at him... "Oh, feel like laying down?" I asked him that with a smile on my face. ***** "Huh?" Ignis muttered, confused. His face and stomach hurt. And he didn't know why he was on the ground, looking up! 'All I remember is that I dodged his flimsy magic, and then the next thing I'm in this situation!' Ignis exclaimed in his head. And just then... "Oh, feel like laying down?" He heard Raye's voice asking him that! Ignis immediately turned to him... And he saw Raye looking down at him with a smug smile on his face! 'This fucker!' Ignis immediately realized that Raye was the one that put him in this situation. And so silently and quickly... 'Die!' "[Fire Vortex!]" He cast a Stage-3 Mid-rank spell! SWAAAAAAAAASHH¡ª "Huh?" A big tornado made of fire was immediately summoned under Raye, and it swallowed him! Bam! Tap- Ignis then jumped back up and landed on his feet! SWAAAAAAAAAAH¡ª! And while looking at the giant fire tornado he had summoned, burning everything in its vicinity... "Hah! How do you like that?!" He shouted that with a villainous smile on his face! Though, to his surprise... "The spirits wouldn't like this, you know?" Discover stories with empire He received a reply! "What?" Ignis was shocked. [Fire Vortex] is a 3rd-Stage Mid-rank magic. It's just one step away from being a High-rank! This was his signature move! But then... Tap- "..." Raye just casually walked out of the raging Fire Vortex! He was unscratched and perfectly fine! "No way..." Ignis mumbled in disbelief, denying what he was currently seeing. And following that... SLASH¡ª Raye cut down his magic with his flaming [Celestria], canceling it completely! "..." Ignis was speechless seeing that. "How?" He asked, looking at Raye. "Hm?" Raye turned to him. And just nonchalantly shrugging his shoulders... "Fire doesn't really work on me, you see." He declared that! Chapter 116 116 - Monster Hunt [4] "Fire doesn't really work on me, you see."Raye said casually. 'It's thanks to Pyro. Being contracted with him gave me a passive skill¡ªfire resistance. And that skill greatly leveled up after taking two enhancement pills at once before.' He thought to himself. And just then... "You're lying!" Ignis exclaimed with an angry look on his face. "Well¡ª" Raye was about to tell him that he could try firing fire spells at him again to prove it. But before he could even finish... "[Inferno Pillar!]" Ignis already cast another 3rd-stage Mid-Rank spell! It was one of his signature spells too! SWAAAAAASH¡ª A magic circle appeared below Raye, and from it erupted a pillar of fire! The pillar only lasted for a couple of seconds... And when it disappeared. "..." Ignis just saw Raye still standing casually in the same place, unharmed! "..." Ignis was beyond shocked and bewildered seeing this. But ignoring him... 'I'm glad Zion's uniform has fire resistance.' Raye just thought of that, looking at his white uniform. The cloak that Old Man Rey gave him is in his spatial ring. He doesn't want to ruin it too, like the first one he gave him, after all. Raye knows that Ignis is a fire mage. 'It's pretty obvious, actually. His name is fuckin' Ignis¡ªit means ignite.' He said in his head. Anyway... Raye currently... He's Ignis' natural enemy! That is why he was so confident to face him! 'In the game, Allen was the one that faced Ignis in this competition. And because he's the protagonist's rival and the story wants to portray that Ignis is on the same level of power, Allen struggled a lot fending him off.' Raye recalled from the game. 'But he's an easy opponent for me. With his magic useless, he's not a threat to me. I just need to make sure not to let him cast High-Rank spells.' 'My fire resistance isn't that strong yet.' He declared in his head. And opening his mouth... "Are you done now?" He asked that to Ignis! Tap¡ª Raye took a step forward, closer to Ignis. And unconsciously... Tap¡ª Ignis stepped back. 'Arrogant brats... Breaking their spirits is so easy. Once the thing they relied on the most doesn't work, they lose their will to fight¡ªa bunch of idiots.' Tap¡ª Raye said in his head as he took another step. 'If I was in his shoes, I would've relentlessly attacked and used stronger spells.' He added, looking at Ignis. And seeing him get near... "Ugh...!" Ignis panicked. Bam! And then he kicked off onto the ground and rushed at Raye! And seeing him do that... 'That's the stupidest thing he could've done.' Raye thought that to himself! Ignis is a mage, he's not really strong physically. Because unlike Raye and Devin, he only focused on improving his magic! He's just above average in terms of physical strength, if ever! 'What is he going to do anyway? I have two swords, and he's unarmed.' Raye asked in his head. And when Ignis got near him not long... "HAAAA!!!" Fwoosh¡ª He punched out with his right hand! "That's the lamest punch I've ever seen." Raye mumbled. SLASH¡ª And he just cut off Ignis' whole right arm! Thud¡ª Ignis' arm flew away and fell behind him! 'Haha, I just unarmed him.' Raye joked in his head. Then, Ignis, realizing what happened... "GRAAAAAAH!!!" He crouched down on the ground, screaming in pain! "H-How...? I always beat anyone physically too, even against the close combatant students back in the academy...!" Ignis muttered with a confused expression on his face. "Well, they probably just didn't want to receive your magic because they can't win against that. So they made it easier for themselves by letting you beat them physically." And Raye just said that! (That's what actually happened.) "..." Find your next adventure on empire Ignis looked up at Raye. And looking down at him for the second time... "I'm telling you, without your fire magic, you're nothing special, really." Raye just casually declared that! "You're wrong!" Ignis rebutted. Bam¡ª He jumped back and put a few meters of distance between him and Raye. "..." Raye just let him. He's certain of his victory, after all. Tap¡ª Ignis landed on the ground. He stumbled a little because of the blood lost from having lost his right arm. And desperately opening his mouth while glaring at Raye... "[Incarnate Inferno!]" Ignis exclaimed that! "...?" A confused expression appeared on Raye's face, hearing that. After all... 'What the fuck is that?' He doesn't know what spell that is! And just then... SWAAAAAASH~ S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Ignis' whole body was swallowed by raging fire! But then, it slowly condensed into his body! And soon... "Urgh...!" His whole body became literal fire. His clothes were included too! Even his right arm was replaced by a bright yellow arm-shaped flame! "..." Raye was astonished seeing this. It's his first time seeing something like this, even though he played [Brave Hearts] a bunch of times and went through this scenario numerous times before! 'That's cool.' Raye unconsciously thought. "HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!" And then, Ignis suddenly laughed maniacally. "It worked!" He exclaimed. Raye can't see Ignis' face because he's just really a fire in the shape of a human at the moment, but he's pretty sure he's smirking. "I succeeded! I became one with nature¡ªwith fire!" Ignis added proudly proclaimed. Swaaa¡ª Everything around him was burning. And even though he's standing a few meters away from him... "..." Raye could still feel the heat coming from Ignis! "You see this? Now physical attacks won't hurt me. This is the realm of talent nobody can cross but me!" Ignis declared. "..." But Raye just looked at him, cringing... 'Does he think he's the main character?' He asked in his head. Anyway, moving on... "You." Ignis brought his attention back to Raye. And while pointing at him... "I'll make you pay for humiliating me." Ignis threateningly said that! "What?" Raye asked. "You humiliated yourself for being stupid, stupid." And then he said that! "SHUT UP!!!" BAM! Ignis decided to rush at Raye once again to finally stop him from talking. And when he got to him... Swish¡ª He just raised his right hand and aimed his palm at Raye! FWOOSH¡ª And then a fireball just came out of his hand and blasted toward Raye! "Haaah... I don't even need to use my swords on you." Raye casually said, kind of disappointed. And opening his mouth... "[Void Vortex]" He just calmly muttered that! Chapter 117 117 - Monster Hunt [5] "[Void Vortex]"Raye calmly muttered. And immediately after he did so... Fwish¡ª A magic circle appeared on Ignis' feet. And from it... SWOOOOOOOSH¡ª! A tornado was summoned! "Huh?" And Ignis was trapped inside of it! Psh¡ª The fireball then hit Raye. "..." But he didn't even flinch! 'Huh... That hurt a bit.' Raye thought. Anyway... "..." SWOOOOSH~! He just stood there, watching the tornado in silence! Rustle- rustle- rustle¡ª The surrounding trees shook violently, being sucked in by Raye's spell! 'Ugh... My mana is almost drained just by casting a single second stage Mid-Rank spell.' Raye thought with a slight frown. Then, looking around... "No one really came except him, huh." He mumbled that. "Leon and the others are probably fending them off nicely." Raye said. And after a few seconds... Fwish¡ª His magic was canceled, and the tornado he summoned died down! And when it disappeared... "Urgh..." Raye just saw Ignis face-flat on the ground where the tornado was before! His transformation was undone too, he's back to his normal self! 'So what if I can't hurt you physically, I can just extinguish your fire with wind magic.' Raye thought with a shrug. Tap- tap- tap¡ª And then he started walking toward Ignis. Tap¡ª "..." Raye stopped in front of him. Fwish¡ª He put [Nyx] back into his spatial ring and crouched down. And with his right hand... Fwip¡ª Raye grabbed Ignis by the hair and forced him to face him! "Urgh?!" Ignis groaned, but he was in no condition to move or resist... Not that he could even if he was in perfect condition, Raye was several times stronger than him physically! "I told you, you're nothing if your magic doesn't work." Raye said. "..." Ignis didn't respond, but he was just glaring at Raye. "Just eliminate me now, I'll get my revenge on you later...!" He shouted. Explore more stories with My Virtual Library Empire But hearing his words... "Eliminate you?" Raye frowned. "That can wait, I still need you." He said. "...?" Ignis was confused by his words. But without a care about him... Fwoosh¡ª Raye just transformed [Celestria] into a white gauntlet and covered his left hand with it! "Don't clench your teeth." He muttered. "...?" And as Ignis was confused by his words... BAM! Raye smacked him in the face with his left hand! "Keuk?!" Ignis was surprised and in pain. And before he could even recover from that punch just now... BAM! Raye punched him again in the face, same place! "GAAH?!" And it didn't end there! BAM! BAM! BAM! Raye continuously punched him! And not just in the face... BAM¡ª! He started attacking Ignis from all over his body too! "S-STOP...!" Ignis pleaded desperately. But Raye... BAM! BAM! BAM! He just continued his barrage of swift, heavy punches! 'This is payback for Devin and the other students from the A-Class.' Raye thought while punching Ignis. "Ohh, don't go passing out now." And then he said that to Ignis, seeing him close his eyes! BAM! ***** On the other side... Leon and the others were still fighting the students from the other academies. Their enemies started from fourteen, and now... They were down to seven! "These guys just really have numbers, huh." Allen said, having just cut down a student from the [Zephyros Institute]. "Still, don't let your guard down." Leon replied to him. "He's right, who knows what else they have." Then Lycus added. The three of them had been fending off the students from the other academies for about five minutes now. And while they were aggressively attacking... "[Lightning Bolt]" BZZZT¡ª! "Keuk?!" Lena was supporting them from the back! She was also currently casting a High-Rank spell! She's not using much mana in case Raye wasn't able to stop Ignis. 'I just hope Raye holds him there for a few more while.' Lena thought, a bit worried that Ignis might suddenly ambush them from the back. Though, as she was worrying about that... "What? You guys aren't done here yet?" She heard a familiar voice behind her! Lycus, Leon, and Allen heard it too. S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Fwish¡ª The four of them looked toward the source of it. And there... "Sup." They saw Raye, holding Ignis' limp body by his red hair! "..." They were speechless upon seeing Ignis' face. It was swelling and full of bruises and wounds! Also, his right arm was absent! "Ugh..." Ignis was barely conscious at the moment too! 'What the hell did Raye do to him?' Leon asked in his head, frowning. It wasn't that long since he left Raye! Leon was actually planning to finish off the enemies as fast as possible and go help him! But it looked like Raye didn't need it after all! Anyway, breaking the silence... "Ignis!" A student from the [Crimson Academy] shouted that, seeing their leader in such a horrible condition. "You bastard!" He shouted at Raye with such strong hatred. "Leave him alone!" "You fucker!" And then the others followed suit. "Drop him, you coward!" One of them exclaimed. "Huh..." Raye muttered. "I'm a coward, you said?" He asked. "Yes, you are!" And then a response from the enemies quickly came. "Why?" Raye followed. And in rage... "You're using our leader as a hostage, obviously! You fucking scum!" One of the remaining two students from the [Crimson Academy] answered. "Oh..." Raye mumbled. "My bad." And then he apologized! "...?" The students from the other academies were surprised by his response. On the other hand... "..." Leon, Lycus, Lena, and Allen were frowning! They just knew Raye was about to do something scummy! And as they thought of that... Swish¡ª Raye raised his right hand along with Ignis! Fwish¡ª Then he transformed [Celestria] back into an elegant sword! And immediately with it... Phuck¡ª! "Kuk?!" He stabbed Ignis straight in the neck! "There... Now I don't have a hostage with me, you can fight again freely now." Raye then said that to the students from the other academies with a smile on his face! That's right, he captured Ignis alive just to kill him in front of his teammates! "..." The enemies were speechless. It looked like their souls left their bodies as they stopped moving! "..." Even Raye's teammates weren't able to say anything! They just had their mouths hung open, looking at Raye smiling! 'He's twisted in the head!' Leon and Allen thought. 'Yep, he's lost it.' Then Lycus and Lena said that in their heads! And from a mansion far away from where the competition was happening... "Hah!" Lucian let out a laugh while sitting on a soft throne-like chair in his office after seeing that scene! 'That's funny.' Lucian thought with a smile, understanding what Raye was doing and seeing his execution of his plan. Chapter 118 118 - Out of the Forest [1] "..."Silence fell upon the area where Raye and the others are. Ignis, who has a sword stabbed in his neck... "urgh..." He weakly groaned. And after that... Fwoosh¡ª His whole body turned into dust-like particles and he disappeared! Ignis was eliminated and was sent outside of the Northern Forest! "See? I'm not using him as a hostage anymore." Raye said, he still has this annoying smile on his face! "..." The remaining seven students from the other academies looked at him in silence. And seeing Raye's face... "YOU...!!" They became annoyed! "WE'LL AT LEAST ELIMINATE YOU!!!" They exclaimed. Your next chapter awaits on My Virtual Library Empire And with that... BAM¡ª! They all rushed at Raye! 'Seeing their leader gets eliminated was enough to make them lose their temper, they already accepted their lost and is launching a desperate suicide attack to eliminate me.' Raye concluded in his head, seeing them dash toward him. This was his plan, to make the teams from the other academies disoriented by killing Ignis in front of them! And seeing that it's working flawlessly... "Pathetic." Raye muttered that, pertaining to his enemies! "HAAAAA!!!" Just then, someone from the [Crimson Academy] reached Raye! He was glaring at Raye with bloodshot eyes! SWOOSH¡ª The guy swung his sword at Raye horizontally with all of his might. "..." And Raye just watched him do that in silence! 'Idiot.' He said in his head. And before the enemies' blade could even reach him... SLASH¡ª! "KEUK?!" Leon appeared from his left side and immediately slashed down the student that was targeting him! Thud- The enemy fell onto the ground, unmoving. And soon... Fwoosh¡ª His body started turning to dust-like particles too. "Thanks." Raye said, looking at Leon with a smile. And looking back at him... "Ugh, you're still such a dickhead. You could've just eliminated him yourself." Leon grumbled that with a frown on his face. "Hey, I'm tired from fighting Ignis. Give me a break." Raye then replied, shrugging his shoulders too. His tone was even sarcastic. Though, he actually feels a little weak because he's currently low on mana. Anyway... "Whatever." Leon just mumbled that. "Then just stay here." He said. And without waiting for Raye's response... Bam¡ª! He dashed back to where Lycus and Allen are. The two of them were fighting off six students on their own! Then, not far from him... "Yep, we're done here." Raye also saw Lena casting a wide-area lightning spell! ***** Just a couple of minutes had passed... SLASH¡ª And Lycus had already killed their last enemy by beheading him! Thud- The head of student from the [Night Academy] fell and rolled on the ground. And just a second after... Fwoosh¡ª His body became dust-like and disappeared all in all. He was eliminated. 'This artifact's power is really overpowered and strange. If not for the restriction that one can't re-enter the Training Dome for a week after having died inside of it, this artifact can literally make you immortal.' Raye thought, seeing the last student from the other academies get sent out of the Northern Forest. And just then... "So, what now?" Lena asked that. Fwish- She looked at Raye, then... Swish- Lycus, Allen, and Leon followed suit. 'Why are you guys looking at me? It's not like I know everything.' Raye said in his head, noticing their gazes. And even though he said that, he actually knows what's next. And so, with a shrug of his shoulders... "We already won, we'll be contacted by the academy staff soon and be guided back to the entrance of the forest." Raye calmly declared that! And hearing his words... "Mhm." The others just accepted his words and nodded their heads! 'Well, at least they trust me.' Raye thought with a smile. And suddenly... "Why did those guys ambushed us anyways?" Allen asked that. The other three became curious as well, and they all glanced at Raye again! "Ugh..." Raye frowned, seeing that. But opening his mouth... "They were trying to steal our points by targeting the proofs that we took from the monsters we killed on the first day." He still answered Allen's question. "Huh? That works?" Lycus followed, slightly surprised. And while nodding his head... "Yeah, stealing points from other teams is possible. Ignis noticed that fact and banded everyone from the other academies to turn against us, they didn't hunt on the first day, they were all just preparing to rob us." Raye responded. "They also want to eliminate us. For some reason, the students from the other academies are targeting us, the Zion Academy." He added. "Hmm... It's probably because they want to dethrone Zion as the most prestigious academy in the empire." Lena mumbled. "Could be." Raye casually replied. And then... "Ehh, who cares. We should just rest now." Leon just muttered that. "..." Everyone looked at him, hearing his words. He was sitting comfortably on a tree stump. And seeing him like that... "Hmm, good point." The others just shrugged and started finding a place for them to sit on. ***** After a few minutes of waiting... Tap¡ª An academy staff member appeared just like Raye had said. 'Hmm? why does it seem like they're already expecting me?' The staff thought as she saw Raye and the others looking at her, unsurprised. Anyway, opening her mouth... "I'm here to guide you back to the entrance of the forest now." She said that. And silently... Fwip¡ª Raye and the others just stood up, not questioning anything! "..." The academy staff found this weird, but she didn't put much thought into it. 'Whatever... My only job is to guide them back.' Tap- tap- tap¡ª She said in her head before turning around and started walking away. Tap- tap- tap¡ª Raye and the others followed after her immediately. And as they were walking... "Ugh, finally... I don't want to sleep in the forest again for the second time." Allen mumbled that. "..." The others just silently agreed with him. 'The bugs are annoying and the ground is uneven, it's uncomfortable to lie on.' Raye thought. Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Even though he lives at the entrance of the Northern Forest, he still sleeps in a comfortable place¡ªin Old Man Rey's cabin. Chapter 119 119 - Out of the Forest [2] After making sure that Raye and the others are following her...Bam! The staff started dashing to pick up the pace! Raye and the others did not get left behind, of course. BAM¡ª! They kicked off onto the ground and started running really fast too! "[Haste]" Fwoosh¡ª Lena used a spell on herself to make herself faster. And so, after just about half an hour of running... TAP¡ª The staff, Raye, Lena, Lycus, Leon, and Allen got out of the Northern Forest! They encountered some monsters on the way, but the staff took care of them casually. ***** TAP¡ª After getting out of the forest... "Haha, welcome back, guys!" Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Bryan immediately greeted Raye and the others with a big smile on his face. Sariel and Ramiel were just standing behind him, smiling too. 'Can't you make it less obvious that you're happy?' Raye thought, seeing Bryan smiling ear to ear. And then, looking around... 'Whoa... Guess the headmaster is not the only one that can't hide his feelings.' Raye said that in his head. After all, he saw the staff from the other academies glaring at him, clearly annoyed! 'They're not hiding the fact that they hate me, huh.' He added with a smirk. And subtly looking back at them... "Heh." He just muttered that and shrugged his shoulders, pissing the people from the other academies even more! "¡­" Lena, Lycus, and Leon noticed this scene. 'He's really good at making people he hates hate him too.' They thought in unison, looking at Raye. Moving on... "Anyway, you must be tired. There's a tent there for the eliminated students. You guys can rest there." Bryan suddenly said that, pointing to a huge tent behind where the professors and staff are sitting, watching the competition happen. "¡­" Raye and the others looked toward it. And before they could even say anything... "Ramiel, Sariel, guide them." Bryan instructed that. "Yes, sir." "Ehhh..." Sariel and Ramiel responded respectively. "Thank you, headmaster." Raye and the others then thanked Bryan, slightly bowing their heads. And with that... Tap- tap- tap¡ª Tap- tap- tap¡ª Tap- tap- tap¡ª They started following Ramiel and Sariel to the tent. ... Tap¡ª Raye stepped inside the tent. And the first thing he noticed... "Huh?" Were Ignis and the students from the other academies that were in [Set A] too! "Ah! Nice to see you guys, haha." Raye said, smiling and laughing. He's this bold because he knows Ramiel and Sariel will protect him. 'This kid is really something else.' Ramiel thought, looking at Raye and understanding what's on his mind. 'He's a good kid, but he still annoys his opponents too much.' Then Sariel followed. "Tsk..." Ignis and the students from the other academies just clicked their tongues in annoyance and glared at Raye. And after that... Swish¡ª They looked away from him. They just decided to ignore him! On the other hand... Tap- tap- tap¡ª Lena, Lycus, Leon, and Allen just walked past Raye, ignoring him taunting the students from the other academies. They were tired, and by this point... They already got used to Raye doing stupid stuff like this! But then, as they were heading to the empty beds to rest... "Huh?" They noticed Josh Harris, a classmate of theirs from [Set B]! And he's not alone... Explore more adventures at My Virtual Library Empire Joshua, Ravien, Lian, and Stephen¡ªall of their classmates from [Set B] are here! Meaning... "They've been eliminated, huh." Raye said as he walked behind Leon and the others. "They were ambushed the same way as us, but unlike us... They were probably caught off guard and eliminated." He added. "¡­" Lycus and the others kept quiet. They didn't know what to say. And just then... "¡­!" Josh and their other classmates looked in their direction. "Oh, hi guys." Joshua mumbled weakly. "We've heard what you did in Set A. You guys are amazing." He said. "Thanks." Lena simply replied. "Yeah, thanks." And then Lycus and the others followed. "¡­" Not Raye though. He just remained silent. But, opening his mouth... "You guys are probably tired like us. We'll leave you now to rest." He muttered that. "¡­" Lena and the others looked at him like he was cold-hearted. Though, contrary to their expectations... "Haha, thanks, Raye." Joshua and the others thanked him for it. "¡­?" Lena and the others were confused. And Raye noticed this... "Staying in front of them and talking normally is like saying we already expected them to fail¡ªlike we're rubbing salt into their wounds. Let's give them some space." He whispered under his breath, explaining his intention. Tap- tap- tap¡ª And then he started walking away without waiting for the others! "¡­" Lena, Lycus, Leon, and Allen were silent. They thought of Raye's words deeply. And after a while... 'He's right.' They admitted that. And so... Swish¡ª They looked at Josh and their other classmates again. But this time... "¡­" They didn't say anything. They just nodded their heads at them. And with that... Tap- tap- tap¡ª Tap- tap- tap¡ª Tap- tap- tap¡ª Lena and the others followed after Raye. "¡­" Josh, Ravien, Lian, Joshua, and Stephen remained seated on the folding beds. They were silent, just looking down at the floor. "¡­" None of them talked, even after a few minutes! But then, breaking the silence... "I will start focusing on my training after this." Ravien mumbled that! "I'll even ask Professor Ramiel to train me." He added! (Whoa, calm down... Are you sure about that?) "¡­" Josh and the others looked at Ravien, hearing his words. "¡­" They didn't say anything. Though, after a while... "Haha..." Josh laughed. "This is what we get for being complacent with our above-average talents and being lazy to train." He said with a bitter smile. "¡­" The others silently agreed with him. And then, opening his mouth again... "I'll join you, Ravien... I'll train much harder too." Josh declared that! And with him saying that... "I'll join too." "I wouldn't ask Professor Ramiel to train me, but I'll increase my training's intensity too." "Erm... I can try a bit harder, I guess?" The other three followed! "Let's not get left behind by Raye and the others." Ravien muttered. "Yeah!" And the others replied. They now felt a little bit better... 'That's good.' Raye, who was on the other side of the room, thought of that after seeing them energetic. Chapter 120 120 - Tired After resting for a few minutes...About 8 AM... "I'm going to go out for a while." Raye said that and stood up from sitting on the folding bed. "Hm, okay..." Lycus simply replied to him. "Mhm." And Lena just nodded her head in response. "..." Allen and Leon were sleeping, so Raye just ignored them. And so, with that... Tap- tap- tap¡ª Raye headed out of the tent. ***** Outside the resting tent... "Huh?" Raye saw someone familiar not far away from him. It was Old Man Rey! Jerusha, Zephyrus, and Pyro were also with him! And just then... "Ah!" Jerusha saw Raye! And with a sweet smile on her face... "Raye!" She exclaimed that and started running toward him! "Hm?" -Huh? -Meep! Old Man Rey, Zephyrus, and Pyro noticed Raye too at that point. They started heading toward him too... "..." Raye just let out a smile, seeing them get near. And when they reached him... "Good morning. You guys are here early, huh." Raye muttered that. "Yeah! And we saw what happened earlier! Congratulations on winning the Set A!" Jerusha excitedly said, looking at Raye. "Thanks." Raye responded, scratching his cheek. He was slightly embarrassed for some reason. But then, opening his mouth... "Where were you guys watching?" He asked that out of curiosity. And this time... "At the cabin. Jerusha brought her communication stone so we could watch there comfortably." It was Old Man Rey that answered. Raye turned to him. And before he could even say anything... "Congrats." The Old Man added that while smiling. "..." Raye became silent, hearing his words. The corners of his lips started to rise and form a smile on his face again. And with that smile... "Thanks, Old Man." He replied to the Old Man. Following that... -You did good, well done. -Meep! Meep! Meep! Zephyrus and Pyro greeted Raye too. Fwoosh¡ª Zephyrus then flew on top of his head, and Pyro landed on his left shoulder. "Haha, thanks, guys." Raye said to them with a laugh. And after that... The five of them started talking, catching up with each other. Raye was away for barely a day... But Jerusha and the others felt like they hadn't seen him in a week or more! ***** Raye and the others talked about what happened inside the Northern Forest¡ªabout the competition. "You were amazing!" -Meep meep meep! Jerusha and Pyro kept on praising Raye's performance, how he responded to the ambush earlier, and how he dealt with Ignis and the others! "Really? I don't think I did something that amazing or hard, to be honest." Raye responded to the two of them with a shrug. On the other hand... "You hungry?" -Any injury? Old Man Rey and Zephyrus were checking on his condition. "Hmm, I'm fine. Kinda hungry, though." Raye answered. And hearing his latter words... "Then here, we brought you roasted deer meat." Old Man Rey said that and handed Raye a paper bag. "Hm?" Raye took it from him, and looking inside the bag... "..." He saw three big roasted deer meats! 'Wow...' Raye dumbfoundedly thought, his mouth salivating. Then, suddenly... "You already ate earlier, Zephyrus. That's for the brat." Old Man Rey muttered that, seeing Zephyrus salivating too on top of Raye's head! "You'll become fatter if you don't stop eating." He added! -Ah... Zephyrus snapped out of his stupor after hearing the Old Man's voice and words. And when he came to... -... He just saw everyone looking at him! "Haha, you really like that dish, huh." Jerusha said with a laugh. -Ugh... And Zephyrus became slightly embarrassed because of this! -meep meep... Even Pyro was laughing at him! "Pfft..." Raye laughed too, remembering Old Man Rey's words just now about Zephyrus being fat! And seeing this... "You guys are mean." Zephyrus declared that, feeling betrayed! Fwoosh¡ª And then he flew away with his tiny wings! Zephyrus looked like a flying white cotton candy! 'He's so cute.' Raye and the others thought, watching him get away. ***** After Zephyrus flew away from everyone... "I'll be going back to the cabin first. I'll process the meat that I left behind earlier." Old Man Rey said that. -Meep! Pyro also decided to come with him. After all, he is the Old Man's bodyguard. And so with that... Tap- tap- tap¡ª Enjoy exclusive content from My Virtual Library Empire The two of them left. "..." "..." Leaving Raye and Jerusha on their own! 'Hmm, I don't know what to say.' Raye thought, avoiding looking at Jerusha directly. 'We're alone again. I'm getting nervous.' Then Jerusha said in her head. She kept on glancing all over the place and onto the ground. She's looking at everything except Raye! And so, normally... "..." An awkward silence covered them. But breaking that silence... "Erm... I'm going to eat first." sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Raye muttered that. "Ah..." Jerusha was surprised by his words. But immediately after that... "Can I join you?" She went and asked shyly! "..." Raye looked at her, and with a smile... "Sure, I like being with you, after all." He just went and said that! "..." Jerusha was silent, hearing his words. Her face was turning red and her heart was beating fast! She was so happy to know that Raye was happy with her presence. And so, while blushing and with a smile... "Hehe, I feel the same." She simply replied to Raye. ***** Except for the resting tent... There's actually another tent where the eliminated students can get free food while they were waiting for the competition to finish! And it was full of fancy and expensive dishes! But nevertheless... "I like Mister's cooking better." "Same here." Jerusha and Raye still decided that they wanted to eat the roasted deer meat that the Old Man brought and cooked! So instead... Raye just borrowed utensils for him and Jerusha from that tent. And after that... "Thanks for the food." "Thank you." Nom- nom- nom¡ª "Hmm, thish ish gooshd..." "Yea... I agreesh!" The two of them started eating while sitting side by side to each other on a fallen tree trunk. As they were eating though... "Where's Devin and Kyle?" Raye stopped for a second and asked that. Gulp¡ª Jerusha swallowed the food in her mouth first, and after that... "Kyle is busy in the store, and Devin was resting. He's pretty beat up after the first round of the small tournament alongside the monster hunt competition that you guys are in." She replied. "Oh, is that so..." Raye muttered. "Did Devin win?" He followed. And with a big smile on her face... "Of course. Devin is strong." Jerusha smirked and mumbled that. Raye was happy to hear that. And after that... Nom¡ª He started eating again. ... Raye and Jerusha talked after eating, and they were happy to catch up with each other. They were always awkward at first when left alone, but once they started talking... They almost didn't want to stop. But not long after... "Well, I should head back to the tent and get some rest now." Raye said that with a weak smile. He's really sleepy now after eating. "Alright. See you later, Raye." Jerusha replied warmly. "Rest well!" She added. And with that... "Thanks, see you later." Tap- tap- tap¡ª Raye stood up and walked back to the resting tent. ... After returning to the resting tent... Raye lay down on the folding bed. Exhaustion and lack of comfortable sleep from today's events finally caught up to him. "...I'll just sleep for a while." He mumbled to himself, closing his eyes. Lycus and Lena were already asleep when he came back. And soon... Raye drifted off into a deep sleep too. ***** After waking up a few hours later... The sun was lower in the sky, and the resting tent was quieter than before. Stretching his arms and yawning... "Man, that was a good nap." Raye muttered. Then, looking around... He noticed Leon, Lycus, Lena, and Allen were already awake. And as a matter of fact, they were preparing to leave! "I'm going back to my dorm. I'm still beat." Leon mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah, same here." Allen followed. "..." Lycus and Lena were also feeling the same. And noticing that everyone was planning to go back to their own places... "Ehh, wait for me for a bit." Raye stood up from the bed and started preparing to leave too. "..." The others just silently waited for him to finish. And after a few minutes... Tap- tap- tap¡ª The group¡ªRaye, Leon, Lycus, Lena, and Allen¡ªthey left the resting tent. They were still really tired. ... Raye got back to the cabin not long, it's not far away, after all. And when he got there... He found Old Man Rey busy, he's cooking. "You're back, kid." The Old Man greeted him without turning around. "Yeah. You're cooking dinner?" Raye asked, stepping closer. "Obviously. Sit down and wait. I can handle this." The Old Man then said, waving him off. But shaking his head... "I'll help. Let me do something." Raye insisted that. And even though Old Man Rey keeps pushing him away... Raye still didn't back down! And so, in the end... They finished preparing dinner together. ... After cooking... The two of them sat down at the table. Pyro and Zephyrus joined them too. -Meep! Pyro chirped happily. "Don't eat too much, Zephyrus. You'll get fat." And then Raye teased, grinning! -Ugh... Zephyrus let out a small noise of protest but kept eating anyway. And so, the four of them enjoyed their dinner together. ... After finishing the meal and cleaning up... "I'm heading to bed. Goodnight, Old Man." Raye said that with a tired voice. "Goodnight. Rest up." Old Man Rey then simply replied to him, he's a bit tired now too. And with that... Tap- tap- tap¡ª Raye headed to his room. Phuff¡ª He immediately lay down on his bed. His body was feeling heavy because exhaustion. Raye then closed his eyes. And just after a few seconds... "..." He lost consciousness. Chapter 121 121 - The Tournament [1] The next day...It's the third day of the monster hunt competition. That's right, it's still ongoing because, in [Set B], the three teams are still fighting! And so, right now... Everyone who has been eliminated and those who are in [Set A] are free to do whatever they want for the day! "Hmm, what should I do?" Raye asked himself as he sat on his bed. 'Devin's next match is still in the afternoon.' He thought to himself. Then, looking around and seeing a lot of dust everywhere and cobwebs on the ceiling... "I guess I'll clean up and help the Old Man around before that." Raye muttered that as he stood up! **** After getting up from his bed, Raye immediately fixed it and went out of the cabin. And there... He started chopping logs to be used as firewood. 'It feels like it's been a while since I did this.' Raye thought to himself. Then, not long after that... "Hmm, good morning." Old Man Rey came out of the cabin too and greeted him. "Good morning." Raye greeted the Old Man back. They've been together for so long that they're casual with each other now. Moving without saying a word... "Ugh, I'm still sleepy." Old Man Rey started preparing breakfast like normal. "Do you want something?" He asked Raye. Twhack¡ª And while chopping up logs... "Nah, I'm fine with anything." Raye responded. "Mhm, okay." Old Man Rey muttered and nodded his head. ... Half an hour later, Old Man Rey finished making breakfast. Zephyrus and Pyro woke up around that time too. And so, with that... The four of them ate together! Raye then continued with his chores after that. He also accompanied the Old Man to the Northern Forest to check on his traps after such a long time of not being able to because of training. They caught a deer, a wild boar, and three rabbits! They brought them back to the cabin. And there... "Light me some fire, kid." -Meep! Old Man Rey started preparing lunch with Pyro. And Raye, on the other hand... "Hmm, this feels refreshing..." -Yep, I totally agree. He took a bath in the nearby river with Zephyrus. ***** Around 11 AM... Raye finished all of his chores, and he had already eaten lunch with the Old Man, Pyro, and Zephyrus. Devin's fight in the tournament will happen around 3 PM. So Raye still has roughly four hours before that. And right now... Tap¡ª He's standing in front of the library! 'Hmm, that spell that Ignis used in our fight... it gave me an idea.' Raye thought, referring to the spell [Incarnate Inferno]! "I'm super excited to receive my rewards from the headmaster after this competition." Raye mumbled with a slight smile on his face. And with that... Tap¡ª He stepped inside the library! And there... Raye studied about [Spirits], [Artifact Engineering], and [Runes & Ancient Symbols] for hours! ***** After reading for hours straight... "Ah...!" Raye suddenly broke out of his zone and realized that he forgot Devin's match! "Shit!" Raye immediately stood up and returned the books he had borrowed. And after that... Tap¡ª He walked hurriedly and exited the library! Then, as soon as he was out... BAM¡ª! He kicked off onto the ground and started dashing to where the tournament venue was! "Ugh, I hope I'm not late." Raye muttered to himself as he ran as fast as he could, blasting concentrated wind off his legs to propel himself forward and go faster! BAM¡ª! Raye left small cracks on the ground whenever his feet touched it, kicking off as hard as he could! FWOOSH¡ª He's basically flying at this rate! ... ... The tournament is being held in one of the outdoor training grounds. And after running nonstop... Tap¡ª "Huff... huff... haaaa...!" Raye reached the specific place not long after¡ªit only took him about three minutes! 'There's a lot of people here.' Raye thought, looking around the resting area where the audience was to find Jerusha and the others. And not long after... "Oh..." Explore more stories with My Virtual Library Empire He saw a nearly empty resting booth. And upon seeing that... "That's where Jerusha and Lena are." Raye immediately concluded that! So, without further ado... Tap- tap- tap¡ª He headed to that resting booth. ... And just as Raye expected... Lycus, Lena, Sofia, and Jerusha were there! "Oh, you're finally here." Lena muttered, seeing Raye arrive. "Yeah, my bad, I lost track of time in the library." Raye explained. Then, opening his mouth again... "How about Devin's match?" He asked that. Then, pointing at one of the arenas... Swish¡ª "There... It's just about to start. You're right on time." Lycus replied to him. S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Phew, that's a relief..." Raye sighed and mumbled. "Come sit here, it's going to start!" Then, Jerusha said that to him, patting the empty space beside her. "Oh, thanks." Raye said. Pat¡ª And then he took her offer. Looking at the two of them sitting side by side... 'Mwehehehehe...' Sofia laughed weirdly in her head. ***** Anyway, a few moments after Raye arrived... "Fighters, climb up!" Charles exclaimed that. He's hosting this event with three more staff members from other academies. (He's the Close Combat Professor, Chapter 74...) Moving on, after that... Tap¡ª Devin stepped on top of the arena! He's wearing a training gauntlet on both hands. And following him... Tap¡ª His opponent climbed up onto the arena as well! It was Jerome Adams from the [Night Academy]! (Along with Rickrey Marcos and the students from the other academies, they drugged Devin and the whole [A Class], Chapters 108-110.) "It seems like we're fated to fight." Fwish¡ª Jerome mumbled, taking a fighting stance while holding a wooden sword. And looking back at him... "Are you sure you want to fight? You guys haven't drugged me yet, you know?" Devin asked that sarcastically, faking a worried expression on his face! (He learned how to taunt people from watching Raye...) "..." His words pissed off Jerome a lot. But before he could even respond... "Start!" Charles announced that and started their match! Chapter 122 122 - The Tournament [2] "Start!"Charles exclaimed, starting Devin and Jerome's match! And as soon as it started... BAM! Fwoosh¡ª Jerome immediately rushed at Devin! He was really pissed! And upon reaching him, with both hands holding his weapon... SWOOSH¡ª Jerome swung diagonally down from the top right, aiming for Devin's neck! 'I get it now why Raye always riles up his opponent.' Devin thought to himself, seeing Jerome's attack clearly! "Your attack pattern is really simple, and you raised your hands too high." Devin mumbled. BAM¡ª And then he closed in forward and body-slammed Jerome with the left side of his body! "Urgh...?" Jerome groaned, his attack was disrupted! And before he could even fix his balance... BAM¡ª "Keuk?!" Devin launched a body blow with his right fist straight into Jerome's abdomen! His hand was covered with mana! "Gurgh..." Jerome stumbled back in pain. Bam¡ª And then he jumped back to distance himself from Devin! Tap¡ª "Fuck..." Jerome landed softly and grabbed his stomach where Devin had hit him. 'I need to recover and recollect myself.' He thought. But then, suddenly, seeing Jerome like that... "See? You should've drugged me first again if you wanted to win." Devin confidently proclaimed that! "..." Jerome went totally silent after hearing that. Crack¡ª The handle of his wooden sword in his right hand cracked slightly from how tightly he was clenching it! "You bastard..." Jerome's face was now slightly turning red in anger. But instead of stopping there... "Oh, or maybe did you drug yourself? Like something to make your strength increase a lot or whatever?" Devin still continued with his provocative words! "Because if you did... it'll be embarrassing for you once I defeat you soon." He added. And when he said that... "SHUT UP!!!" BAM¡ª! Jerome finally snapped and dashed straight at Devin again! 'Haha, this is fun.' Devin thought, seeing Jerome's angry face. "No wonder Raye keeps on doing it." He mumbled to himself. Fwip¡ª Jerome then reached in front of him once again! And now, with a bit more carefulness... Swish¡ª Jerome launched a swift, horizontal attack! Shhhhh¡ª Devin covered his left arm with mana, and with it... Twhack! He blocked Jerome's wooden sword! 'Ugh, that stings.' Devin thought before countering with a right straight! Fwoosh¡ª "Ugh...!" Jerome frowned, seeing Devin's fist approach his face! Fwip¡ª He immediately raised his left arm and coated it with mana! But in response to that... "[Fire Fist!]" Devin exclaimed that! SWAAAAA¡ª BAM¡ª! And then his flaming fist made contact with Jerome's arm! "Keuk?!" Jerome's whole left arm was flung up upon receiving Devin's attack! But ignoring that... Fwoop¡ª He followed with a front kick using his left foot! "...!" Devin's eyes widened seeing this. But calmly... Swish¡ª He rotated his whole body to his right... Fwoosh¡ª And Jerome hit nothing but air! Then, using the momentum of his spin... Swoosh¡ª Devin extended his left arm and performed a spinning backfist attack! Bam! Jerome was hit in the left cheek! "Gurgh..." But he twisted his head to the right to soften the impact, making Devin's fist just slip through! 'I need to counter!' Jerome thought as he immediately faced forward again, ready to attack! But then... BAM¡ª! He was suddenly hit by a strong attack straight to his left cheek again! "GAAH?!" And this time, Jerome didn't expect it! Thud¡ª His brain shook, and he fell butt-first onto the ground! Turns out that Devin followed up with a heavy right hook as soon as he noticed that Jerome deflected his first attack! "Shit...!" Jerome cursed as he quickly looked up at Devin. And just as he expected... Fwoosh¡ª A flaming fist greeted him, just centimeters away from his face! "Keuk!" Fwish¡ª Jerome moved his head to the right and barely avoided his opponent's attack. And from his position... Swoosh¡ª He launched a diagonally upward slash with his wooden sword, aiming at Devin's left side of the torso! "Ugh." Devin frowned, he can't block the attack. Bam¡ª So he decided to leap back and avoid it! 'Good!' Bam- Jerome took that chance to get up and fix his stance. And so with that... "... " "... " The two of them were back in their starting positions! "..." Silence fell upon the arena. Both of them carefully watched each other's next move. And then, after a few moments... BAM¡ª Jerome took the initiative once again! But this time... 'I need to calm down!' He wasn't rushing in anger! "Well, it was fun while it lasted." Devin whispered under his breath after noticing that. Bam¡ª He lightly jumped back... Fwoosh¡ª And Jerome's thrust attack barely missed him! Tap¡ª Then, immediately after landing on the ground... "Shit!" Swoosh¡ª Devin crouched down to avoid Jerome's follow-up horizontal slash! "Ugh...!" Devin then tensed the muscles in his thighs. And with all of his might... BAM¡ª! He kicked off the ground and charged at Jerome! THUD¡ª His body slammed into Jerome, and because of the momentum and his weight... "Gurgh?!" Jerome was pushed back! Fwip¡ª Devin then quickly grabbed his right wrist with his left hand. Experience tales with My Virtual Library Empire And immediately... Crunch¡ª He forcefully twisted it, breaking Jerome's wrist! "GRAAAAH?!" Thack¡ª Jerome screamed in pain as he dropped his weapon. And before he could even do something... "Shut up. I win." He heard Devin mumble that! "[Fire Fist]" BAM! And then Jerome was punched in the nose! Crack¡ª "Urgh?!" Jerome groaned and his nose started to bleed! BAM! And then he got punched again in the same place! 'What the fuck?!' Jerome grumbled in his head. BAM! And he got punched in the nose once more! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! Devin continuously punched Jerome in the nose with his flaming right fist! "Gurgh...! S-sto¡ª!" BAM! Jerome couldn't respond, all he could think of was how much his nose hurt at the moment! And then, after about twenty punches... "Stop!" Charles exclaimed that and stopped the match! "..." Devin looked at his close combat professor. And after a few seconds... Fwip¡ª Thud¡ª He let go of Jerome, and his body fell onto the ground, unmoving! Jerome has been unconscious ever since the ninth punch! S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Anyway... Looking down at his opponent... "Raye was right... I could've easily defeated you guys in a fight back then if you hadn't drugged me." Devin muttered that. And following that... Tap¡ª tap¡ª tap¡ª He just started walking away casually from Jerome! 'His moves got better.' Raye and Lycus thought after seeing Devin fight. Chapter 123 123 - In The Library "Devin wins!"Charles announced as Devin climbed down the arena. And hearing his words... "WOOOAAHHHH!!!" "I'M CHEERING FOR YOU, DEVIN! WIN THIS TOURNAMENT!!!" The students of Zion Academy, especially from [A Class], started roaring in excitement! "MAKE THOSE BASTARDS PAY!!!" "ACK, MY EARS!!!" They weren't hiding the fact that they didn't like the students from the other academies! And this was actually the same case on the other side! "Tsk, he just got lucky." "Ugh, these idiots are so noisy. We already defeated them before. What idiots." "They're annoying." Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The students from the other academies said, looking at the cheering crowds. They all had frowns on their faces. Anyway, everyone from Zion just ignored them... A lot of them didn't hear what they said in the first place, their words were drowned out by the excited shouts of the crowd! ... ... "Oh, Raye, you made it!" Devin said with a smile as he arrived at the resting area where his friends were watching. "Well, I didn't forget your match. I really just lost track of time." Raye replied to him. "Anyway, congrats on your win." Then he added. "Haha, thanks. It's just like you said, they're nothing." Devin mumbled. And proudly... "Of course I'm right. I'm always right." Raye proclaimed that with a shrug! "..." Lena and Lycus just stared at him with a frown after hearing that. But ignoring them... 'You're someone who can go toe-to-toe against Lycus¡ªa main character. It's obvious that those side characters would lose to you.' Raye said that in his head, looking at Devin with a smirk. Just then... "Congratulations, Devin!" "Congrats." "Congrats!" Jerusha and the others greeted Devin too. And while smiling ear to ear... "Hehe, thanks." Devin responded to them, all giggly. And after that... Pat¡ª He sat on Raye's left side. Then with that... Explore new worlds at My Virtual Library Empire "The next match is starting." They all stayed there and continued watching the other matches of the tournament! ***** As the matches of the tournament were happening... "Hmm..." Raye thought of something. "..." He remained silent about it for a while. But then, later... Swish¡ª He turned to his left. And opening his mouth... "I found a spell that fits you." Raye declared that! "Huh?" Devin was surprised by his sudden words. "..." He looked back at Raye. And with a confused expression on his face... "What are you talking about?" Devin asked that. "I'm serious..." Raye said. "It's like this spell was specifically made for you." And then he followed without batting an eye! Hearing that... "..." Devin became silent. He also grew interested in the spell that Raye was talking about. So, after not replying to him for a while... "What is it?" Devin asked that curiously! And then and there... "It's called [Incarnate Inferno]¡ª" Raye started talking about Ignis' spell! The one that made his whole body literal fire! 'For someone that can't emit magic and fights at close range... This is the spell for them¡ªfor Devin.' Raye thought to himself. ... ... After hearing Raye's explanation and description of the spell, [Incarnate Inferno]. "Hmm..." Devin pondered to himself for a while. "You're right. It's perfect for me." He mumbled. "See? I'm always right." And Raye responded with a shrug! "..." Devin just ignored him. "I don't know how I'll do it, though." He said. "Well, I'm trying to figure out the logic behind it too. I'll tell you once I do." Raye muttered. "Hmm? You're trying to use that spell too?" Devin asked Raye. He was confused, to be honest. Yes, Raye might be a mage that fights at close range... but he mainly uses swords! And he already has [Blaze], it was much more mana-efficient for him! Anyway... "Nah." Raye quickly responded. "Mhm." And Devin immediately accepted his word! "I'm just learning it, I'm planning to use it on something later." Raye added. "Can you tell me where?" Devin whispered. But with just a smirk on his face... "No." Raye simply replied! "Well, at the very least... I'll tell you that it'll be a power-up for me." Then he followed, looking back at the arenas to watch the matches. "Come on, just tell me!" Devin tried to pester Raye into revealing his plan. But even after trying for a few minutes... "Haha, no way." Raye just laughed at him and didn't tell a thing! 'Ugh, you shouldn't have told me that if you were going to keep it a secret!' Devin exclaimed in his head, frowning. ***** After a couple of hours... The round two of the tournament came to an end. And including Devin... Only ten participants were left! In which, three are from the [Zion Academy]. Two each from the [Crimson Academy] and [Zephyros Institute]... And also three from the [Night Academy]! Then, moving on... "Tomorrow is the finals and the last day of the tournament. Come and watch again if you're free." Charles announced that, ending today's event. "That's all for today. Enjoy the rest of the day." He followed. And as soon as he said that... Fwoop¡ª Tap- tap- tap¡ª Tap- tap- tap¡ª Tap- tap- tap¡ª Everyone stood up and started leaving the venue! "Today's matches were awesome too! I'm definitely going to watch the finals tomorrow." "Me too." "My ears still kinda hurt..." "Ugh, shut up." Some of the students mumbled on their way out. Anyway... "A lot really came, huh?" Raye whispered that under his breath. They were still in the resting area where they had watched the whole event. They were waiting until the crowd dwindled in number. And as they were doing that, maybe out of boredom or just sheer curiosity... "Where are you guys headed after this?" Sofia asked that question. "I'm going back to the shop to help Kyle." Devin responded. "Back to my room. I'm still sleepy," Lena followed. Then, uninterested... "Library." Raye simply muttered. No one really minded him acting like that. They knew he was just in his energy-saving mode. And so... "How about you, Jerusha?" Sofia just continued. "..." Jerusha became silent at her question. She was being unusually shy too. And seeing her like that... "...?" A confused expression appeared on Lena's, Devin's, and Lycus' faces! "Hmm?" Sofia waited for Jerusha's answer. Then, after a while... And while slightly glancing at Raye... "I kinda want to read... so I'll probably go to the library too..." Jerusha meekly mumbled that! 'Ahhhhhhh...' Devin, Lycus, and Lena finally understood why Jerusha was acting weird. "Hehe..." Sofia smiled. She already knew it was something like that. And just then... "Oh, you're going to the library too?" Raye asked Jerusha. And before she could even answer... "Let's go together. I have some questions to ask you too, so this is nice." Raye followed, smiling slightly! And with a big smile on her face and rosy cheeks... "Okay!" Jerusha excitedly responded! 'IEGRIEHEKEBEU...!' Sofia became giddy watching the two of them. "..." The other three just remained silent. Oh, and by the way... Sofia and Lycus were going on a date after this. { Ehem... me too (¡ª v ¡ª) } ***** After leaving the tournament's venue and going separate ways with the others... Tap- tap- tap¡ª Raye and Jerusha walked side by side toward the library. The sky was already turning orange, the warm glow of the sunset stretching over the academy grounds. Neither of them said much on the way¡­ 'it's just us again...!' But Jerusha was clearly thrilled! Her steps were light, her eyes sparkling, and every now and then, she stole glances at Raye! But as for Raye¡­ "..." He just looked normal. Anyway¡­ The two of them eventually arrived at the library. Creak¡ª The door slowly opened, and the scent of old books and parchment filled the air. Tap¡ª They stepped inside. Then, walking past the shelves¡­ Rustle¡ª They reached the table where Raye was usually sitting, and there... "Hup." "..." The two sat side by side! 'Hehe...' The joy on Jerusha's face was obvious! And Raye¡­ "Hmm..." He seemed the same. Normal and unbothered. At least, that's how it looked on the surface! Because actually... Thump- thump- thump¡ª Raye's heart had been beating faster than usual for quite a while now! "..." He's just ignoring it! Instead... Fwip- Raye casually opened a book about spirits, and he started flipping through the pages! "So, spirits are naturally drawn to people with high mana sensitivity, right?" He asked as if this was just a regular study session. "Y-Yeah." Jerusha nodded. She looked a little startled, as if she hadn't expected him to talk so soon. "But their affinity and compatibility also matters like I told you before." She continued. "Even if someone has high mana, a spirit won't approach them unless there's a matching resonance." "I see." Raye tapped his finger lightly on the table, deep in thought. "Then, can spirits, like... Merge with things they have great compatibility with?" He asked that, eyes still fixed on the book. And hearing that¡­ Jerusha blinked, surprised. "That can happen." She mumbled. "But it's rare." She paused for a second before tilting her head. "Why do you ask?" She questioned him curiously. And at that¡­ Raye remained silent for a moment. Then, calmly¡­ "No reason." He answered. "..." Then he just continued reading! Though, deep inside¡­ Thump- thump- thump¡ª His heart still hadn't calmed down, not even for a bit! Chapter 124 124 - A Nice Day Raye and Jerusha stayed in the library for hours, just reading and talking to each other.'Hmm, weird.' And this surprised Raye himself. Because normally... He wouldn't have said a word while studying except when he was asking a question! But now... "Zephyrus got fat, huh." "Yeah, he really likes the Old Man's cooking." The two of them are talking about the most random things from time to time! Though... 'This is nice.' Raye didn't hate it. He was liking it, in fact. And just like that... The two of them stayed in the library for a few more hours. ***** Around 7 PM... "Hmm, it's getting dark. We should leave." Raye said that, looking around and noticing that almost everyone had left. "Yeah, we probably should." Jerusha replied to him. She was reluctant saying that, but she knew that it was getting late. And so, with that... "Hup." Raye stood up and started returning the books that they had borrowed to the right shelves. "Ah, let me help you..." Jerusha muttered. But without even looking at her... "Nah, I'm good. You can rest for a moment while I return our books." Raye said that. Though... "Well, I want to help." Jerusha still insisted on helping him. "..." Raye looked at Jerusha and saw her smiling at him. "Is that so." He said. Then, getting back to returning the books... "Okay." Raye simply replied to her. "Hehe..." Jerusha laughed a little, and then she started returning some of the books to the shelves too. "That's the wrong shelf." Raye mumbled. ***** After they were done with that... Tap¡ª Raye and Jerusha left the library. They now stood at the entrance of it. "Well, see you later." Jerusha said, smiling at Raye. "..." Raye just looked at her in silence. Then, after pondering for a while... "What are your plans for the rest of the day?" He asked that. "Hm?" Jerusha was not expecting such a question from Raye at the moment. But opening her mouth... "Nothing really. I'm just going to pass the time, eat dinner later, then sleep." Jerusha answered casually. "Mhm." Raye nodded his head, hearing her. Swish¡ª Then, looking away and awkwardly scratching his cheek... "Want to eat dinner with us then?" Raye shyly asked that! "..." Jerusha was silent after hearing his words. Her eyes opened wide in shock. It was Raye's first time inviting her for dinner. 'Normally, it was Mister or Zephyrus that would ask me.' Jerusha thought. Anyway... "..." Raye just waited for her answer. And realizing that he's waiting... "I'll be more than happy to." Jerusha responded to him with a smile. "Phew..." Raye let out a sigh of relived after that. ... ***** After that short conversation... Jerusha and Raye went to the cabin. And there... "Let's eat." -These smell good! -Meep! They had dinner with Old Man Rey, Zephyrus, and Pyro! Raye cooked the meals, by the way. He just roasted some wild boar meat and made deer stew. But still... "These are good, hehe..." Jerusha liked them. "That's right, you really improved." Old Man Rey liked it too! -Shoo gooshd! -Meeep! Zephyrus and Pyro started eating faster. And seeing their reactions... "..." A small smile appeared on Raye's face. "I'm glad you guys liked it." He said. And with that... Nom¡ª They all ate peacefully. Raye and Jerusha told Old Man Rey and the others about Devin's match earlier while they were eating. ... After having dinner... Raye went out and started experimenting a bit with spirit magic with Zephyrus and Pyro. And because she had nothing else to do... "Hmm, you mean something like this?" Swooosh¡ª Jerusha helped him. She just made a spirit that she was contracted with grow smaller in size. "Yeah, how do you do that?" Raye asked, amazed. And with a clear voice... "Size is just a matter of form¡ªwill it to be smaller, and the spirit will compress itself accordingly. But be careful, force it too much, and you might distort their mana, hurting them too." Jerusha explained that. -She's right. Zephyrus followed. -meep! Pyro didn't really know what was happening, but he was cheering for Raye nevertheless. "Okay, I'll try it now." Raye said after listening to Jerusha. Then, after him... -Try it on me. Zephyrus declared that, volunteering to be the experiment subject! "Huh?" Raye was surprised by his words. And before he could even say anything... -Pyro is just a kid, unlike me. You could hurt him. So try it on me... I can handle a few stings, don't worry. Zephyrus added that! He was looking out for Pyro! Because of how long they've been together, Zephyrus now thought of Pyro as some kind of little brother that he needs to protect! Anyway, moving on... "..." Raye was silent after this. But then, slightly bowing his head... "Thank you." He muttered that to Zephyrus, who was flying in front of his face. -Meh, it's no biggie. Zephyrus casually replied. "..." Jerusha sweetly smiled, seeing them like this. And with that... "I'll start now." -Okay. Raye started his training, experimenting with the form of spirits! ... ***** Around 10 PM... "I guess that's enough for today." Raye mumbled that. He was now kind of low on mana. "Yeah, it's getting late." Jerusha replied to him. Then, looking up at the sky... "I should probably go too." She said that. "Oh, yeah..." Raye muttered. He was unsure of what to do or say... Then, he looked at Pyro and Zephyrus on the ground... -Mhm... -meeep... Zephyrus was sitting with his eyes closed, and Pyro was resting on him. They were both obviously sleepy. Just then... "Bye, Raye¡ªZephyrus and Pyro too!" Jerusha said her goodbye. -Take care... -meep. Zephyrus and Pyro responded to her. Though... "..." Raye just remained silent. It seemed like he was thinking of something. "...?" Jerusha just stood there, looking at him all confused. And then, after a while... "Mhm, yeah..." Raye just whispered that to himself. And looking back at the barely conscious Zephyrus and Pyro... "You two go to bed first. I'll follow later." He declared that! -Got it. -Meeep... Zephyrus and Pyro were too tired to even ask him questions. Swoosh¡ª They both flew into the cabin¡ªstraight to Raye's room to rest. "What are you gonna do?" Jerusha asked Raye as soon as the two left. And looking at her... "I'll accompany you back to your dorm." Raye stated that like it was so obvious! "?!" Jerusha's eyes widened. "You don't want to?" Raye asked her. And immediately... "No, I'd really like that." Jerusha answered while violently shaking her head! 'Phew, I'm glad.' Raye thought. Then, opening his mouth... "Let's go?" He mumbled that. "Let's go." Jerusha replied. And after that... Tap- tap- tap¡ª The two of them started walking. Tap... Tap... Tap... They both walked very slowly intentionally. "Today was a nice day." Jerusha said. "Yeah, it's a nice day." Then Raye replied with a smile. ... ... ***** The next day... "Haaa..." Raye yawned as he woke up. "Hmm?" He was feeling more energetic than usual. 'That's weird.' He thought. "Meh." But he didn't pay much attention to it. "Hup." Raye immediately stood up and started fixing his bed. He just let Zephyrus and Pyro sleep more. And with that... Tap¡ª tap¡ª tap¡ª Raye left the cabin. And outside... "Hmm hmm hmm." Find more chapters on My Virtual Library Empire He started humming while preparing breakfast for everyone! He just reheated some leftover roasted boar meat from last night, so it didn't take him long. Then, after that... Nom¡ª S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. He started eating! While he was eating though... "..." Raye paused for a moment. Then, looking up at the sky... 'They're out, huh.' He said that in his head. Who is he talking about? He's talking about Ace, Christian, and Elias! The monster hunt of [Set B] is now done, and every participant is now out of the Northern Forest! 'They all came out around 5 AM.' Raye thought. It's about 7 AM now. Then, that means... "The three must've met their classmates by now from Set A and heard what happened on the second day." Raye mumbled. Nom¡ª And then he took another bite of his roasted boar meat. "They probably met Ignis too and heard what I did directly from him." Raye said nonchalantly. And with a mischievous smile on his face... 'I wonder what their faces look like right now?' Raye asked that to himself. Though, he quickly lost interest about them and just continued on eating. ***** Meanwhile... Elias Alvah was in his dorm room. And also¡ªIgnis, Christian, and Ace! The four of them were currently having a meeting! "That's what happened on the second day." Ignis had just told them what happened in [Set A]. He had an annoyed expression on his face. Ignis especially highlighted Raye's actions and performance in his story, by the way. And hearing that... "..." Ace, Christian, and Elias fell silent. Ace and Christian were frowning really hard. Though, the one who's more surprised than anyone else... "..." Was Elias Alvah! He was lost for words and couldn't believe Ignis' story just now! He was really confused at the moment! And unconsciously opening his mouth... "Raye now uses a sword?" Elias muttered that in disbelief! Chapter 125 125 - The Tournament [3] "Raye used a sword against you?"Elias asked Ignis. "Yep." And Ignis answered casually, uninterested. Though... "Is he good?" When Elias followed that. "..." Ignis went silent! Then, reluctantly opening his mouth and while frowning... "Ehh... No..." He answered. "..." "..." Christian and Ace looked at him with disbelief. It was obvious that he was lying! "Ignis... Is he good?" Elias asked again. And this time... "I don't know, he barely used it! He was toying with me, alright?!" Ignis snapped and exclaimed that. Stay tuned with My Virtual Library Empire "For fuck's sake..." He grumbled, turning his back against Elias. "..." Elias went silent after hearing Ignis' response. "So he's strong enough to toy with you, huh." Ace mumbled. He's shocked by that fact, but he's not showing it on his face. "I'm telling you, fire just doesn't work on him for some reason! He's just lucky!" Ignis rebutted. "Ehh, well... He's strong enough for your fire spells to not work on him, just accept it." Then Christian just suddenly said that. "Gurgh..." Ignis groaned and glared at him for saying that. Though... "..." He wasn't able to say anything back! So instead... "Whatever, I'm going back to my room." Creak¡ª Thud¡ª He just said that and left Elias' room! "That bastard... If it wasn't for his stupid fire resistance..." Ace, Christian, and Elias heard Ignis grumble from the inside after he left. Anyway, ignoring him... "It seems like the elite students of the Zion Academy were a lot stronger than we had anticipated." Ace muttered that with a serious expression on his face. "Yeah, I didn't expect the five of them to defeat half of us, even Ignis." Then Christian followed casually. "..." Elias just remained silent. 'Raye... What is he doing?' He asked in his head. But immediately shaking his head after... "Whatever, he's not part of the family anymore... I shouldn't care this much about him." He mumbled that under his breath. Then, looking at Ace and Christian... "So what if they were stronger than we had thought? We just need to win. Our plan still remains the same." Elias declared that! "..." The two looked at him silently, slightly surprised after hearing that. But with a smirk on their faces... "Heh, you're right." "That's correct, we'll still win this competition." Christian and Ace answered respectively! Then, following that... "If they're strong together... Then we just need to make them fight us individually..." Ace muttered that with a mischievous smile! Elias and Christian looked at him in curiosity. And after that... "Let's tell the staff members that are with us to recommend a change to the Zion staff¡ªto just make us fight in duel style, like the competition." Ace declared casually! "Zion wouldn't be able to just brush off their words. After all, we also have a say in this competition." He added. "Oh, that's smart." Christian said to Ace. "That could work well." Elias nodded his head and mumbled that. Then, smiling slightly... "Those remaining five from Zion's S-Class, they wouldn't know what's coming for them." He muttered that proudly! ***** On the other hand... "Hmm hmm hmm..." Raye was humming while on his way to the library. He still has a few hours before Devin's match starts. Anyway, Raye... 'So the next event is the duel with the participants of Set B, huh.' He knew what was going to happen next! He's fully aware of Ace's plan! He had already seen it in the game a lot of times before, after all! "They're probably planning like an idiot right now." Raye muttered to himself with a smile. Tap- tap- tap¡ª And then he just continued on his way to the library! ... ... ***** Around 3 PM... "Sup, guys." Raye arrived at the same venue as yesterday. He had just come from the library. And this time, he was not late... "Oh, Raye!" Devin greeted him with a smile. "Cheer on me later when I'm up there." He said. "You really don't need it. Just do your best, and you'll win." Raye casually responded to him. And hearing his words... 'He's really making me relax and boosting my confidence for later, huh. Thanks, Raye.' Devin said that in his head! He thought that Raye was just saying things to make him feel better. Though... 'Those guys aren't even named characters. Devin can handle them surely.' Raye was a hundred percent serious about what he had just said right now! Anyway... "Hello!" "Hi, Raye." "Hello." Sofia, Lycus, and Lena greeted Raye too. "Mhm." Raye just slightly bowed his head at them. And then... Swish¡ª His eyes went to Jerusha who was staying silent. "Hmm?" Sofia muttered, seeing Jerusha avoid Raye's gaze. "Can I sit there?" Raye then asked, pointing at the empty space beside Jerusha. And although she was shy... "Y-Yeah, feel free to..." Jerusha responded. Her cheeks were rosy. "..." Lycus, Devin, and Lena just glanced at the two in silence. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. But after a while... Fwoosh¡ª They looked away! "..." Not Sofia, though. She's still watching them intently. Lycus wanted to give the two privacy, Devin was getting embarrassed too just by watching them, so he stopped. And Lena, well... 'Why don't they just date?' She was simply uninterested because she literally knew that Raye and Jerusha had something going on between them for a while now! 'Are they both thickheaded?' Lena asked in her head, pertaining to the two. Moving on... "Thanks." Raye said that as he sat down beside Jerusha. "..." The two of them went immediately silent again. But strangely... 'Hmm...' They weren't feeling discomfort or awkwardness! There was even a warm atmosphere surrounding them! 'Ugh, I want to ask what happened yesterday...' Sofia groaned in her head, seeing them like that. And it's not just her... "Ugh..." "Fuuuuu..." "Hmm..." Lycus, Devin, and even Lena¡ªthey were curious too about what happened yesterday! Though, just then... "The tournament is starting. Participants... Please climb up to where I am." Charles stood up on top of one of the arenas and announced that. "Oh." Devin was slightly surprised by this. But without hesitation... Fwoop¡ª "I'll be going for a short while, guys." He stood up and muttered that! "Good luck." "Do your best, Devin!" "We wish you luck." Raye, Jerusha, and the others said that to Devin. They're fully cheering for him. Chapter 126 126 - The Tournament [4] Devin and the remaining participants of the tournament climbed to where Charles stood.And after that... "So, this is what's going to happen¡ª" Charles started explaining. "There are ten of you left, and we'll be splitting you into two groups." He said, his voice carrying across the platform. Everyone in the audience could hear him too¡ªhe was enhancing his voice with mana, after all. Then, after pausing for a moment... "Each group will fight in a free-for-all." Charles suddenly declared that! "...?!" "Huh??" "What?!" "..." His words shocked everyone except Raye! But ignoring their reactions... "Two arenas, two battles happening at the same time. The last person standing in each group will move on to the final match." "Which will happen today as well." Charles just casually continued! The participants listened intently, their eyes sharp as they processed the rules. Then, with a small smirk... "And for the record, you don't have to just knock out your opponents¡ªyou can also win by forcing them to surrender or getting them out of bounds." Charles added. Then, without further delay... "Here are the groups." Charles raised his hand. Swoosh¡ª Summoning a system window-like screen that displayed the names of the participants and their group! ===== [Group A]: Devin Dustin (Zion Academy) Rael San (Zephyros Institute) Sylva Blackwood (Crimson Academy) Orpheus Nacht (Night Academy) Gideon Kade (Night Academy) --- [Group B]: Terri Valentine (Zion Academy) Cedric Rufio (Zion Academy) Vale Stormbreaker (Zephyros Institute) Nero D'Angelo (Crimson Academy) Rickrey Marcos (Crimson Academy) ===== Seeing the placements... "..." Devin remained silent, his eyes scanning the names. He was separated from Terri and Cedric, his classmates! And knowing that... "Sweet..." Devin whispered that with a smile on his face! He was glad that he didn't need to fight his classmates! And then, suddenly... "You have five minutes to prepare. Get ready fast, and we'll start." Charles announced that. "The monster hunt competition is done¡ªnow, this tournament is the one being broadcast throughout the empire, so if you want to make a name for yourself... This is the perfect opportunity to do that!" He shouted as encouragement to the participants. And hearing him... "..." A determined look appeared on Devin's face! And it's not just him, everyone in the tournament was hyped up! And seeing the combatants like that... "I'm excited for the match." "I don't know what group to watch!" The audience started to get a lot more excited! Tap- tap- tap¡ª Tap- tap- tap¡ª The participants then dispersed, mentally preparing themselves for what was about to come. They started strategizing too. ... ***** After a few minutes... Everyone in the tournament was done preparing. "Hup!" Tap¡ª Devin stepped onto the arena, already wearing leather gloves on his hands. And then, looking around... "Hmm..." He saw his opponents. Orpheus and Gideon, the two students from the [Night Academy], were both holding wooden swords¡ªnothing unusual. Rael from the [Zephyros Institute] was wielding dual wooden daggers. And lastly, Sylva from the [Crimson Academy] was holding a wooden staff. "Hmm, this is going to be bothersome." Devin mumbled. After all... "..." His four opponents were looking at him. It was clear that he was being targeted! 'I really hate these guys from the other academies.' He thought with a frown. Anyway, not long after that... "Everyone, get ready!" Charles exclaimed. Fwish¡ª Devin immediately took a fighting stance. Fwip¡ª And the others followed suit! "..." The whole area went totally silent. Anticipation was rising among the audience, and the tense atmosphere thickened around the participants! Then, after a moment of silence... "START!!!" Charles suddenly started the match! BAM¡ª Orpheus and Gideon immediately ran toward Devin! And it wasn't just them... BAM! Rael followed too! "Ugh, fuck you guys." Devin grumbled as he saw the three approaching him. Then, opening his mouth... "[Fire Fist]" He muttered. Enjoy exclusive content from My Virtual Library Empire SWAAAAAA¡ª And his hands were swallowed by violent flames! But just as he prepared to strike... Whoosh¡ª A sudden burst of mana surged from Sylva's staff! "Not so fast!" FWOOOSH¡ª! Sylva shouted as several fireballs shot toward Devin! "..." S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Devin's eyes sharpened. Swish¡ª He quickly ducked under the first fireball! Then, twisting his body... BAM! He slapped the second one aside with his flaming fist! Whoosh¡ª Another fireball came! Clang¡ª! Devin clenched his fist and punched through it! The flames dispersed as if they were nothing! "...!" Sylva's eyes widened in shock! But before she could even react¡ª BAM! Devin kicked onto the ground and dashed toward her! "No, you don't!" "Hup!" SWOOSH¡ª Orpheus and Gideon tried to intercept him! But¡ª BANG¡ª! Devin parried Orpheus' wooden sword with the back of his right hand! THWACK¡ª! Then, using his other hand, he deflected Gideon's attack as well! "Tsk!" Orpheus clicked his tongue. But before he could step back¡ª BAM¡ª! Devin swung his left arm and struck Orpheus in the stomach with a clean counter! "Ugh!" Orpheus staggered backward! Then, before Gideon could react... BAM! Devin spun and slammed his left elbow into his jaw! "Kh¡ª!" Gideon gasped as he was sent flying! Then¡ª Whoosh¡ª! A wooden dagger came flying at Devin! Clang¡ª! Devin tilted his head and deflected it with his right fust! Fwoosh¡ª Rael then lunged at him! But Devin was already moving! Fwish- With a quick sidestep to his left, he avoided Rael's thrust attack! BAM¡ª! And then Devin struck his wrist with his left fist¡ªmaking Rael drop his dagger! "Urgh...!" Rael groaned. Fwip- Devin grabbed Rael's shoulder. And then... FWOOSH¡ª BAM! He threw him over his back! CRACK¡ª! "GAAARGH...?!" Rael hit the ground hard! So hard that he broke his spine and lost consciousness! And without wasting a second... FWOOSH¡ª Devin dashed toward Sylva! "...!" Sylva clenched her teeth seeing him approach! But before she could cast another spell... Whoosh¡ª Devin was already in front of her! And with a swift motion... BAM¡ª! He knocked her staff away! Then, with piercing sharp eyes... "Surrender." Devin commanded, looking straight into Sylva's eyes! He was ready to punch her in the face if she showed any resistance! Sylva gulped, realizing that. And so... "I-I surrender." She declared that! "Good girl." Devin said. Fwip¡ª "Huh?" Then he grabbed Sylva by the collar of her uniform! And without hesitation... "Hup!" FWOOOSH¡ª "KYAAAAAA¡ª!" He fucking threw her out of the arena! Thud- "..." Charles caught her. And then, after that... "Two down. Only you two left..." Devin said that with a smirk! Looking at the frowning Orpheus and Gideon! They had just recovered from being countered by Devin earlier! And seeing them holding their swords... "Still think you guys can defeat me? Without drugging me? " "Dream on." Devin started provoking them! Chapter 127 127 - The Tournament [5] "Tch¡ª""..." Orpheus and Gideon frowned as they saw Devin looking at them with a carefree expression on his face. Then, looking at the passed out Rael on the floor... And Sylva, who was thrown outside the arena... 'He's a monster.' Orpheus thought of that, referring to Devin. "What's our plan?" Gideon asked, looking at him. And opening his mouth... "Let's coordinate our attacks, try to respond to my moves." Orpheus answered! "Okay." Gideon simply replied, nodding his head. 'The two of us trained together back in the academy for a month. We can coordinate well now, and everyone calls us the Sync Duo!' Orpheus proudly proclaimed in his head. And then, smirking... 'He just caught us off guard earlier. If we coordinate well... We'll still win. It's two against one.' He added that! Well, it was true that they were so complacent with their numbers that Devin caught them off guard and was able to eliminate two of them in a minute! Though, even if they were on full guard... "Hmm, yep..." Devin was confident that he would still win. It would just take him much longer! 'Fighting two sword users is a lot easier than fighting Raye, who's dual wielding.' He thought, looking at Orpheus and Gideon. And just then... BAM¡ª! The two of them rushed at him! "Oh..." Fwip¡ª Devin quickly got into his fighting stance. Tap- And when Orpheus stepped into his range... Fwish¡ª Devin threw a fast right jab with his flaming fist, aiming at his face! "Urgh...?!" Swoosh¡ª Orpheus tilted his head to the side and he barely avoided the attack! Though... 'Hah!' He still confidently smirked! "...?" Devin was confused, noticing the smile on Orpheus' face. And just then... Swish¡ª "...?!" He suddenly felt an attack coming from behind! Fwip¡ª Devin quickly retrieved his right hand, then, covering his arm with mana¡ª TWHACK¡ª! He used it to block a wooden sword coming from his right! "Ugh...?" Devin glanced back¡ª "..." And there, he saw Gideon looking at him with emotionless eyes! 'I didn't notice him getting behind me.' Devin thought with a frown. Just then... Fwoosh¡ª Orpheus thrust his wooden sword forward, aiming at Devin's heart! He didn't hesitate to attack as soon as Devin's attention shifted away from him! 'You're wide open!' Orpheus exclaimed in his head! Though, to his and everyone's surprise¡ª Fwop¡ª Devin caught his weapon using his left hand and without even looking! "Wha?!" Orpheus' eyes widened in shock! And before he could even process what was happening¡ª BAM¡ª! "KAAK?!" He received a sidekick to the stomach! Fwip- Thud¡ª Orpheus fell flat on the ground after getting flung a few meters away. He even lost his weapon to Devin! And seeing that... "Huh?" Gideon was surprised! Not wasting that split second¡ª Fwip¡ª BAM¡ª! Devin twisted his body to the right and hit Gideon on the jaw again with his right elbow! "Keuk...?!" Gideon groaned and stumbled back. Then, before he could even recover his balance¡ª BOM¡ª! Devin launched a right straight punch to his face! Thud¡ª "Argh...!" Gideon fell on his back, his head slamming onto the concrete floor, making him dizzy! And when he opened his eyes again... "Sleep well." He saw Devin on top of him! BAM¡ª! "GAGH?!" Gideon got punched in the nose again! And this time... "..." He finally lost consciousness! "Another one down." Devin mumbled, standing straight and looking back at Orpheus. He saw Orpheus slowly getting up. Then, sarcastically... "Had a good rest?" Devin asked him that! "..." Orpheus wasn't happy hearing that, obviously. And as if taunting him that much wasn't enough... Fwoosh¡ª Tak- "...?!" Devin threw the wooden sword in his left hand back to Orpheus! "..." While Orpheus was silently staring at the wooden sword on the floor in front of him, all confused¡ª sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "We can still continue if you want. That last sneak attack of yours was well thought out, you were just too slow, you see." Devin declared that! ... 'Haha, he's funny.' Raye thought, watching Devin from afar. *** "..." Orpheus became silent after hearing Devin's words just now. "Grrgh...!" He clenched his hands into fists real hard, and his face started turning red with anger! Then, retrieving his wooden sword from the ground... BAM¡ª! Orpheus dashed toward Devin once again! "DIEEE!!!" He shouted from the bottom of his lungs! Tap¡ª And when he reached Devin¡ª SLASH¡ª Orpheus swung his sword horizontally! "Oh!" Fwish¡ª Devin lightly stepped back and avoided it. But Orpheus didn't stop there! Tap! SWOOSH¡ª He stepped forward and swung downward! "Hup!" Fwish- Devin twisted his body, dodging again! BAM¡ª! Orpheus only hit the floor! But ignoring that... SWISH¡ª He launched another attack! Fwoosh- Devin just easily dodged it again. Though, nevertheless... SLASH¡ª Orpheus still continued attacking! His eyes were now bloodshot in anger! Stay updated through My Virtual Library Empire SWOOOSH¡ª! Orpheus' strikes were getting heavier and wilder! Then¡ª "GRAAHH!!!" He roared in frustration, raising his sword high! And with everything he had... SWISH¡ª He brought it down in one final, heavy strike! Though, this time, instead of dodging... Fwip¡ª Devin raised his left hand. CLACK¡ª! And he caught Orpheus' wooden sword mid-swing! "Ugh..." Devin groaned a bit from the impact. "Wha¡ª?!" Orpheus' eyes widened in disbelief. Then, as he was in shock... "[Azure Fist]" Devin muttered that! SWAAAAAAAAAAA¡ª! And then his right fist was engulfed with raging blue fire! And before Orpheus could even check what was that¡ª BAM¡ª!!! A devastating punch from Devin's right fist slammed into his face! BOOM!!! Then the blue flame exploded in his face! In the next instant¡ª FWOOOOOSH¡ª! Orpheus was sent flying out of the arena! THUD¡ª! He crashed onto the ground outside the ring. "..." "..." Silence fell upon the area. But after a while¡ª "Winner, Devin Dustin!" Charles' voice boomed across the arena, breaking the tension! The first finalist was decided in just about five minutes! And in response¡ª "YEAAAHHHH!!!" "DEVIN! DEVIN! DEVIN!" The audience erupted into cheers! But ignoring the noise... Fwip- Devin just simply dusted off his gloves! "Haha..." He laughed a little, remembering the fight. And opening his mouth... "It's just like fighting Lycus and Raye at the same time." Devin stated that! He was thinking of Orpheus and Gideon as Raye dual welding. Then Sylva is whenever Raye uses spirit magic. And lastly, Rael uses dual daggers just like Lycus! "They're much weaker though." Devin casually mumbled with a shrug. Chapter 128 128 - The Tournament [6] "That new spell of his looks strong."Raye said, peeking at Lycus. "Yeah, I wonder where he got the time to develop it." Discover exclusive content at My Virtual Library Empire Lycus replied. The two of them were two seats apart, with Sofia and Jerusha sitting between them. "You think he'll use it in our next free-for-all training?" Lycus then asked. And with a small smirk on his face... "On you, probably. I'm resistant to fire, remember?" Raye said that. "Ah, that's right." Lycus muttered. Then, realizing he would be the only one receiving Devin's new strong attack... "That sucks." A frown appeared on his face! "Yeah, sucks for you." Raye mumbled while shrugging his shoulders, acting all haughty. "..." Lycus just stared at him with a scowl after that. ***** Meanwhile... "WAAAHHH!!!" "DEVIN! DEVIN! DEVIN!¡ª" "DON'T LOSE!" "GAH!? I THINK MY EARDRUM JUST EXPLODED!!!" Devin was enjoying the cheering coming from the crowd. 'I wouldn't even have thought of receiving this much attention back then.' He thought with a slight smile on his face. "Everything has changed ever since I met them." He mumbled, referring to Raye, Lycus, Kyle, and the others. 'It's getting better now¡ªmy life is getting better.' Devin thought. Then, with a determined look on his face... 'I'll continue to strive and revive our household.' He declared in his head! And opening his mouth... "Let's start by winning this tournament." Devin followed that! And with that... "Hmm, I should probably rest." He started climbing down from the arena. Devin was headed to where Raye and the others were. ... ----- "Yo!" Devin greeted as soon as he arrived at the resting area where the others were. "Sup, congratulations on your win." Raye greeted him. "Congrats." "Well done out there, Devin!" "Congratulations!" "Good work." Then Lycus, Sofia, Jerusha, and Lena followed respectively. "Thanks, guys." Devin responded to them. He was really happy! Just then¡ª "Sit down and rest. I think the other group is about to finish too." Raye suddenly said that while watching the other arena. "Oh, right." Devin quickly sat beside Raye, and looking at the arena too... "So it's just them two now, huh." He saw Terri, one of his classmates, and Rickrey Marcos¡ªthe one who had defeated him after drugging him! "..." Devin frowned as he noticed Terri was at a disadvantage. Terri was a swordsman, while Rickrey was a mage. Though¡ª He was a mage who was also pretty good at close combat! Rickrey continuously shot magic projectiles at Terri. And Terri would respond by dodging them and getting close! But when he did get close... Rickrey would use his wooden staff and fight him in close combat too! Terri was tired from fighting the other participants from the other academies earlier. They had targeted him and Cedric at the start of the match, just like what happened in Devin's group! On the other hand... Rickrey was completely unharmed, and his stamina was as full as it could be! As a matter of fact... The fight was already pretty much decided! Terri was just still fighting to keep his pride and to help Devin! He was planning to tire Rickrey out, and he was hoping that Devin could watch their fight and study Rickrey's attack patterns! And realizing this... 'Thanks, Terri.' Devin silently thanked him in his head! After that... "Raye." He suddenly called. "Hm?" Raye turned his head to Devin. And when he did¡ª "How should I provoke that Rickrey guy?" Devin asked that! "...?" Raye was confused by his words. 'Why would you even ask me that? I'm not an expert in that field.' He said that in his head. But then... "Well, I would probably say something like¡ª" He proceeded to roast Rickrey in front of Devin. ***** In the arena... Terri was panting, his grip on his sword shaky. Sweat dripped down his face as he glared at Rickrey, who was still standing firm, his wooden staff resting on his shoulder. "Heh... is that all you got?" Rickrey taunted, taking a step forward. Terri gritted his teeth... Bam-! "HAAAH!!!" And then he lunged forward! SWISH¡ª! His wooden sword sliced through the air! But¡ª FWIP¡ª! Rickrey just sidestepped with ease to dodge! And then¡ª WHOOSH¡ª! He countered with a horizontal swing of his wooden staff! BAM¡ª! "GAAH¡ª!" Terri was hit on the right side of his torso! His body twisted from the impact, and his vision blurred! And before he knew it¡ª THUD¡ª! He collapsed onto the ground, unconscious. "..." Silence filled the arena for a moment. Then, after a while¡ª "Winner, Rickrey Marcos!" Charles' voice echoed. "..." The students of Zion didn't cheer, they remained silent. But out of courtesy... Clap- clap- clap¡ª They started clapping their hands for Rickrey. But then¡ª BAM¡ª! A loud impact rang out! Everyone's eyes widened in shock! Rickrey had kicked Terri's unconscious body out of the arena! "Wha?!" "Oh my god!" "Why did you do that?!" Gasps and shouts of outrage filled the stadium! Even Raye, Devin, and the others were on their feet, their expressions dark! "The hell?!" Devin clenched his fists, glaring at Rickrey. "That bastard..." Lycus muttered, his jaw tight. "..." Raye's eyes were cold. And then¡ª "Rickrey!" Charles' voice boomed across the arena. Everyone turned to him. Charles stood with his arms crossed, his expression neutral, but his clenched jaw showed his anger. "That was uncalled for. You won the match. Do not disgrace this tournament with unnecessary violence." He warned him! But Rickrey... He simply smirked. "My bad, my foot slipped." He said that with clear mockery. "You¡ª!" Lycus took a step forward, but Raye held him back. "Tch..." Devin clicked his tongue, his blood boiling. And looking at Rickrey... 'I'll make sure you pay for that.' He swore in his heart. Rickrey simply turned his back and walked away, raising his hand mockingly as if waving off the accusations. But one thing was certain... This tournament had just gotten more personal. "Devin." Raye called. "..." Devin silently looked at him. Then, with a frown on his face... "Tell this to that bastard for me¡ª" S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Raye started cursing and insulting Rickrey! "..." Devin remained focused, taking note of everything he had just said. Chapter 129 129 - Devin versus Rickrey The final contestants of the tournament¡ªDevin and Rickrey, were given a few minutes to rest up and prepare themselves.They were also healed by the standby healer team of Zion. And then, after nearly half an hour... "Devin and Rickrey, please step onto the arena." Charles stood on top of one of the arenas and instructed that with a mana-enhanced voice! "Fuuu..." Devin let out a sigh as he stood up from being seated. He's not nervous. As a matter of fact¡ª 'Let's get this started already.' He's more than ready to go up there and fight Rickrey! "Beat the shit out of him." Devin heard Raye behind him. He looked back, and with a smile... "Yeah, count on me." He replied confidently. "Give him a good punch." Lycus followed. Then¡ª "We'll be waiting for you." "Don't take too long up there!" "Good luck!" Lena, Jerusha, and Sofia. They all had no doubt that Devin would win. Responding to their trust... "Wait for me, guys. I won't take too long." Devin declared that! Tap¡ª Then he turned his back against them and started walking away. ***** Devin silently walked toward the arena. "Go, Devin!" "Beat his ass!" Many were cheering for him. He was happy to hear their encouragement. Though... "..." He decided to ignore them and focus on the upcoming match. Fwish¡ª Devin looked up at the arena. And beside Charles... "..." He saw Rickrey, standing casually with an arrogant smirk on his face. 'His face is just so punchable.' Devin thought, keeping a poker face. ... Tap¡ª Devin stepped onto the arena. And after that... "..." He stood face-to-face with Rickrey in the middle. "Nice to see you again." Rickrey said to him with a smug smile. "..." Devin didn't reply, but he's clearly displeased. "Oh, the silent treatment, huh..." Rickrey mumbled. Anyway... "It's starting..." "The final match." The students from the audience whispered as anticipation filled the arena. Then¡ª As total silence surrounded them... Devin opened his mouth¡ª "You know, you're such a loser." And then he said that, looking at Rickrey in the face! His voice was calm, but there was a sharp edge to it! "...What?" Rickrey asked as a vein popped on his forehead. "You heard me." Tap- Devin took a step forward. "You had to drug me just to win last time. Pretty pathetic, don't you think?" He asked with a small smile on his face. Rickrey's fingers twitched. "You¡ª" "And let's not forget how you kicked Terri despite him being already passed out." Devin chuckled. "That was cute. Trying so hard to act tough, you know you can't win against him without the help of the students from the other academies." And then he declared that! "..." Rickrey's face darkened as he fell silent. "Oh? Did I strike a nerve?" Devin tilted his head mockingly. "Tell me, does it feel good? Knowing that even after cheating, everyone still sees you as a fucking loser?" He asked. "Gurgh...!" Rickrey gritted his teeth. Swaaa~! His mana flared uncontrollably! Charles glanced at Rickrey and Devin, frowning. "Enough talking. Go to your positions." Then he instructed that. "..." After glaring at each other for a while... Tap- tap- tap¡ª Devin and Rickrey silently complied. Charles nodded his head seeing them like that. He opened his mouth to start the match. "Star¡ª" But before he could even fully finish¡ª BOOM¡ª!!! A huge fireball exploded from Rickrey's wooden staff! SWOOSH¡ª A blazing sphere, nearly the size of a boulder, shot toward Devin at terrifying speed! "Wha?!" The crowd gasped in surprise. Though, Devin... 'Hah!' He reacted instantly! He was already expecting such action from an enraged Rickrey! "[Fire Fist!]" Devin exclaimed! FWOOOSH¡ª! Then raging flames engulfed his hands! Tap- Fwip¡ª He stepped forward with his left foot and twisted his torso to the right! Then with all of his might¡ª BOOM¡ª!!! He punched the giant fireball with his right fist! A loud explosion rocked the arena! SWAAAA¡ª The giant fireball dissipated upon receiving the impact from Devin's attack! Though, behind it¡ª Swoosh¡ª Rickrey appeared! Turns out that he only used the giant fireball to hide himself! "?!" Devin's eyes widened seeing him. Then, as he was in the air¡ª FWOOSH¡ª! Rickrey swung his wooden staff with both hands, aiming at Devin's head! Fwip- TWHACK-! Devin raised his mana-coated left arm and used it to shield his face! Then responding¡ª FWISH¡ª He threw a right straight toward Rickrey's stomach! BAM! Rickrey blocked it with his left knee! Fwoosh¡ª But he was sent flying a few meters away after! Tap- Rickrey landed softly on the ground. Then, looking back at Devin again... "Tch¡ª" He just clicked his tongue in annoyance. On the other hand... Fwip¡ª Devin lightly shook his right hand, it was a bit sore after punching Rickrey's mana-enhanced knee. Though, ignoring the pain... "Attacking before the professor could even finish his words, huh. I couldn't expect less from a coward such as you." Devin muttered that. "Though, you could've at least tried to land a hit, you know?" And then he provocatively followed with a smug smile on his face! ***** "..." Rickrey remained silent, he decided not to respond to Devin's words. And noticing this¡ª "Hmm..." 'Time to do what Raye had told me.' Devin thought of that! Then, opening his mouth¡ª "See what would've happened if I wasn't drugged back then? Notice the difference between us?" He asked that! "You wouldn't stand a chance against me." He said with a shrug. "You tried to become good at close combat and magic, overestimating your talent¡ªnow look at you, you're mediocre at both of them." He added! Devin just wouldn't stop! Then, to finish it off¡ª 'Time for Raye's special message.' Devin said that in his head. "Just accept it, no matter how hard you try¡ªyour younger brother's talent is way above yours. He's special unlike you, that's why he was chosen to be the next family head despite being younger than you." And then he declared that! "He took your spot in a flash, your parents didn't even hesitate to take it from you and give it to your brother, hah!" Devin continued. And just then¡ª "SHUT UP!!!" Rickrey snapped and shouted that, his face looking like he was ready to kill someone! 'Oh, Raye is really good at this.' Devin thought to himself. "DIEEE!!!" SWOOSH¡ª! Rickrey's mana erupted violently! Then, opening his mouth¡ª S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "[FLAME BARRAGE!]" BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! A storm of blazing projectiles exploded from Rickrey's staff! Each fireball was fast, powerful, and merciless! Fwoosh¡ª Devin dodged one of them! Then, he twisted his body¡ª Bam! And deflected another with his flaming fists! Fwip- FWISH¡ª Devin moved through the barrage, barely avoiding the deadly flames! Then, one step at a time¡ª Tap- He was closing the distance between him and his opponent! 'Tch¡ª! Just go down already!' Rickrey's frustration grew. SWOOSH¡ª! He launched more fireballs, faster and stronger! But¡ª 'Yep, Raye's provoking method should be classified as magic.' Swish- Devin just easily weaved through them! A sharp gaze in his eyes¡ª And then¡ª Fwish-! He slid past the last projectile! And in an instant¡ª He reached Rickrey! "Huh?!" Rickrey panicked! "Shit¡ª!" He desperately tried to ward Devin off! Swoosh! Rickrey swung his wooden staff vertically upward! Though¡ª Twhack- Devin just caught it with his left hand! "Wrong move, shithead." And after saying that¡ª BOOM¡ª!!! His flaming right fist slammed and exploded into Rickrey's face! The impact echoed throughout the arena! "UAAAAGH!" Rickrey's body was sent flying! Bam¡ª thud- He crashed onto the ground, rolling multiple times before stopping! Szzzzz¡ª Smoke rose from Rickrey's burnt cheek. "..." The whole area went silent. "Keuk..." Rickrey trembled as he slowly pushed himself up. His rage¡ª It was overflowing! "Y-YOU...!!!" His mana exploded violently! FWOOOOOSH!¡ª The entire arena shook! Rickrey's eyes glowed bright red. "THAT'S IT! I'LL KILL YOU!!!" He raised his staff high! "[INFERNAL STORM!]" And after shouting that¡ª SWAAAAAAAAAAAA¡ª A tornado made of flames was summoned in front of Rickrey! "HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!" Rickrey started laughing maniacally like a madman. He was ready to end Devin with this magic! But before the storm could even fully manifest¡ª Swish¡ª Devin appeared to his right! "?!" Rickrey was surprised by this. But responding quickly¡ª "[Firebal¡ª!] He tried to blast Devin away! Though, he was a second too late! "[Azure Fist]" Devin muttered. FWOOOSH¡ª!!! Then, with an angry expression on his face¡ª BAM-! He punched Rickrey straight in the nose with his right fist covered in blue raging flame! BOOM! "GAHHH?!" And he slammed Rickrey's body straight onto the floor! CRACK-! The concrete floor cracked from the impact! And with that... "..." Rickrey lost consciousness! His nose was crushed and his face was covered by his own blood! "..." Fwoosh- Devin stood straight as he looked at Rickrey's ragdoll body planted on the floor. "That's payback, you bastard." He said calmly. Then¡ª Fwish- He looked at Charles! "Ah...!" And Charles, snapping out of shock¡ª "Winner, Devin Dustin!" He announced that! "WAAAAAAAHHHH!!!" "WHOAAAAAHH!!!" Cheers erupted from the crowd after! "Fuuuuu..." Devin let out a sigh, calming his body and mind down after making sure of his win. And then, looking in the direction where Raye and the others were¡ª "I WON!" Devin exclaimed, raising his fist in the air and smiling proudly! "CONGRATULATIONS!!!" Raye and the others shouted in unison to respond to him. "Haha..." Devin laughed, he was happily waving to his friends. Chapter 130 130 - Another Tournament! "DEVIN! DEVIN! DEVIN!¡ª""CONGRATS!!!" "I KNEW YOU WOULD WIN!" "UGH...! HEALER SIR, MY EARDRUMS POPPED AGAIN!!!" The audience roared upon the announcement of Devin's victory. The match lasted for barely three minutes, but the exchanges were so tense that everyone went silent throughout the fight! They only let out a sound when they cheered for Devin! 'Man, this is nice.' Devin thought to himself. And with that¡ª Tap- tap- tap¡ª He started walking down the arena. Though, before he could even leave¡ª "Where are you going?" Charles asked him that. "Huh?" Devin stopped in his tracks and looked back at his professor, confused. Then¡ª "You will be awarded here and now by the headmaster." Charles casually declared that! "?!" Devin's eyes widened as he heard that. Then, before he could even respond¡ª "Good work out there." He heard a voice in front of him! And when he looked at the source of it¡ª "Ah..." Devin saw Brian Blackwood, the Headmaster, standing dignified just a few inches away from him! "Let's go to the middle, shall we?" Brian asked Devin, a big smile on his face. 'Hah! See this, you suckers from the other academies? We're still the strongest!' This was what was in the Headmaster's mind at the moment, by the way. Anyway... "Oh, okay." Devin responded to Brian and complied. Tap- tap- tap¡ª The two of them walked to the middle of the arena. "..." Charles bowed his head to Brian as a greeting, then, after grabbing Rickrey by the neck¡ª Bam- He jumped down with him from the arena! Tap- Brian, with Devin on his right side, then faced the crowd. "..." The students went silent as his overwhelming presence covered the whole area. "Ahem..." Brian let out a fake cough, his voice echoed and were heard by everyone. Then, with a deep breath¡ª "As all of you know, this tournament is not only a test of strength but also a test of perseverance, skill, and resolve!" His voice boomed, carrying a weight that made the students straighten their backs! "And today, Devin Dustin has proven himself in all of these aspects!" Brian declared. "WHOOOOOOAHHH!!!" "DEVIIIIN!!" "CONGRATULATIONS!!!" The students cheered again, but with a simple raise of Brian's hand¡ª Fwip- "Oof..." "Uup...!" "..." They went silent. 'See this people from the other academies? Our students are the best!' Brian nodded his head in satisfaction. Then, opening his mouth again¡ª "In recognition of his efforts, I am awarding him a third-tier scholarship. And, as of this moment, he will join the ranks of the S-Class!" Brian announced that with a smile! "!!!" Gasps of shock filled the stadium. And before anyone could react further¡ª Brian turned to Devin. "You've earned this. Make the most of it." He said! Fwip- Brian extended his hand. Devin looked at it, then¡ª Clasp¡ª He shook it. "WAAHHHH!!!" The crowd erupted once more! And at that moment¡ª 'My first step.' Devin Dustin had made his first move in reviving his household! ***** "Wow, Devin's our classmate now." Lycus mumbled after hearing Brian's announcement. "Yeah..." Raye replied. 'In the game, the S-Class only have ten students until the end of the story.' He thought. "Guess he's an anomaly now like me, huh." Then he whispered that to himself, wearing a smile. Anyway... "Well, he's as strong or even stronger than our classmates, so I already expected this to happen sooner or later." Lena said that. "That's true, you three aren't far from each other in terms of strength too." Jerusha commented. "Aren't you guys glad? You three are together now in S-class!" Sofia added. "Ugh, you four are classmates... I'm jealous." And then she followed that. "Me too, if only I was a grade lower..." Jerusha mumbled. She was slightly glancing at Raye when he said that. Then, together with Sofia¡ª "Haaaaa..." They let out a sad sigh. ... ***** "Guys, I'm back!" Devin exclaimed with a smile as he arrived where his friends were. "Good job out there." Raye greeted him. "Yeah, congrats, Devin." Lena said, smiling. "You were amazing in that fight." Lycus commented. "You totally dominated him. That was insane!" Sofia chimed in. "As expected of someone joining S-Class." Then, Jerusha said with a smirk. "Haha, thanks, everyone." Devin scratched the back of his head, feeling a little embarrassed by all the praise. "I really appreciate your support." He said. And while blushing¡ª "I'm glad I met you all." He declared that! "Hehe..." Jerusha giggled happily. Sofia grinned. Raye, Lycus, and Lena just smiled. They were happy to hear such words from Devin. Anyway, embarrassed... Fwip¡ª Devin plopped down onto his seat, beside Raye. And at that moment¡ª Tap¡ª Brian, the Headmaster, took a step forward, still standing atop the arena. "..." The entire stadium fell silent again, all eyes fixed on him. "Now, before we conclude this tournament..." Brian's deep voice echoed through the place again. "I would like to remind you all of something important." His gaze swept over the students. "As you know, our academy does not exist in isolation. We stand alongside three other great institutions, each filled with students who, like you, strive to be the best!" He announced. A friendly competition between the four academies... It was an unspoken battlefield where pride, strength, and prestige were at stake. "Every now and then, we test our mettle against them." Brian continued, his tone calm yet commanding. "And this year will be no different!" The students listened intently. Some clenched their fists in anticipation. Others swallowed nervously. "Make no mistake, this is not just about winning." Brian said. He didn't mean it¡ªit was all about winning for him. He was just saying all these flowery words to annoy the other academies! Then, with a mischievous smirk on his face¡ª "This is about proving that our academy¡ªyour academy¡ªis still the greatest!" He boldly announced that! "..." And the spirits of the students of Zion ignited in silence! Brian used this opportunity to annoy the competing academies while also encouraging his students! It was hitting two birds with one stone! 'Ahh, this feels good.' Brian thought with a sly smile. Everyone thought he was done with his speech. But then, opening his mouth again... "Ah, one more thing." Brian remembered something. And casually¡ª "The second part of the competition between the elite classes will also be a tournament like this one, just with different rules." He dropped that news! "Wha?!" "Huh?!" Everyone was surprised, of course. They had expected the next part to be another round of monster hunting! "I know what you guys were expecting, but because someone went the extra mile and eliminated half the competitors... We, along with the other three academies, decided to speed things up with this." Brian explained, glancing at Raye with a smile mid-speech. And upon hearing his words... Fwish¡ª "..." Everyone's eyes turned to Raye! 'Ugh, this would've happened even without me! Leon and the others still would've eliminated half of them!' Raye exclaimed in his head. Anyway, continuing... "It'll start the day after tomorrow, and the rules will be announced on the same day." Brian said that. Then¡ª "That's all, you're all dismissed." He followed up and simply started walking away! "..." Leaving the students speechless! Though¡ª "WAAHHH!!!" "ANOTHER TOURNAMENT LIKE THIS!!!" They later started celebrating in excitement! "After watching Devin win, I'm getting fired up for this." Lycus said as a smile threatened to appear on his face. "This will be an interesting one..." Lena muttered, her eyes gleaming. She was excited to fight too. "Good luck, you guys!" Sofia shouted in a cheerful voice. "We'll be there cheering for you!" Jerusha was excited for Raye and the others too. Meanwhile¡ª "..." Raye just kept silent. But cracking his neck¡ª 'Hmm, time to make a name for myself, huh.' He declared that in his head! Just then... "Aren't you excited, Raye?" Devin asked. "Huh?" Raye looked at him. Then, thinking about it... "Well, it does excite me a bit." He mumbled. Moving on... Tap¡ª Tap¡ª Tap¡ª The students began filing out of the venue, still buzzing with excitement about the upcoming event. And as Raye and the others saw that¡ª They exchanged glances. "...We should probably leave and prepare." Lena spoke. "Yeah." "I agree." The others replied. And with that... They decided to leave too. ... As they were walking¡ª "Maybe it'll be a team battle?" Lena suggested that. "They wouldn't just repeat a one-on-one tournament, right?" "I don't think they'd make it that simple." Jerusha and Sofia added. "There's gotta be a twist." Lycus mumbled. "Yeah, I feel the same way." Devin nodded. Then, stretching his arms¡ª "Well, whatever it is, we'll just deal with it when the time comes." Raye casually said that. "Ehh, true." "We wouldn't even know if we guessed right." The others responded with a shrug. "Anyway, we should probably train tomorrow." Lycus suggested, looking at Raye and Devin. The two looked back at him. Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Hmm... I'm down." Devin replied. "Same here." Raye simply followed. They continued walking down the path, the cool breeze brushing against their faces. Then¡ª Fwip¡ª Raye suddenly stopped in his tracks. "Hm?" The others looked at him, confused. "Something wrong?" Jerusha asked. "I just remembered..." Raye muttered. "...?" The others waited for him to continue. Then, after a short pause... "Kyle said we should go to the shop after this to celebrate. He was confident Devin would win, so yeah... He prepared something." He said that! And happily¡ª "Alright!" "Free food!" "What are we waiting for? Let's go!" They all headed to Kyle's shop. Chapter 131 131 - Brawl [3] After partying and celebrating with Devin and the others in Kyle's shop."I'm back." Raye returned to the cabin. "Oh, you're pretty early, huh? I was just about to make dinner." Old Man Rey said, seeing Raye. -Meep! Then, a floating fireball on top of his head chirped. It was Pyro. He was bragging about the fact that he was helping the Old Man. He was lighting firewood to cook on... 'That was one of my chores when I was taken in by the Old Man way back then.' Raye thought, feeling nostalgic. Just then¡ª Fwoosh¡ª -What's that? A ball of cotton flew in front of Raye and asked that. It was Zephyrus. He was looking at the paper bag in Raye's right hand. "Hm?" -Meep? Old Man Rey and Pyro followed Zephyrus' gaze. "Ah..." Raye then looked at the paper bag in his hand too. He had forgotten about it. Swish¡ª After that, he looked at the Old Man. And with a small smile on his face¡ª "That's right. You don't need to cook tonight, Old Man." Raye said that. "I bought something from Kyle's shop. It's for us four." He added. "Oh, that's good! Better start preparing the table then." Old Man Rey replied. "Pyro, extinguish the fire." He instructed. -Meep! Fwish¡ª Then Pyro followed. He killed the fire with little to no effort! Fwip¡ª Old Man Rey started preparing the table. And seeing him do that¡ª "I'll help." -Me too. Raye and Zephyrus followed. ... They fixed the table and sat down to eat. The aroma of the roasted meats from Kyle's shop filled the cabin, and as they started eating¡ª "As usual, his food is always good." Old Man Rey commented, nodding in approval. "Yeah, Kyle never disappoints." Raye replied as he took another bite. Kyle's beef skewers had a special place in his heart too, including the Old Man's rabbit stew. After all¡ª 'This is the first food that filled my stomach when I got here.' Raye thought, a smile on his face. By the way... Raye didn't eat much at Devin's celebration party earlier so that he could still eat dinner with the Old Man, Zephyrus, and Pyro. Moving on¡ª -Meep! Pyro chimed in, happily munching on his share. -Nom... nom... nom... Zephyrus, meanwhile, just enjoyed the meal in silence. ***** After dinner¡ª Raye leaned back in his chair and stretched. "That was great." He sighed in satisfaction. Then¡ª "By the way, Old Man, Devin won the tournament." He brought that up. Old Man Rey raised a brow. "That brat, Devin, huh? Well, good for him." Then, with a nod¡ª "I'll congratulate him myself tomorrow." He said that, smirking slightly. Raye smiled. "Yeah, he'll probably like that." And after saying that¡ª Fwip¡ª Raye got up. "Alright, I'm heading to bed." He muttered. It was earlier than usual, but Raye felt more tired than normal today for some reason. "Goodnight, Old Man." Raye mumbled. "Yeah, yeah. Goodnight, brat. I'll stay here for a while for some fresh air." Then, Old Man Rey waved him off. After that¡ª Tap- tap- tap¡ª Creak¡ª Raye went straight to his room. -Sleepy... -Meeep... Zephyrus and Pyro followed after him. "Hup..." Puff¡ª Raye immediately jumped on his bed, and the two followed suit, landing beside him. The three of them lay down, closed their eyes, and not long after¡ª "..." -Mhm... -Mee...eep... They fell asleep. ... ***** The next day... "Can't laze around today." Raye woke up early and started doing his chores in the morning. His day went on like normal. Chopping logs... Having breakfast with Old Man Rey, Pyro, and Zephyrus... Then, hunting in the forest and returning to the cabin to have lunch. 'Doing these things used to be so hard.' Raye thought to himself. He was so used to his rough routine now that he felt weird when he wasn't doing them. Anyway... He was currently in the river near the cabin, bathing. -This is refreshing... Zephyrus was with him, doing the same. "..." Raye ignored him floating in the water like a white ball. Continue reading stories on My Virtual Library Empire Then, looking down at his body¡ª "Yep, I like what I'm seeing." Raye mumbled that with a smile! His body¡ªit looked like the body of a veteran soldier! It was covered in small and large scars. His muscles were well-toned and well-defined! This was the result of his hard work and all the shits he went through! 'I looked like a fucking twig before. I was about to fly in the air back then, not because of magic.' Raye sarcastically thought. "Now, this body is way better than what I had in my original body." And then he whispered that under his breath. Even Raye himself was amazed by the change that had happened to him! "Haha, sometimes I still can't believe my situation." He muttered. A lot of things had happened to him ever since he came into this world more than half a year ago. "Though..." 'There are still more to come.' Raye declared in his head. "..." He was thinking of a game scenario that involved demons. And this specific scenario in his mind... It would happen in the near future! "Why can't the demons just stay low?" Raye grumbled, frowning. Anyway... "Whatever." Raye stopped thinking about it as it was just making his head hurt. It wasn't like he could stop it from happening anyway. So with that¡ª He just continued on bathing. ... ***** sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. After bathing in the river and dressing up... Raye headed to the library and studied there for a bit, just like normal. He knew there was a big event happening tomorrow, the tournament. But he just wasn't nervous at all, so he didn't feel the need to train more than usual. And after that... "Ah, Brother Raye, you're here again!" He went and visited Kyle's shop. "Yeah, how are you and your family doing?" Raye asked. Then, the two of them started catching up on each other's lives. They hadn't had a proper talk for the past couple of weeks, after all. Raye and Kyle talked for hours. They would only stop when there were a lot of customers and Kyle's employees weren't enough to handle them all. But nevertheless, despite the pauses¡ª "It was nice talking to you." "Yeah, I had fun too." They enjoyed their conversation. Then, around 5 PM... After saying goodbye to each other¡ª "I'll come visit again." "See you then!" Raye left the shop and started heading back to the cabin. Oh¡ª "I'm excited for our free-for-all training! Get ready to be beaten, you guys!" Devin was with him, by the way. "Wow, your confidence really shot up high after winning the tournament, huh?" Raye said to Devin, smirking. Then, before Devin could even respond¡ª "Just wait till I put you in your place." Raye added that, his confidence was way higher than Devin's! ***** After minutes of walking¡ª "Oh, you guys are finally here." Raye and Devin got back to the cabin. Lycus was there, sitting on a tree stump on the ground, waiting for them. "Did you wait long?" Raye asked him. And shaking his head... "Just got here too not long." Lycus responded. Then, impatient¡ª "What are you guys waiting for, let's go!" Devin suddenly exclaimed that. "..." "..." Raye and Lycus just looked at him. And seeing him all excited... "Ehh, okay." "Sure, let's go." Raye and Lycus replied respectively. "Nice!" Devin shouted with a bright smile. And with that... Tap- tap- tap¡ª The three of them entered the Northern Forest. ... They're headed to the same place where they usually hold their sparring matches like this one. The sun was starting to set, casting an orange glow over the trees as the leaves rustled softly in the wind. They walked deeper into the forest, their footsteps crunching against the dirt and fallen leaves. Soon¡ª They arrived at the familiar clearing. A wide, open space surrounded by tall trees, their branches forming a natural dome overhead. This was their battlefield. "Alright." Raye rolled his shoulders. "Let's warm up first." He said. Then, Devin and Lycus nodded. They all began stretching, loosening their muscles for what was about to come. And after a few minutes¡ª "Alright, we're ready." Devin said, cracking his knuckles. Lycus simply nodded, his usual composed expression on his face. Raye took a deep breath. Then¡ª The three of them took their positions. They stood at least ten meters away from each other, forming a rough triangle. "..." A heavy silence fell over the clearing. Fwoooo~ The tension in the air was almost suffocating. "..." Clench¡ª Raye and Lycus tightened the grip on their weapons. Raye has [Celestria] on his left hand as an elegant white sword, then [Nyx] on his right. "Fuuuu..." Clank- Devin let out a sigh, banging the knuckles of his metal gauntlet together to calm himself down. Each of them focused on the others, watching for even the slightest movement. Then, after a few moments of silence¡ª ""START!"" They all shouted that at the same time! BAM- WHOOSH¡ª And they dashed at each other in an instant! Their free-for-all training had begun! Chapter 132 132 - Brawl [4] ""START!""Raye, Lycus, and Devin shouted in unison, starting their match! And as soon as it started¡ª BAM! WHOOSH¡ª They all kicked off the ground and dashed forward! The three of them were going to meet in the middle! Tap¡ª Raye reached the middle a second faster than the other two. And with his feet safely planted on the ground¡ª SWOOSH¡ª He swung [Nyx] horizontally, straight from his left to right! "Urgh...!" "...!" Devin and Lycus frowned, seeing that! 'Ugh, he's annoyingly fast!' They exclaimed in their heads, cursing Raye's speed! Bam¡ª Lycus and Devin used their left foot as an anchor to forcefully stop their advance! And with that¡ª SWISH¡ª They both crouched down to avoid Raye's attack! Then, as a counter¡ª Fwip¡ª S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Lycus held the dagger in his right hand in a saber grip¡ª Fwish¡ª And thrust it forward, aiming at Raye's stomach! 'Always quick with the response, Lycus!' Raye said in his head. CLANG¡ª! And then he parried Lycus' dagger to the side using [Celestria]! "..." Lycus already expected this to happen and was about to launch another attack with the dagger in his left hand. Though¡ª 'Don't forget about me!' FWOOSH¡ª Devin, who was crouching on his right side, unleashed a fierce right straight! "?!" Lycus' eyes widened at this, and instead of attacking Raye¡ª CLANK¡ª! He was forced to block Devin's fist! Bam¡ª Lycus jumped to his left to soften the impact and get some breathing distance from the two. Bam¡ª Devin jumped back too after that, leaving Raye in the middle of them! "..." The three silently looked at each other again. Then¡ª "..." Lycus' and Devin's gazes met! Devin slightly tilted his head toward Raye, signaling Lycus to team up and defeat him first. 'Okay.' And as a response, Lycus nodded his head! 'Sweet.' Devin thought as a small smile appeared on his face. 'In our match this time, we're allowed to use magic and skills as much as we want.' He added. Devin plans to pincer Raye with Lycus, and after reaching him¡ª 'I'll use [Azure Fist]...' Devin declared that in his head! 'Raye might have a fire resistance skill or whatever, but I bet it's not invincible.' 'Really strong or hot fire can still hurt him.' He calmly concluded in his head. And he was actually right about this! Devin's [Azure Fist] was strong enough too to pierce through Raye's fire resistance! So with that plan in mind... Fwip¡ª Devin fixed his stance. Then, with a smile on his face¡ª 'Now!' He exclaimed that in his head and decided to dash toward Raye! Though, before he could even lift his feet off the ground¡ª "[Flash]" He suddenly heard that! And Raye, who was originally standing a few meters away from him¡ª Fwish¡ª Appeared in front of him! "?!" Devin was surprised. Fwish¡ª He immediately raised his arms to cross them and block! But before he could even fully move his arms¡ª "[Blaze]" SWOOSH¡ª TAANG¡ª!! Raye's flaming black sword hit his left arm! A loud sound of metal clashing was produced! Crack¡ª Then Devin felt something break in his arm! "Urgh...?!" He groaned as his face cringed in pain. But ignoring that¡ª Tap¡ª He strictly placed his left foot forward, near Raye! And after twisting his body to the right¡ª "GRAAAAAHHH!!!" SWOOOSH¡ª Devin unleashed a heavy strike with his right fist! "[AZURE FIST!]" He exclaimed mid-attack! SWAAAAAAAA¡ª And blue flames covered his right hand! Then opening his mouth¡ª "TAKE THIS!!!" Devin shouted that! Looking at him... 'Your swing is too big. You should've considered my speed.' Raye casually said that in his head! Whoosh¡ª And then he transformed [Celestria] from a sword to a beautiful gauntlet covering his left hand! And with it¡ª BAANG!!! He caught Devin's fist! And smoothly¡ª Swish¡ª Raye redirected and used the force behind the attack, throwing Devin over his shoulder! "Huh?" Devin was surprised! But before he could even process what happened¡ª BAM! His back slammed onto the ground! "KEUK...?!" Confused, Devin groaned and frowned. His back hurt like hell! Then, when he opened his eyes... Fwip¡ª "..." He saw Raye's flaming sword, [Nyx], aimed at his face! "Haaaaaa..." Devin sighed in resignation. And with a small smile on his face... "I lost." He simply declared that! "Don't use big attacks on fast opponents." Fwish¡ª Raye said as he watched Devin stand up. He withdrew his sword now too. "Got it." Devin replied, nodding his head. And after standing up... Fwish¡ª fwish¡ª He dusted off dirt on his shirt. "Ugh, my left arm hurts... Raye, you idiot..." Devin grumbled, holding his left arm. Then after that... "You guys have fun, I'll watch from the sidelines now." He said that while walking away! He was talking to Raye and Lycus, who were left to fight! ... After Devin got to the side¡ª "Thanks for not attacking while I was fighting Devin." Raye said that with a smirk, looking at Lycus. Then with a casual shrug... "I just let you guys fight because you two are my opponents. One of you would eliminate the other one, and the one left¡ªThey'll be tired." Lycus muttered that, acting all smug. "Haha, that's smart." Fwip¡ª Raye complimented him while taking a fighting stance. And opening his mouth again¡ª "Don't worry, though..." "I'm not tired." Raye declared that slyly! He sounded really arrogant and cheeky when he said that! 'Man, I really need to learn how to annoy people from Raye. It'll definitely come in handy when I want to provoke my opponents in future.' Devin thought to himself as he sat down on the ground, stretching his legs out to get comfortable. Then, as he watched Raye and Lycus lock eyes... 'Anyway, I should watch carefully. If I lose focus, I might miss something important.' "When these two fight, it's always fast-paced. Blink once, and you'll miss a lot of things." Devin declared that! His eyes glowed in anticipation! Meanwhile... "..." Raye and Lycus just silently stared at each other. Swoosh~ Enjoy more content from My Virtual Library Empire The wind blew on their faces as the atmosphere surrounding them grew heavier. They were a few meters apart, each carefully watching the other's next move. Then, after a few moments of silence... BAM! Lycus dashed toward Raye without saying a word! Chapter 133 133 - Brawl [5] BAM!Lycus dashed toward Raye without hesitation. And when he reached him¡ª SLASH¡ª He threw a fast swing with the dagger in his right hand! Fwish¡ª Raye dodged it by slightly retreating his torso. And as a response¡ª SWISH¡ª He launched a swift counter with the flaming [Nyx], aiming at Lycus' neck! Fwoosh¡ª Lycus ran toward Raye's left side to get out of the attack's range. Then from there¡ª Swoosh¡ª He slashed in a horizontal arc with the dagger in his left hand, aiming for Raye's ribs! Raye, anticipating the attack¡ª TING¡ª Parried it with [Celestria] that was formed as a gauntlet in his left hand! Fwoosh- Then he thrust his sword toward Lycus' stomach! CLANG¡ª! Lycus received the blade of Raye's sword with the same dagger he used to attack just now! And to nullify the impact that he would've received¡ª Swish¡ª He rotated his body to his left, going back in front of Raye! Then, making use of his spin too¡ª SWOOSH¡ª Lycus performed a heavy, spinning slash with his right dagger! Though¡ª TINK! Raye just caught his weapon mid-attack with his left hand! And from the thrust attack that he just did¡ª SLASH¡ª Raye followed with a horizontal slash from his left to right! His sword would cut Lycus in half if nothing was done! "...?!" A frown appeared on Lycus' face as soon as he realized that! Swish- TIIING¡ª He immediately placed the dagger in his left hand to his right side of the torso to block Raye's attack! Then, as the two of them had both their hands occupied¡ª BAM¡ª!!! They both launched knee kicks at the same time! Their knees collided, and both their attacks were halted! "Tch¡ª" They clicked their tongues in unison. BAM¡ª And then they both jumped back, distancing themselves from each other! Tap¡ª Raye landed softly on the ground. He looked at Lycus and saw him looking back at him. Then, smiling¡ª "Hah!" Raye let out a laugh. "None of our attacks went through, huh." He mumbled. And with a shrug of his shoulders¡ª "That's because you wouldn't lower your goddamn guard even for a second." Lycus responded, smirking. "Ehh, you do that first and I'll consider doing the same." Raye followed. Then, taking his fighting stance again¡ª "No thanks." Lycus mumbled. "Too bad, then." Raye replied, fixing his stance too. And without further ado¡ª "[Flash]" He muttered. SWISH¡ª Then he suddenly appeared in front of Lycus! 'Ugh, you speed devil!' Lycus exclaimed in his head. TAAANG-!!! And then he crossed his daggers in front of him to block the left straight Raye had thrown! "Urgh...!" Lycus groaned as he felt the force of Raye's attack in his arms. But steeling himself through that¡ª "Heh." Lycus laugh! "...?" This confused Raye. "The moon's out, huh." But when he heard Lycus say that¡ª "!!!" His eyes widened! It was about 6 PM, and it was getting dark. The moon was also a bit visible from Lycus' spot. 'Fuck!' Raye cursed in his head, realizing what Lycus was about to do! FWOOSH¡ª He thrust his sword forward in a desperate attempt to stop his plan! But just before Raye's blade could reached Lycus¡ª "[Moonlit Reaper]" Lycus muttered that with a smirk! And when Raye's attack made contact with him¡ª Swoosh¡ª His body just dissolved like a shadow! And now, Lycus was nowhere to be found! "Fucking hell, that's cheating." Raye whispered to himself, smiling. SLASH¡ª And then he did a full spin slash attack! Though... Swoosh- His sword hit nothing but the air! 'This stealth skill of his is annoying.' Raye thought, looking around, trying to find Lycus. "..." He remained vigilant, watching out for an attack that might come from anywhere and at any time! Though, just then¡ª Fwip- He felt something cold on his neck. "?!" Raye was surprised. Then, when he glanced down... "..." He saw a sharp dagger pressed against his neck! 'I didn't even know he was near me.' Raye said in his head. Lycus was standing behind him! And with a mischievous smile on his face¡ª "I win." Lycus declared! "Ughhh..." Raye just sighed, hearing him. Fwip- Then Lycus retrieved his weapon. "Wow, good job, Lycus!" Devin shouted from the sideline, smiling. "Hahahahaha!" He was laughing at Raye. "That's bullshit!" Raye exclaimed, looking at Lycus. "I would've sensed that attack and stopped it if there was a murderous intent behind it." He grumbled. "But because you don't really hate or want to kill me, you got near without me noticing." And then he added, feeling wronged. "I don't know what you're talking about." Lycus shamelessly replied, smiling as if to mock Raye. And seeing him like that¡ª "Ugh..." Raye just decided to let it go and stop talking. "Haha, even I don't know if that was unfair or not." Devin said, standing up and walking toward the two. ... ***** After their free-for-all match... The three of them continued training. Not by fighting again. Instead, they started sharing ideas and tricks with each other and practicing them. Techniques, stances, blocking, attacking, parrying, and many more! They took turns demonstrating different techniques, focusing on refining the smaller details! Raye showed Lycus a more fluid way to transition between attacks, while Lycus helped Raye improve his parrying timing. Devin, though not as skilled with swords, offered suggestions on speed and agility, which were surprisingly useful. sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. As the sun began to set, they paused to catch their breath. The air was filled with the sound of their heavy breathing, a sign of the intensity of their training. And after a while... "Alright, I think that's enough for today." Raye said that, wiping the sweat from his forehead. "We've still got things to do tomorrow." He followed. "Mhm, that's right." Lycus nodded his head. "Training with you two is really enjoyable, that was fun." Devin commented with a smile. And with a final stretch... They all agreed to call it a day. And just then¡ª Rustle- rustle- rustle¡ª "Oh, here you guys are..." Jerusha appeared from the woods! And looking at them three¡ª "Mister said that the dinner will be done soon." She declared that with a sweet smile! The three of them stood immediately as soon as they heard that and went back to the cabin with Jerusha. Chapter 134 134 - Talent [1] Around 7 PM...Raye, Devin, Lycus, and Jerusha got back to the cabin. "Oh, you kids are here. Help me prepare the table so we can eat." Old Man Rey greeted them. "Sure, let us handle it." Raye replied to him. "Mhm." Lycus, Devin, and Jerusha nodded their heads with a smile on their faces as a response. And with that... Fwish¡ª They started preparing the food that the Old Man cooked and setting up the table. And after they were done... "Pyro, Zephyrus! Dinner is ready!" Old Man Rey exclaimed that. Fwish¡ª -meep! -We're here! And when the two arrived and landed on the table... "Okay, let's eat." The Old Man said. ""Thanks for the food."" Raye, Jerusha, and Lycus mumbled. "Thanks!" Devin exclaimed. -Meep! -Thank you for the dinner. Pyro and Zephyrus followed. And then¡ª Nom¡ª The seven of them started eating. ... As they were eating... "Ah..." Old Man Rey remembered something. "...?" Raye and the others stopped eating and glanced at him, curious. Then, opening his mouth¡ª "I forgot to say earlier, but congratulations on winning the tournament yesterday, Devin." The Old Man declared, looking at Devin! -meep meep! -Oh, good job. Pyro and Zephyrus congratulated him too! And hearing them... "Haha, thanks." Devin bashfully replied, smiling ear to ear! Raye, Jerusha, and Lycus smiled too. They were happy for him. They all then continued eating while talking about the tournament. ***** After having dinner... Devin and Lycus cleaned up the table and dishes. And when they finished, around 8 PM... "We'll be going now." "Bye!" They decided to head back to their dorm. "See you tomorrow!" "Bye." Jerusha and Raye saw them off. Then, after saying their goodbyes... Fwish¡ª Devin and Lycus turned their backs against them and started walking away. "They look like a married couple, and we're just some friends who visited them and are about to leave." Lycus whispered to Devin, glancing back and seeing Raye and Jerusha standing side by side, waving at them. "..." Lycus waved back at them, smiling. "Right? How can they not be dating?" Devin whispered back, waving to Raye and Jerusha too. Then¡ª "... " Lycus and Devin looked at each other. And after a while... "Meh." Find more chapters on My Virtual Library Empire They just shrugged their shoulders and decided not to think about it any further. 'They'll come around.' Devin thought. Then, glancing at Lycus... 'Hopefully, he'll come around too.' He added that! ... After Devin and Lycus left¡ª "Urgh...!" Raye started training again with spirits. "Just a little more concentration..." Jerusha was with him. Anyway, Raye was trying to change the size of Zephyrus. -... Zephyrus had a frown on his face, feeling slight stings all over his body. Then, after a while¡ª Fwish¡ª He became slightly smaller! And seeing that¡ª "Ah! You did it!" Jerusha exclaimed excitedly! Fwoop¡ª Raye retreated his mana, and with a smile... "Haaaaaa..." He let out an exhausted sigh. Then, glancing at Jerusha¡ª "Thanks for staying with me." Raye said that. But Jerusha, crossing her arms¡ª "Don't mention it. It's nothing special." She just brushed it off, smiling sweetly. Meanwhile, as the two of them were talking... -Listen, Pyro. Zephyrus called out to the little fire spirit. -Meep? Pyro tilted his head, looking at him. Fwoosh¡ª Zephyrus flew closer to him. And opening his beak¡ª -You need to get stronger too, not just Raye, your contractor. He declared that! -meep... Pyro blinked, slightly surprised. -If Raye grows but you stay weak, you'll just be a burden to him in battle. Then Zephyrus added, folding his tiny wings. Hearing that¡ª -Meep! Pyro immediately shook his head! He doesn't want to be a burden! And with a resolute expression on his face¡ª -Meep. Pyro chirped. Zephyrus nodded, seeing his face. And with a smile¡ª -Good... -Then let's begin, I'll teach you a few tricks on how to get stronger. He said that! -Meep! Pyro nodded eagerly. And with that... Raye, Zephyrus, Pyro, and even Jerusha¡ªthe four of them continued training for a bit more! ... 9 PM arrived... Jerusha decided to head back to her dorm. "I'll accompany you back again today." Raye muttered. And while smiling ear to ear and blushing¡ª "Hehe, okay." Jerusha simply replied with a giggle. And with that... Tap- tap- tap¡ª The two of them left and started walking away. Zephyrus and Pyro were still training outside the cabin, they were going to wait for Raye to come back. ***** Around 10 PM... Creak¡ª "Fuuuu..." Raye got back to the cabin and entered his room. -I'm tired... -Meeeeep... Zephyrus and Pyro were perched on each of his shoulders. Poff¡ª Raye lay down on his bed. Zephyrus and Pyro followed. "..." Raye closed his eyes, exhausted. "..." He remained still, not doing anything. But just after a few seconds¡ª "Hup!" He shot back up and sat on the bed. His eyes were wide open. -...? Zephyrus and Pyro looked at him weirdly. Fwish¡ª Raye looked at Zephyrus. Then, opening his mouth¡ª "I'm going to take another enhancement pill, help me." He mumbled that! And Zephyrus... -Bruh. He frowned after hearing that! -It's time to sleep! Zephyrus exclaimed. But still, looking straight at him... "I want to get much stronger." Raye muttered that with a serious expression on his face. -Gugh... Zephyrus groaned. Then, finally, after a few moments¡ª -Ugh, fine... Zephyrus decided to agree on helping Raye! -Mee...eeep... Pyro, not sure what was happening and exhausted, ignored the two of them and went to sleep. ... ... "How many should I take?" Raye asked Zephyrus, sitting in a lotus position. -How many do you have left? Zephyrus replied with a question too. "Three." Raye simply responded. Then, with a nod of his head¡ª -Then take three. Zephyrus said that! And that's not all¡ª -Take them all at the same time. sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. He followed that! "What?!" Raye shouted, confused. "I thought you said not to take more than one at the same time?" He asked. -That's right. Zephyrus casually replied. "Then why?" Raye followed. And this time, without beating around the bush... -Raye, you're talented in taking drugs. Zephyrus declared that! "???" Raye tilted his head and frowned, he was confused as fuck. Chapter 135 135 - Talent [2] -Raye, you're talented in taking drugs.Zephyrus casually declared that. -Well, not drugs particularly... but everything with essence and mana. Then he followed. "???" Raye was confused by his words. And seeing him like that... -You said you have no talent, right? Zephyrus asked that. "Yeah..." Raye responded, slightly frowning. And just then¡ª -That's actually not the case. Zephyrus declared that, and Raye's frown was replaced by surprise! "What do you mean?" Raye questioned. He was brimming with anticipation. I mean, why wouldn't he? All this time, he thought that he was not talented¡ªthat he could only be mediocre at most in the things that he did! But just now... 'Zephyrus said that I have a talent.' Raye said in his head, dumbfounded. Experience new stories on My Virtual Library Empire He immediately believed Zephyrus' words because he was a 'High-rank' spirit that had lived for more than a couple of centuries. Anyway... Using his tiny white wings, Zephyrus shrugged and started explaining... -I've seen you absorb enhancement pills twice now, and you even did something wrong the last time. -But instead of their effects being low to normal... you always get an abnormally high effect! He proclaimed! And while pointing at Raye with his cute wing¡ª -I think you absorb more or less twenty percent more than normal people from essences! He exclaimed that proudly! And hearing him... "Haha..." Raye let out a laugh in disbelief. ***** Processing Zephyrus' words just now... Raye furrowed his brows, deep in thought. Then, after a while¡ª "So you're saying... My body is just better at absorbing essence and mana than normal people?" He asked for confirmation. -Yep. Zephyrus simply nodded his small, cute head. "And this means... If I take an enhancement pill, I get stronger faster than others?" Raye followed up. -It's not just limited on enchantment pills... But basically, yeah. Zephyrus confirmed again. And hearing that¡ª 'This is nice.' Raye thought with a smile on his face. He was relieved to know that he's good at something! Raye was already thinking about how to get stronger with this information! Anyway, moving on¡ª -Alright, alright, you get it now. Let's move on. Zephyrus interrupted Raye's stupor, waving his tiny wing. -Let's not waste any more time. Take the pills already! He instructed to Raye. "Ah, right." Raye weakly whispered. He briefly forgot about this plan of his because of what he had just learned about himself. Then, silently... Fwish¡ª Raye opened his spatial storage and took out the three remaining enhancement pills! And with the pills on his hand.... Raye looked at Zephyrus¡ª Their eyes met. "Mhm..." -Good luck. They nodded their heads at each other. And then, without any more further ado¡ª 'Come on talent, help me get stronger...!' Gulp¡ª The three enhancement pills slid down Raye's throat. And immediately¡ª "Ugh...!" A scorching heat erupted from his core, spreading through every inch of his body like wildfire! Inside and out! "GAAAH...!" His skin flushed bright red in an instant, veins bulging across his arms and neck. His breath hitched¡ªhe felt like he was being cooked alive! "Haaa...!" Raye's body trembled, his muscles spasming uncontrollably as an unbearable burning sensation surged through his bones, his flesh, his very bloodstream! And seeing this¡ª -What the hell?! Zephyrus frowned real hard! -Raye, focus! Control your breathing! He shouted, his small wings fluttering anxiously. -Guide the essence properly! Let it spread evenly, don't let it stay in one place! Zephyrus kept yelling instructions! Though¡ª "Kh...!" Raye could barely even hear him. His ears were ringing. His heart pounded like a war drum, hammering against his chest as if trying to escape! His lungs burned with every short breath he managed to take! His entire body felt like it was being stabbed by thousands of red-hot needles, sinking deeper, twisting, and tearing his insides apart! 'It hurts...! It hurts so fucking much!' Raye exclaimed in his head. Then¡ª SPLASH¡ª Blood started gushing out his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth! And it's streaming like an open valve! 'Fuck...' Raye's vision blurred. His nails dug into the bedsheet, gripping it so tightly. He couldn't scream¡ªno, he doesn't want to scream and worry the old man! 'Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!' Biting down hard on his lower lip, Raye forced his mouth shut! -I covered your room with my skill, there's no sound that will come in and exit this place, don't hold back! But when he heard that from Zephyrus... "GRAAAAAAAHHHHH¡ª!!!" Raye roared in pain! "GAAAAAAAAARGH!!!" He continued shouting to ease off the pain he was feeling at least, even for a bit! But then¡ª SWAAAAAA¡ª He was still feeling hot as fuck inside out! It was as if lava was flowing inside his veins! Every muscle in his body kept convulsing violently! Raye felt like his bones were melting. His skin felt like it would peel right off! 'Don't fucking pass out!' Raye said to himself! He had to endure this. He had to! "Hah...! Hah...!" Tears fell out of his eyes along with the blood. Saliva started mixing too with the blood from his mouth! Raye looks like a fucking mess right now, he was disgusting to look at! But he couldn't care less about that at the moment! After all, his mind teetered on the edge of unconsciousness! -Damn it, Raye! Stay awake! Zephyrus' voice pierced through his hazy mind. "GUURGH...!!!" Raye groaned, the pain hadn't gone away nor even eased a little. -You wanted to get stronger, right?! Then fight through it! Guide the essence! Absorb it properly or it'll burn you from the inside! Zephyrus declared. He knows that Raye couldn't hear him right now... -Listen! The essence is too chaotic! Calm it down! Circulate it evenly, or your body might explode! But he still continued, nevertheless. Raye's breathing was ragged. His body was drenched in sweat, blood, and saliva. His mind was screaming for relief, for escape¡ª But he clenched his fists! 'No. I'm not going to fail here!' He refused. And so¡ª Even through the excruciating pain, Raye tried to focus. Tried to grasp the mana that was rampaging inside his body. He had to. Because if he lost control now¡ª He wouldn't just pass out. He'd die! ... Then... As Raye was struggling to stay conscious¡ª "...?" He suddenly felt a lot less hot! This confused Raye. It was still hot as fuck, but it's much better than before! Curiously, Raye slightly opened his eyes and forcefully looked to his side... And there¡ª -Meee..eee..p! He saw Pyro, sending mana to him! He was feeding Raye's passive skill, fire tolerance, to make it stronger! Pyro was struggling to do this... He was just woken up by Raye's scream, but after seeing his contractor in pain... The cute fireball wasted no time and started helping him! -Pyro! That's good! Very good! Zephyrus exclaimed with a smile. 'Thanks...' Raye said in his head, looking at Pyro. And with that, he continued absorbing the essence of enchantment pills! Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "GRRRRRRGH...!!" ... ... After receiving Pyro's help... Raye started screaming less! His body returned to the normal color too, it was just slightly reddish! And then, after about an hour of hellish pain¡ª Swoosh- Raye successfully absorbed the essence of the three enhancement pills! And as soon as he did¡ª Poff- He let himself fall on the bed¡ª "..." And he lost consciousness! Chapter 136 136 - Stronger [1] -Meeeep!Pyro chirped loudly. He was worried after seeing Raye pass out. -He's alive. Probably. Then, Zephyrus said that to calm him down. Fwoosh¡ª Zephyrus flew on top of Raye's head and carefully¡ª Pat- pat- He started nudging Raye to wake him up! -Yeah, he's out. He'll live, though... He mumbled. Then, looking at the worried Pyro, floating above him... -You helped a lot in his survival. Good job, kid. Zephyrus declared that with a smile! -... Pyro just remained silent. He was glad that he was of help to Raye, but seeing his contractor's current condition, he couldn't bring himself to be happy. -... Zephyrus understood what Pyro was feeling too, so he just let him be for now. Instead, looking at Raye¡ª -[Gracious Wind] Zephyrus muttered that! And then¡ª One of his personal skills activated! Swish¡ª A small dome made of wind covered Raye's whole body. And inside it... Experience new tales on My Virtual Library Empire Fwoosh~ Raye's body started healing! His weak heartbeat started becoming normal again after that. And Raye's expression relaxed! -He'll live. Zephyrus repeated, watching Raye sleep inside his wind dome. Then, looking around... -Haaaaa... He let out a sigh. And looking at Pyro¡ª -We should probably clean up again this time too. Zephyrus said that! -Meep? Pyro looked around. And then, seeing the bloodied bed and the pool of blood under it... -meeep... S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. He agreed to Zephyrus' words. And with that... FWOOSH~ SWAAAA¡ª! The two of them started cleaning up the mess. Just like the first time this happened... Zephyrus was collecting the blood up in the air again with his wind magic, and after that, Pyro would burn it! ... After about an hour... -Finally, the room's clean. -meep... Zephyrus and Pyro finished cleaning up. They were really tired now. Zephyrus also stopped healing Raye now too. He deemed that Raye was already good and didn't need it anymore. Anyway¡ª -Ugh... -me..eep... Zephyrus and Pyro couldn't relax and sleep. After all¡ª -Raye stinks. -meep! And so, to avoid having to smell that¡ª -Let's go. -meep! FWOOSH¡ª Zephyrus and Pyro flew out of the room and went to Old Man Rey's room. And after entering... Poff¡ª They immediately laid down on top of the Old Man's bed. This wasn't actually their first time doing this, so they acted all natural. And just like that, they closed their eyes¡ª -... And they both fell asleep soundly. ... ***** The next day... "..." Raye regained his consciousness, and he immediately opened his eyes! "Ugh..." His head hurt, and he was really tired. He didn't have much energy. Though¡ª "...?" He was feeling a lot more energy in his body! And that's not all... 'My mana capacity got larger.' He felt a lot more mana circulating in his body! The mana was even flowing smoothly! "My overall physical abilities probably shot up too." Raye added, mumbling. And then¡ª "Ugh, what the fuck?" He smelled something rotten! It was coming from his mouth! And not just there... 'I smell like shit!' Raye exclaimed in his head, frowning! His whole body smelled like fucking waste! "Ugh..." Raye groaned in disgust. And without further ado¡ª Fwish¡ª He stood up and walked toward the door. He planned to wash himself in the nearby river. Creak¡ª Then, when he opened the door¡ª "Oh, hello." Old Man Rey greeted him. He was just outside by complete coincidence. "Urgh...? Why do you smell like that?" The Old Man asked, pinching his nose and backing away from Raye. "Erm, shit happened." Raye replied. "I can tell. You smell like shit, after all." Then the Old Man replied with a smirk. "..." Raye just stared at him for that joke. After a while, though¡ª "Whatever. I'm going to the river." Raye said that. Tap¡ª And he walked past the Old Man. "Eat breakfast when you come back!" Old Man Rey shouted, watching Raye walk away. "Yeah." Raye simply responded, waving his hand in the air. And when he got out of the cabin¡ª WHOOSH¡ª! Raye immediately started dashing toward the river! Just then¡ª "Ah, doesn't he have an event at the school to attend? Isn't he going to be late?" The Old Man asked that to himself. "Meh." But he just shrugged his shoulders after! He couldn't catch up with Raye now anyway, so he just decided to tell him after he came back. ***** Raye arrived at the nearby river not long. After all, he was dashing with all of his might! Tap- And as soon as he got there¡ª Splash¡ª! He got into the water, even with his clothes on! They smelled too, that's why. Anyway, getting in the water... "Welp, here we go." Raye started rigorously washed himself and his clothes. He was scrubbing himself and his clothes so bad¡ª That's how bad the smell was! Raye was brushing his teeth too¡ª Rinsing them¡ª He made sure every part of his body was clean and that no smell was left behind! Raye was so dirty that the water around him turned murky from all the filth! He frowned, seeing this. "Disgusting." He muttered that, watching the dirt swirl away with the current. ... After about half an hour¡ª Raye's whole body was finally clean. "Fuuuu..." He stretched his limbs, feeling refreshed. He didn't bring any clothes with him so he's currently topless. The sunlight reflected off his wet skin, highlighting his toned, well-defined muscles. His blue eyes gleamed as he ruffled his soaked hair. 'Damn, I bet I look good.' Raye declared in his head with a smirk. But then¡ª "Haaaa... My clothes are still wet." He mumbled, looking down at his soaked pants and his shirt that he was holding in his right hand. "Hmmm..." Raye thought to himself for a while. A smirk formed on his face. Then¡ª Click- With a snap of his fingers¡ª FWOOSH¡ª! A powerful gust of wind enveloped him! Raye spun around, using his mana to manipulate the air¡ª And just like that... Fwish~ The excess water on his clothes and body was blown away! "Heh." Now dry, Raye stood by the riverbank, satisfied with his work! Then, cracking his neck¡ª "Alright. Time to head back." He said that. And in the next moment¡ª WHOOSH¡ª! Raye dashed off toward the cabin! 'I'll probably name that skill, [Dryer].' Raye thought, pertaining to the skill earlier that he used to dry himself. Chapter 137 137 - Stronger [2] After getting back to the cabin...Raye didn't enter inside to change clothes immediately. Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Instead¡ª "Hmm hmm hmm... breakfast..." He decided to have breakfast just like Old Man Rey told him earlier. He was humming as he prepared his food. And after he took bread and skewered deer meat... Nom¡ª Raye sat down outside the cabin on a tree stump and started eating. 'Hmm, this is good.' Raye said in his head, slightly nodding in satisfaction. He had been hungry as fuck ever since he woke up. He really just had to deal with the way he smelled earlier first. Anyway, as Raye was enjoying his breakfast¡ª Tap- The Old Man came out of the cabin. "Oh." He saw Raye, and Raye saw him. "You're back." Old Man Rey said. "Mhm." Raye nodded his head as a response. He was still eating. And then¡ª "Shouldn't you be leaving now? It's past ten AM. Doesn't the thing at the academy start at eleven?" The Old Man asked that! And hearing his words... "..." Raye froze in place and stopped eating! "What?!" Then he exclaimed in shock! Raye panicked and immediately placed his food on top of the table. And without saying a word¡ª Bam! He bolted inside the cabin, rushing straight to his room! Thud! His door slammed open as he dashed in, frantically pulling out his uniform from his small closet! "Shit, shit, shit!" Raye muttered, hurriedly stripping off his pants and throwing it with his shirt to the bed. Then¡ª Fwoosh¡ª! He slipped into his academy uniform, buttoning up in his record time! His hands moved fast as he fixed his collar, ran his fingers through his damp hair, and made sure he looked at least presentable. And within only a few minutes¡ª "I'm leaving!" He exclaimed that, bursting out of his room and heading straight for the door! Tap¡ª He stepped outside, his breath slightly ragged from rushing. "Good luck on the thing in the academy! I'll be in Kyle's shop with Zephyrus and Pyro, watching the whole thing!" Old Man Rey shouted from behind. And without even looking back¡ª "Watch me closely, I'll do my best!" Raye answered, determination laced in his voice. Then¡ª Bam! He kicked off the ground! WHOOSH¡ª! Raye shot forward like a bullet, dashing as fast as he could toward the tournament venue! The winds surged around his legs¡ª A violent vortex of air wrapped around his calves, spiraling furiously! BAM! Swoosh¡ª! Enjoy new adventures from My Virtual Library Empire Every step he took sent powerful bursts of wind exploding behind him, propelling him forward with incredible speed! His figure became a blur, tearing through the dirt path like a storm! 'Ugh, and here I wondered why the breakfast was already cold!' Raye grumbled in his head. He was stressed! The venue today was the same as where the previous tournament had happened, in one of the outdoor training grounds! ***** ... Normally, it would take Raye about half an hour to reach the venue from the cabin. But with his desperate run¡ª Tap- He made it in just about 8 minutes! "Haaa... Haaa... Haaaaaa...." Raye stopped in front of the entrance and started catching his breath. He had used a considerable amount of mana and stamina, forcing himself to the limit just to make it on time! Fwip- Raye combed his hair backward with his right hand. Then, after fixing his uniform¡ª Fwish- He finally looked inside the venue. And that was just when he noticed that almost everyone was looking at him! "..." Raye stood silently as he felt a lot of gazes on him. The outdoor training ground was silent too. A slight frown appeared on his face, and he was feeling slightly embarrassed too! Though, ignoring everyone... Tap- Raye took a step forward confidently! His footsteps echoed with how silent it was! Tap- tap- tap¡ª Raye continued walking and entered the site. And when he got inside¡ª "Looks like everyone's here now." He heard Bryan's voice¡ªthe Headmaster! "Hm?" Raye looked toward where he heard it. And there... He saw Bryan standing boldly on top of one of the arenas! 'Ugh, so that's why they were looking at me? Everyone was already here, except me...!' Raye thought as his face slowly cringed. Good thing though, the attention of the students shifted away from him to Bryan when the Headmaster started talking. Raye took advantage of that and went to the resting area where Jerusha and the other were. Of course it didn't take him long to find it... ... "Wow, I can't believe you're late, nice timing." Lycus said teasingly as Raye arrived to where they are. "Looks like you slept well, huh?" Lena followed with a smirk. "Did you lose track of time again while reading in the library?" Devin questioned, he was teasing too. But then¡ª "Oh my god, were you exhausted because of last night?" Jerusha suddenly asked that! And as soon as she did... Swish¡ª "...?!" Lena, Devin, and Lycus went and looked at her with wide eyes! Their heads turned violently just now! "Wha..." Even Sofia didn't know what to say when she heard that! Though, not long¡ª 'Nah.' The four of them shook their heads. After all, they know that they're probably just misunderstanding things because of Jerusha's wording. Though... "...?" "What the fuck...?" The students near them that don't personally know Raye and Jerusha didn't know that. (Jerusha was talking about her and Raye's training last night, and when he accompanied her back to her dorm.) Anyway¡ª "No, it's not about that." Raye responded to Jerusha. "Just things happened." He added. Jerusha and the others were about to say something more to Raye or tease him¡ª "Let me start by greeting you all." But Bryan started talking again. Pat- Raye took that chance and sat down beside Jerusha. He put his focus on Bryan, the Headmaster. So now, the others couldn't question him any further or tease him. Then, opening his mouth¡ª "Today, we're here once again to witness a tournament between the elite classes of the four academies!" Bryan announced that! And hearing his words... "WHOAAAAAHH!!!" "START THE TOURNAMENT!!!" "WE'LL WIN!!!" The students roared in excitement. Meanwhile, Raye¡ª "Hmm..." He's looking at his hand, curious. And then¡ª 'I feel a lot stronger.' He said that in his head! Chapter 138 138 - The Battle of Elites [1] Bryan stood tall on the arena platform."Hmm..." His sharp gaze swept over the gathered students from Zion Academy, Crimson Academy, Zephyros Institute, and Night Academy. "..." The excited crowd immediately went silent because of Bryan's overwhelming presence. The tension in the air was thick, anticipation crackling like static before a storm. Then¡ª Tap¡ª Bryan took a step forward. "Hello, everyone." His voice boomed across the silent training grounds. "This tournament is not just a competition¡ªit's a proving ground for the elite. Each academy has five members left from their elite class because of what happened in the monster hunt." Bryan mumbled. "Half of the S-Class from Zion was eliminated in Set B." He said, shaking his head. After that, with a subtle smirk on his face... "Then, half of every elite class from the other academies was also eliminated in Set A." He added! "..." His words annoyed the staff members from the other academies, that's for sure. "We originally planned to continue the monster hunt until only five students from each academy remained... We didn't expect to reach that count after just one round." But Bryan just continued, smiling as he said that. He was so smug about it. 'Haha, he's such a dickhead.' Raye thought, looking at the Headmaster taunting the other academies with such backhanded words. "Anyway..." Bryan mumbled, moving on. He looked at the competitors and, with a mana-enhanced voice¡ª "Today, the competitors will stand here in the arena not just as students but as representatives of their institutions. Whether you fight with a blade, magic, or both, you are the best of the best¡ªand now, it's time to prove it!" He declared that. "Zion Academy, known for its discipline and rigorous training. Crimson Academy, where raw talent and relentless ambition thrive. Zephyros Institute, the home of innovators and strategists. And Night Academy, the embodiment of unpredictability and deadly precision." Bryan stated. He let his words sink in before continuing... "Each of you has worked tirelessly to reach this moment. Today, you will clash against the best of the best. Some of you will rise. Some of you will fall. But every battle fought here will push you beyond your limits, forging you into something greater." He crossed his arms, exuding authority. "Victory will not be given. It must be earned. Show us your strength, your spirit, and your will to fight." Then¡ª Raising a hand. And with a smile¡ª "Let the tournament begin!" Bryan announced that! ***** After announcing the start of the tournament, Bryan started explaining the rules. "As you guys must've guessed, there's a twist in this tournament." He said with a sly smile. "It's not just a plain old tournament like before." He added. "As you all know, there are twenty competitors." Bryan muttered. And then, with a clear voice¡ª "One of them will be called up here in the arena, and once they get up here... they'll be given the freedom to choose their opponent from any opposing academy!" He followed that! "And that's not all¡ª" "Also, if they win the fight, they'll be given the choice to continue fighting and pick their next opponent, or they could just pick someone else to fight after them. Anyone from any team!" Bryan declared! "The same choice will also be given in case the opponent they picked won instead." He said. And with excitement written all over his face¡ª "The winner will be decided based on whose team has the last standing participant!" Bryan exclaimed. "It doesn't matter how many times you win. It doesn't matter if you didn't fight, if you fought multiple times, or whatever. All you need to do is¡ª" Bryan's sharp gaze swept over the competitors. "¡ªmake sure your academy has the last student standing!" And then he finished with a triumphant grin, his voice booming across the arena! And hearing Bryan say all that... 'This is it, my stage is ready.' Raye declared that in his head! ... After explaining the rules of the tournament, Bryan gave the participants time to prepare themselves and get ready. And after that... Tap- tap- tap¡ª He started climbing down the arena. The moment Bryan stepped down from the platform... A low murmur spread through the gathered competitors. Some discussed strategy, while others remained silent, lost in thought. Raye, however, simply stretched his arms. Rolling his shoulders as a smirk tugged at his lips. "Half an hour, huh..." He muttered to himself, glancing at Lena and Lycus. The two of them are super relaxed too. "Except those three, I'm confident I can win against anyone from the other academies." Lycus whispered that, he was pertaining to Ace, Elias, and Christian. "Mhm." Lena nodded her head, agreeing to Lycus' words. Then¡ª "You guys could do it, I just know it!" Devin suddenly exclaimed that with a dumb smile on his face. Hearing his words and seeing his face... 'Hah! He's really something else...' Raye, Lycus, and Lena felt a lot more eased. And just then¡ª Fwish- Jerusha turned to Raye. "...?" Raye looked at her with questioning eyes. Then, shyly... "I wish you luck, I'll watch you up there later." Jerusha muttered that! "..." Raye froze in his place, unmoving and speechless. "Thanks." That's all he could say after processing Jerusha's words. And without saying, Jerusha was sad because of this! But when she saw Raye's rosy cheeks from being embarrassed... "..." A small smile formed on her face. (Raye is just an awkward person.) On the other hand¡ª "Good luck out there, Lycus!" "I will, Sofia... Watch me." Sofia was also cheering for Lycus. Of course Lycus was happy because of this! If he was a dog, he would've wagged his tail for at least a hundred times now! And seeing the two couples like that... "..." "..." Lena and Devin went silent. The two of them are sitting on opposite ends of the group. They're looking at each other, slightly frowning because of what's happening around them. ... ***** Some of the participants were meditating, sharpening their weapons, or gathering with their teammates. Lycus, ever composed, adjusted the straps on his dual daggers. Lena, being perfectionist, cleaned her wooden staff. The tension in the air was thick¡ªanticipation, excitement, and a hint of dread mixing together. Up in the observation booth... Bryan took his seat among the staff members. His sharp eyes surveying the participants below. A few instructors exchanged quiet words. Some visibly displeased by the tournament's unpredictable format. "Tch. This format favors endurance freaks." One of the staff members grumbled. "Or just those crazy enough to fight back-to-back." Another added. Bryan, overhearing them, simply smirked. "So what?" Then he asked that! "..." And the staff members fell silent at his words! 'These guys are such a boomer, this is definitely more fun.' Bryan thought to himself. ***** After a while... "Fuuu..." Raye let out a slow, steady breath. His fingers brushed against the hilts of his swords, the cool metal grounding him. His heart pounded¡ªnot with fear, but with something far more exhilarating. Excitement. His blood thrummed in his veins, his body itching for movement. For battle. The weight of countless gazes pressed down on him, but he didn't falter. Instead¡ª A smirk ghosted across his lips. This was it. The tournament was about to begin. ... Half an hour passed... Tap¡ª And this time, Charles stood firm on top of the arena platform! His sharp gaze swept over the competitors, his presence weighing down on them. "The preparation time is over." He simply declared. Swoosh¡ª And just like that, the entire training ground fell silent! "...Mnm." Charles nodded in satisfaction, scanning the students with an unreadable expression. His presence wasn't as overwhelming as Bryan's, but the authority in his stance and voice left no room for doubt! Then, without further ado¡ª "The first participant..." Charles started calling for someone. And after a slight pause¡ª "Ace Silvercrest from the [Night Academy]!" He shouted that! Then, without a fucking hesitation... S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Swoosh¡ª Ace stood up in one fluid motion! Tap- tap- tap¡ª And he started walking toward the arena, his every step was steady and deliberate! Ace exuded confidence¡ªan unshakable presence that turned heads. And as he climbed onto the platform, his expression remained unreadable, his sharp eyes fixed ahead. Charles turned to him. Read exclusive content at My Virtual Library Empire "As per the rules, you may now select your opponent from any opposing academy. Choose wisely." He stated that. But¡ª Before Charles could even finish explaining... "I challenge you." Ace declared that. No hesitation. No buildup. His voice cut through the air like a blade. And then¡ª He raised his hand and pointed. Every eye followed his motion. And at the end of his finger¡ª They saw Raye! "...!" The crowd stirred, murmurs of excitement spreading like wildfire! Jerusha, Lena, Lycus, and Devin immediately turned to Raye, their expressions shifting. And Raye? "...Haah." He let out a small sigh, closing his eyes for a moment. A small smile tugged at his lips. "Just as I expected." He quietly mumbled. Then¡ª Tap¡ª He stood up. "Good luck." "Beat him to pulp, Raye!" "Do your best." "Go quick." Lycus, Devin, Sofia, and Lena said to him. Raye just smiled at them. Then¡ª He slightly glanced to his right, and there¡ª "..." He saw Jerusha. Just looking at him, not saying anything. Raye smiled at her too. And opening his mouth¡ª "Watch me." He simply said that. And without further ado¡ª Tap¡ª He started heading toward the arena! Chapter 139 139 - The Battle of Elites [2] Everyone's eyes followed Raye as he walked over to the arena.Tap¡ª Each of his steps was confident and steady. And his eyes... "..." They were just focused on Ace! And not long¡ª Tap¡ª Raye stepped onto the arena platform. He stood face-to-face against Ace. "You don't seem surprised that I picked you as my opponent." Ace mumbled, looking at Raye. Raye just shrugged. "It was so obvious." He said that. 'I stirred up things so bad now that you guys have no choice but to look in my direction.' Raye thought boldly. "Is that so?" Ace asked him. And then, as a smirk appeared on his face¡ª "Then, is what I'm about to do next obvious too?" He questioned that! And before Raye could even reply¡ª Swish¡ª Ace raised his hand and looked in the direction where Bryan and the other staff members from the other academies were watching. "...?" Charles looked at him weirdly. And so did Bryan! He tilted his head, and in curiosity¡ª "Yes? What is it?" He asked that. And without hesitation¡ª "I have a suggestion." Ace stated that. Then, opening his mouth again... "Because this is the battle of elites, wouldn't it be much more exciting if we could use our personal weapons? Not just some wooden ones?" He declared that! "We could use the dome artifact again and just cover the arena." Ace added arrogantly. And at his suggestion... "Heh..." Bryan smirked. He leaned back in his chair, amusement flashing in his eyes. Then¡ª He glanced at the staff members from the other academies. Some of them exchanged glances, whispering amongst themselves. A few looked hesitant. But¡ª One by one, they nodded their heads. "We'll allow the use of the dome artifact for this tournament." A staff from the Zephyros Institute said. And with that¡ª They accepted Ace's suggestion! "Alright then." Bryan announced, his voice carrying across the arena. "We'll allow the use of personal weapons. The dome artifact will be activated for the competitors' safety." He stated, and with a wave of his hand¡ª Swish¡ª The staff members moved quickly. Several of them stepped forward, bringing out the dome artifact¡ªa large, crystalline orb that shimmered with faint energy. Then¡ª Fwoosh¡ª The artifact released a wave of mana! A translucent barrier surged outward, enclosing the entire arena in a protective dome. The moment it settled, a faint hum filled the air. Fwish- Ace looked at Raye, he was looking all smug. "So, did you predict this too?" He asked. And Raye¡ª 'Bruh, this is how it was supposed to go, fucking idiot.' He just thought of that. "Yeah." Then he simply answered. "...?" Ace just frowned at his words, not believing it. Raye ignored him and started preparing his swords. ... ... Raye and Ace prepared with their personal equipment. Ace adjusted the grip on his sword, rolling his shoulders as if testing the weight. His weapon was a bright yellow katana. Raye, on the other hand¡ª He ran his fingers over the hilts of his twin blades, [Nyx] and [Celestria]. "..." His expression unreadable. The atmosphere shifted. Tension. Anticipation. And only after five minutes... "The setting up of the dome artifact is now done." They were all good to go again! The crowd buzzed with excitement. This battle... Was about to get real! ***** S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Are you guys ready now?" Charles asked, slightly feeling impatient. And in unison¡ª "Yeah." Ace and Raye responded. "Then, to your side." Charles instructed. "..." Raye and Ace just briefly glanced at each other. And after that¡ª Tap- tap- tap- They turned their backs against each other and started walking the opposite side of the arena. And there¡ª Fwip¡ª They took their fighting stances. Ace slightly bent his knees, his katana crackling with faint arcs of electricity. Raye, on the other hand¡ª Fwoosh¡ª A gentle breeze stirred around him as he adjusted his stance, his twin blades steady in his grip. His left hand gripping [Celestria]¡ªthe white, elegant sword that shimmered faintly. His right holding [Nyx]¡ªa simple, yet refined black sword. Both of them¡ª "..." Silent. Focused. The air between them grew heavier. And then¡ª Szzzt¡ª! A sudden spark erupted from Ace's blade! "START!!!" And Charles declared that! Then instantly¡ª BAM¡ª! Ace vanished. A burst of lightning flickered where he once stood! Raye's eyes sharpened. 'Tch¡ªFast.' He thought, frowning. But¡ª He's not someone who would lose in terms of speed! Fwoosh¡ª! Raye's figure blurred as he twisted to the side, wind surging at his feet! Szzzt¡ª! Ace appeared right behind him, his katana already mid-swing! CLANG¡ª! Raye barely blocked in time, [Nyx] grinding against the crackling yellow blade. Sparks flew. Ace grinned. "Not bad." He said. Fzzzt¡ª! Then a sudden jolt of electricity surged down Ace's sword, aiming to paralyze Raye's arm! In response to that¡ª Bam- Raye lightly jumped back, breaking the contact. And with [Nyx] again¡ª Swish¡ª He countered with a sharp arc swing! "?!" Ace's eyes widened at this. He barely tilted his head back¡ª Shnk¡ª A few strands of his hair were cut. "...Tch." Ace clicked his tongue in annoyance. And Raye¡ª Fwoosh¡ª He didn't stop! His footwork blurred, his wind-imbued speed pushing him forward! And the next thing everyone knew¡ª SWISH¡ª! His left hand moved¡ª[Celestria] flashing white! Ace's eyes narrowed! Fwish- He brought his katana up¡ª TANG-! And he blocked Raye's attack! But¡ª Raye smirked. And in that instant¡ª Fwoosh¡ª! [Celestria] changed shape! The moment his mana flowed into it¡ª The blade thinned¡ªelongating into a slender rapier! Ace's pupils dilated. "What¡ª?!" He asked in pure shock. And before he could even reply¡ª Shnk¡ª! [Celestria] extended past his guard! "...?!" Then a thin, sharp cut appeared on Ace's cheek. And the crowd¡ª "Wooooaahhh¡ª!" Roared in excitement! Bam! Ace took a leap back, touching his cheek. A single drop of blood. And then¡ª His smirk widened. "...This just got interesting." He said, looking back at Raye. And Raye¡ª "Really? I don't think so." He just mumbled that and casually readjusted the grip on his swords. Fwoosh¡ª A light gust of wind swirled around him. This fight¡ª Had only just begun... ***** After a slight pause in their fight¡ª BAM¡ª! Raye and Ace exploded forward at the same time! FWOOSH¡ª! Wind blasted from Raye's legs, his body propelled like an arrow released from a bow. FWOOZZT¡ª! Meanwhile, arcs of electricity crackled violently around Ace's feet, leaving a trail of scorched marks on the arena floor as he surged ahead! SWISH¡ª! Their speed was unreal. To the spectators, they were nothing but streaks of wind and lightning! Blurred figures¡ªclashing in an instant! And then¡ª TANG¡ª! CLANG¡ª! TING¡ª! Steel rang like a chorus of war! Raye and Ace met in the middle, exchanging rapid, complex attacks! SZZZT¡ª! Ace twisted his katana in a sharp arc, a pulse of electricity snapping down the blade like a whip! FWOOSH¡ª! Raye sidestepped, the crackling energy barely missing his shoulder! TANG¡ª! Then [Nyx] parried a lightning-fast thrust from Ace, the force pushing Raye's arm slightly back! SWISH¡ª! At the same moment, [Celestria], still in rapier form, flicked forward¡ª TING¡ª! Ace barely deflected it, twisting his katana at the last second to redirect the strike with its hilt! "Tch¡ª!" Ace's muscles tensed as another gust of wind brushed past him. Raye was relentless! He wasn't just reacting¡ªhe was controlling the tempo of the fight! BAM¡ª! He kicked off the ground, his wind-enhanced speed surging even further. FWIP¡ª! Celestria shifted again, thickening into a curved saber mid-swing. And seeing that¡ª Ace's pupils shrank. 'Shit¡ªthis sword¡­!' Before he could react¡ª SWOOSH¡ª! Raye's saber carved through the air toward him, its edge whistling with sheer momentum! FZZZT¡ª! Ace raised his blade in an instant¡ª CLANG¡ª! And barely managed to block! But¡ª BZZZZT¡ª! A violent surge of electricity exploded from his katana! "Ugh¡ª!" Raye felt a tingling numbness crawl up his arm¡ªAce had used the impact to channel a shockwave through his sword! Though, calmly¡ª FWOOSH¡ª! Raye twisted mid-air, letting his wind dispel the lingering electricity before it could paralyze him! "?!" Ace's eyes widened seeing this! And just then¡ª Tap- Raye's foot barely touched the ground¡ª BAM¡ª! But he lunged forward again! CLANG¡ª! TING¡ª! And the fierce exchange between him and Ace continued! Their blades becoming nothing but blurs of silver, black, and yellow light! Ace swung down¡ª Raye swung horizontally¡ª TIIING¡ª! Their weapons met in unpredictable angles, the sound of steel-on-steel echoing nonstop! Every strike¡ªprecise. Every dodge¡ªflawless. The crowd was breathless. And then¡ª BOOM¡ª! A shockwave blasted outward as both of them clashed with full force! Dust kicked up. The entire arena trembled. And when the dust cleared¡ª The two stood a few meters apart. "...Hah." Ace wiped his lip, a faint cut there. "..." Raye simply exhaled, rolling his shoulders. This battle¡ª It was far from over! "You're pretty fast, huh. I'll admit that." Ace mumbled, eyeing at Raye. "...?" Raye just squinted his eyes at him. Then¡ª "You're the fastest guys I know, next to me, of course." Ace followed confidently, there's a smirk on his face again. And seeing that... "..." Raye frowned. He was getting annoyed at Ace's face! And so¡ª 'I should probably put him in his place now.' He decided that! And opening his mouth¡ª "[Flash]" Raye muttered! Chapter 140 140 - The Battle of Elites [3]—In a Flash! Raye opened his mouth, and casually¡ª"[Flash]" He muttered that! FWOOSH¡ª! A sudden, violent gust of wind erupted beneath Raye's feet. BOOM¡ª! The air cracked as his body vanished¡ª propelled forward at an almost instantaneous speed! "?!" Ace's eyes widened in shock. "What¡ª?!" He barely saw Raye move! His instincts screamed¡ª React! But¡ª Just as he raised his right hand, katana poised to defend¡ª SLASH¡ª! A sharp whistle cut through the air! And for a split second¡ªAce felt nothing. And then¡ª SPLURT¡ª! Blood sprayed into the air! His right hand¡ª It was gone! Ting¡ª His katana clattered onto the ground, severed fingers still locked around the hilt! "Haaa??" Ace's breath hitched. His body froze. The pain had not even registered to him yet! The only thing he could process¡ª "..." Was Raye's cold, piercing gaze, staring directly at him! Then, snapping out of his stupor¡ª "Urgh¡ª?!" Bam! Ace leaped back, his mind was racing. 'My hand. My right hand is gone!' His left hand clamped down on the bleeding stump, desperately trying to stop the blood flow. 'What the fuck was that?!' Ace's heart pounded, his thoughts scrambled. He was shocked. Confused, even. After all¡ª 'I haven't seen anyone my age faster than me!' Ace thought. Tap¡ª Then his feet hit the ground. His stance shook. And then¡ª A sharp, searing pain shot through his body! "Gurgh?!!" Ace's face twisted in agony as his brain finally registered the loss of his right hand. Fwish¡ª His gaze snapped back up. And there¡ª "..." He saw Raye standing calm and unshaken! And Raye, seeing Ace's reaction... Smirked¡ª "Is that too fast for you?" He asked that! "My bad." He followed with a mocking tone! And hearing him... "..." Ace's frown just deepened. ... ***** Ace's irritation boiled over into fury! 'This bastard is getting on my nerves.' He thought. Fwish- Then his eyes flickered to his katana¡ªlying just beside him. Annoyed¡ª Fwip- Fwoosh¡ª Ace picked it up with his left hand and threw away his severed right hand! CRACKLE¡ª! Electricity surged through his blade! And after gritting his teeth¡ª [Thunder Step!] He exclaimed that! BZZZZZT¡ª!! Then Ace's figure vanished! WHOOSH¡ª His speed was blazing fast! Ace just used a skill that could rival [Flash]! FWOOZZZH¡ª!! A lightning-clad blur shot straight at Raye! 'DIE YOU FUCKING MONKEY!!!' SWOOSH¡ª Ace shouted in his head as he swung down his katana with his left hand ! But responding quickly¡ª TING¡ª! Raye just simply blocked it with [Nyx]! "!!!" Ace's face cringed in annoyance when he saw that! And then¡ª Ace's gaze met Raye's. And opening his mouth again¡ª "Too slow." Raye said that! BAM! Then he launched a brutal kick¡ªstraight to Ace's gut! BAM¡ª! Ace's body flew backward! THUD¡ª! He crashed, bouncing against the floor before tumbling down hard! "Tch¡ª!" Ace gritted his teeth, his body was screaming in pain! But he didn't even have time to breathe¡ª 'Up, fast!' He thought that Raye was going to attack him again, making use of the situation! He was sure of it! "Ugh...!" Ace forced himself to move. But¡ª His body struggled. With only one hand left, pushing himself up was difficult. And yet¡ª To his surprise¡­ "..." Raye didn't attack him. No finishing blow. No rush to end the fight. Just silence. The storm had stilled. And Ace¡ª Didn't know what was more terrifying... ***** Ace panted, his breaths ragged. His left hand still gripped the bloody stump where his right once was, but the pain was already dulling¡ªhis fury was burning it away. And yet¡ª Raye wasn't attacking. Ace's sharp gaze locked onto him, eyes filled with confusion and disbelief. "...Why?" His voice came out rough, uneven. Raye, standing there, merely shrugged his shoulders. Then he smiled. "Because there's no need." He said. And at his words... "..." Ace froze. 'No need?' He repeated in his head. On the other hand... Fwip- S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Raye shifted his grip on his twin swords, his stance completely at ease. His expression? Unbothered. Was it confidence? No¡ª Raye was being arrogant. Ace's face twitched seeing him. His fingers tightened around his katana's hilt. 'This bastard...!' He feels insulted. Then finally¡ª "HAAAAAA!!!" Ace fucking snapped! And with rage fueling his body¡ª BAM! He launched himself forward, pushing off the ground at breakneck speed! And seeing him approach... Explore more at My Virtual Library Empire "Hah!" Raye's smirk widened! Fwish- Ace appeared in front of Raye. Then, with a hateful expression on his face¡ª FWOOOSH¡ª! He heavily brought down his katana! A powerful, furious strike! It was fast! But¡ª TING¡ª! Raye just blocked it! Though, not stopping there... "HAAAAAAA!!!" SWOOOSH¡ª Ace followed a horizontal strike! But even how many attacks he threw... TANG¡ª! CLANG¡ª! TING! Raye just deflected them. Again. Again. And Again! Ace kept swinging, pouring everything into his attacks! Lightning surged through his blade, his strikes growing faster, stronger¡ª But¡ª TING! TANG! CLANG! Raye blocked every single one. Easily. Ace's frustration exploded. 'Why?!' He was fast! Strong! His technique was sharpened from years of training! But Raye¡ª He wasn't just blocking¡ª He was toying with him! And Ace knew it. "RRRRAAAAAAGH!!!" Ace roared and lunged forward, this time aiming directly for Raye's throat! A full-powered, final strike! CRACKLE¡ª! The air burned with electricity¡ªhis blade surging with raw energy! But¡ª Raye's eyes flashed. And then¡ª FWOOOSH¡ª! He disappeared. Ace's blade sliced through nothing. His heart dropped. "Wha¡ª?" And before he could react¡ª BAM! A crushing elbow slammed into his ribs! Ace's body lurched to the side! "Guh¡ª!" Then, before he could even recover¡ª THWACK¡ª! A sharp knee to the gut! "GRRK¡ª!!" His vision blurred. He stumbled. His feet barely found balance. But Raye¡ª Didn't let him. FWISH¡ª! Raye appeared beside him¡ªso fast Ace barely saw him move! And then¡ª BAM!!! A spinning kick smashed into Ace's ribs, sending him flying! CRASH¡ª! Ace slammed into the ground, skidding across the concrete floor before finally stopping. His body refused to move. His vision swam. His breath came out in shaky gasps! Pain. Pain. Pain. But above all¡ª Humiliation. "Keuk..." Ace gritted his teeth, glaring up at Raye through hazy eyes. And there he was¡ªstanding calm, swords still in hand, looking down at Ace like he was already defeated. Ace clenched his fists. 'No¡­ I won't lose like this¡­' He refused. He wouldn't¡ª But then¡ª Raye sighed. And in the most infuriatingly casual tone¡ª "You're done." He spoke. Ace's body stiffened. "Fuck..." He muttered weakly, the curse escaping his lips in a breathless rasp. His mind reeled¡ªmemories flashing through his hazy vision. The first time he held his sword, the weight of it in his hands, the promise of becoming strong. The countless hours spent in sweat, fighting through pain, through doubt. The endless training¡ªendurance, technique, and that fiery passion that pushed him forward. But now¡ªnow it all felt like a joke. And yet¡ª His pride flared, burning hotter than any pain he'd felt! The fire of his struggle, his sacrifices¡ªit ignited. "GRAAAHHHH!!!" Ace forced himself to stand once again. His body screamed, the world spinning beneath him, but he stood. His stance wobbled¡ªbarely holding together¡ªbut he stood. Raye, ever the indifferent figure, simply watched him. The crowd's eyes were locked on Ace, watching the boy who refused to yield, no matter the cost. Ace's eyes burned. His fist clenched around the hilt of his katana, his grip tight enough to crack the handle. He was done. No more holding back. Swoosh¡ª The air around him began to hum, electric tension rising. Ace focused, circulating mana through every muscle in his body. The storm of energy churned, building, ready to burst. He was preparing to unleash his all¡ªone final attack to end this. His heartbeat thundered in his chest, matching the rising energy. Swoosh¡ª The air was thick with anticipation. And then¡ª BZZZT¡ª! Electricity crackled around Ace, coating his body in a violent, yellow glow! His heart pounded harder¡ªstronger. "[Thunder Step]" Ace muttered, his voice low, barely audible over the hum of power. Fwoosh¡ª!! In a blur, he launched himself forward, a streak of lightning aiming for Raye's throat. SWIZZH¡ª! His katana came down with everything he had left¡ªsharp, quick, and deadly, covered in crackling electricity! But¡ª SWOOSH¡ª! A cold whisper of steel. Ace's eyes widened. His final strike... It missed. No¡ª TING! Raye had deflected it with [Nyx]. His katana had been knocked aside, the lightning crackling uselessly as his momentum carried him forward¡ª And in that moment¡ª Swoosh¡ª Raye's left hand moved. [Celestria] gleamed under the light. And then¡ª SLASH¡ª! A perfect arc. A clean cut. Ace felt nothing. For a second. And then¡ª His vision spun. The battlefield tilted unnaturally. His world flipped upside down. A strange, dull sensation filled his body. No¡ª Not his body. He couldn't feel it anymore. THUD¡ª His head hit the ground. His body then crumpled. A pool of blood spread beneath him, his katana lying still beside him. Ace's final expression¡ª Frozen in shock. "..." The crowd was silent. No one moved. And Raye¡ª Fwip- He simply flicked the blood off [Celestria] with a casual motion. Then, glancing down at Ace's unmoving body¡ª "Still too slow." Raye mumbled. And with that, he turned away. The fight had ended. And Raye¡ª Had clearly won. Chapter 141 141 - The Battle of Elites [4]—Different than Before After decapitating Ace's head off his shoulders... Tap¡ª Raye turned away and walked back to his starting position, the right side of the arena. His steps were calm, measured¡ªunbothered. Not once did he glance back at Ace's unmoving body. "..." The crowd was silent, their breaths held in stunned disbelief. Then soon, as if the life was finally drained from it¡ª Fwooosh~ Ace's body began to disintegrate! Small particles of light broke away from his form, floating upward like glowing dust. They shimmered softly, beautiful and eerie, before fading into the air. His head followed, dissolving just as silently, the empty eyes losing their luster before vanishing completely. And after a few moments¡ª Fwish¡ª Ace's body was gone. Not a single trace of blood or flesh remained! The arena floor was spotless, cold, and indifferent. Then¡ª Fwoop¡ª "Urgh?!" Ace's eyes snapped open. His vision spun, his body tumbling as he was forcibly thrown out of the arena, landing on the ground with a loud sound! Thud! Ace was whole again! His head was firmly attached to his shoulders, and his body was intact. Not a scar, not a single drop of blood. Even the minor cuts and bruises from earlier had vanished, leaving his skin unmarked! The only thing that remained was the fatigue¡ªthe exhaustion that weighed on his limbs, the emptiness in his core. His mana was depleted, and his stamina was drained, but he was alive! The dome artifact truly was miraculous. A barrier that ensured the safety of every participant, no matter how brutal the battle. It reversed death itself, restoring the body to a pristine state! Though... It didn't restore one's spirit. Because even though his body was fine... "..." Ace couldn't lift his head. His eyes were glued to the ground, his fingers digging into the dirt beneath him. His shoulders trembled, his jaw clenched tight. The crowd's murmur reached his ears, the whispers of disbelief, of shock. But not a single cheer. Not a single voice praised his efforts. Not a single soul celebrated his perseverance. Because he had lost. So thoroughly¡ªso mercilessly¡ª His pride... shattered. His sword... meaningless. His struggle, his hard work¡ª All of it was reduced to nothing. He felt sick. The emptiness grew, a hollow void eating away at his chest, threatening to swallow him whole. His hands shook, his eyes stung, but no tears came. The pain of absolute defeat. "..." Ace sat there, his head bowed, his spirit broken. And on the other side of the arena¡ª Tap¡ª Raye stood in his spot, his eyes distant and confident. And just then¡ª "Winner, Raye!" Charles loudly announced that, breaking the silence! And when the students of Zion heard that¡ª "WHOOOAAAAHH!!!" "RAYE, YOU'RE AWESOME!!!" "THAT WAS SO COOL!!!" "I DIDN'T SEE THE LAST PART PROPERLY!!!" "THAT WAS SO FAST!!!" They started roaring and cheering! "My ears don't hurt anymore. I brought earplugs." Raye's match against Ace only lasted for five minutes. ***** In a place away from the Zion Academy, sitting on his elegant throne behind his desk in his lavish office¡ª "Haha, he's good." Lucian mumbled that with a laugh. He was watching the tournament through a communication crystal that projected a rectangular hologram before him. He had witnessed Raye's fight against Ace. And after seeing that... 'I'm sure of it now.' Lucian's eyes narrowed, his gaze fixed on the hologram. Then, opening his mouth again¡ª "That's not Raye." Lucian declared that, his voice low and cold, his piercing eyes locked on Raye's calm figure through the hologram! ***** Back to the tournament¡ª "..." The students from the other academies were silent. Especially Christian and Elias... "..." They both wore deep frowns on their faces. Ace was undeniably one of the strongest four from the three academies. But now¡ª Raye had already defeated two of the so called [Strongest Four]! First was Ignis. And now, Ace. "Tch¡ª" Ignis clicked his tongue in annoyance, his jaw clenched as he watched Raye stand victorious. Then, shifting his gaze to Ace¡ª "..." Seeing him kneeling on the ground, head bowed in utter defeat¡ª 'Pathetic.' Ignis spat that word in his head. Continue reading at My Virtual Library Empire And turning his glare back to Raye¡ª "I'll get my revenge on you soon, just wait..." He mumbled that under his breath, his fists tightening. ... Anyway, Elias... "..." His eyes were glued to Raye. The way he fought, the way he moved... 'It was different.' Elias thought. The Raye now was far too different from how Elias used to remember him. Back then, Raye couldn't even wield a sword properly. His stances were clumsy, his movements awkward. Yet now¡ª His form was flawless. His strikes were sharp and precise. Even his magic, specifically the [Flash]... It was basic to medium at best, but he used it efficiently, complementing his swordsmanship perfectly! Elias' brows furrowed deeper. Raye's technique... His sword movements... 'It's not the Divine Swordsmanship...' The swordsmanship of the Alvah Dukedom. 'What is that...?' Elias questioned in his head. 'Where did he learn it?' 'Who taught him?' 'When did he even practice it?' He added. Then, most importantly... "Why did he look so... different?" Elias mumbled that! The Raye that he saw today was not the same person that he knew just a few months ago! Elias' heart pounded, a chill running down his spine. His instincts were screaming at him, a nagging feeling gnawing at his mind. He knew Raye quite good, like how untalented he was or whatnot. Or at least, he thought he did. ... Meanwhile, just beside Elias, sitting in the special spectator's booth¡ª Christian's eyes were locked on Raye as well. His usual laid-back demeanor was gone, replaced by a cold, calculating stare. He had known Ace's strength firsthand. And Raye didn't just win. He dominated the fight. Effortlessly. 'This... doesn't make sense.' Christian's eyes narrowed. The Raye he heard was a nuisance. A disgrace to the great Alvah name. Yet here he was... Strong. Confident. And wielding a strong swordsmanship to perfection! S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. 'Every known information about him is useless now, they're not true anymore for some reason... It's time to update them.' Christian decided in his head. ***** Moving on, going back to Raye... "So, according to the rules, what do you plan to do now?" Charles asked him that, his voice echoing throughout the arena. And hearing his question¡ª "..." Everyone went silent. Not just Raye. The crowd held their breath, eyes wide and unblinking. All of them were waiting for his response. Raye had already defeated two of the strongest four. He could stop now. No one would question him if he did. In fact, it would be the smartest choice. He had already proven his strength, his dominance. Continuing further would be foolish. He was exhausted, his mana running low. His body bore the signs of battle, hidden beneath his calm expression. Yet¡ª "..." Raye's gaze remained steady. His eyes were sharp, unwavering. His posture was firm, no sign of hesitation. Then, his lips parted¡ª "I'll fight again." And he declared that! His words cut through the silence like a blade. "...!" The crowd erupted in shock! "He's going to fight again?!" "Is he insane?! He already took down two of the strongest!" "Does he even have any mana left?!" "Who is he challenging next?!" The arena buzzed with disbelief. Even Charles' eyes widened for a moment. But he quickly composed himself. "I see... You choose to continue." Charles spoke, his tone monotone. "Then, who will be your next opponent?" The crowd fell silent once more when that question was asked, anticipation hanging heavy in the air. Now, people are cheering for Raye! This would've been unthinkable a few months back then! Anyway, everyone watched Raye, waiting... Everyone from the empire! Then, finally¡ª Fwish¡ª Raye raised his hand. His arm extended with confidence, his fingers pointing¡ª Straight at Christian! And seeing that¡ª "...!" Christian's eyes widened in shock. "Wha-?!" The entire arena gasped. Raye didn't choose an easier opponent! He didn't choose someone weak or just an extra in the story. No. He chose Christian, one of the strongest contenders in the tournament, a named character in the game! The one who hadn't fought yet and was still at full strength! The one who was known to be a prodigy! "...This guy..." Christian muttered under his breath, his eyes narrowing as he smirked. The tension in the air grew heavy, suffocating. It felt as if time itself had stopped. And in that frozen moment¡ª Raye's voice rang out, clear and firm. "Christian. I challenge you." His serious expression showed no doubt. No fear. He was completely calm. Even as the arena exploded into chaos¡ª "HE'S CHALLENGING CHRISTIAN?!" "IS HE OUT OF HIS MIND?!" "WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH HIM?!" "DOES HE THINK HE CAN BEAT ALL OF THE STRONGEST FOUR?!" The disbelief was palpable. The tension was electric. And Christian just stood there, his expression unreadable. A heavy silence settled between them, their gazes locked. Then¡ª Christian's lips curled even more. "Heh... You really are interesting, Raye." He spoke calmly, his tone laced with amusement. "Very well... I accept." The arena roared once more! The next battle was set. Raye versus Christian. Chapter 142 142 - The Battle of Elites [5]—Christian versus Raye! After accepting Raye's challenge... Tap- tap- tap¡ª Christian began his ascent, climbing up the arena's steps at a measured pace. "..." All eyes were on him. The air was thick with tension, the atmosphere heavy with anticipation. "It's Christian..." "I heard he was the weakest of the elite four." The crowd's whispers followed his every step. (Elite Four: Elias, Ignis, Ace, Christian) "Still, he's one of the strongest four." "Yeah, can Raye still win?" "I don't know, why did he challenge him anyway...?" The murmurs grew, uncertainty rippling through the audience. The other contenders watched with narrowed eyes. "Does that guy plan to take all the fun?" Lycus asked, smiling while looking at Raye from the spectating area with the others. "Haha, he's greedy, alright." Devin laughed. "..." Lena just stayed silent, observing Raye and his opponent. "..." This was the same for Jerusha, she's confident that Raye would win. "Raye's awesome." Jerusha unconsciously mumbled, remembering Raye's first match. And at her words... "Hmmmm...?" Sofia's ears perked up, a small smile appeared on her face. Anyway... Everyone knew Christian's strength. They knew just how dangerous he could be. And yet¡ª "Hmm..." Raye stood firm, his expression unchanging as he watches Christian approach his direction. His eyes were locked on his opponent, unwavering, unyielding. Tap¡ª Find your next read on My Virtual Library Empire Christian reached the top of the arena. His movements were calm, almost casual. And as he faced Raye¡ª "Why me?" He asked that, his voice steady, curious. "Why did you pick me as your opponent?" His eyes were sharp, searching for an answer. And at his question¡ª "Meh." Raye just shrugged his shoulders. "Just because." And then he said that. "...?" Christian blinked. "...No reason?" He asked in confusion. "Mhm." Raye nodded his head as a response. "..." A silence hung between them. Christian's brows furrowed, his gaze locked on Raye's face. But then¡ª "...Hah." Christian let out a laugh. His lips curled into a small smile. "I see... Well, I'm not as strong as the others, you know." His tone was light, almost humble. "The truth is... I'm the weakest of the four. So please go easy on me." His words were spoken softly, yet they echoed through the arena. "..." The crowd went silent at his admission. But then¡ª "Pssh..." Raye let out a dry scoff. "That's bullshit." Then he declared that. His voice was cold and dismissive. "...!" Christian's eyes widened, he was taken aback. And opening his mouth again¡ª "You're not the weakest." Raye followed. His tone was absolute. "And you know it." "..." Christian's smile faltered. Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. A flicker of surprise crossed his face. And Raye... 'In the game, Christian didn't do much in the monster hunt, he also got a low presence, almost like an extra. But later on, in this part of the competition, it was revealed that he was actually the strongest of the four.' He just recalled that from the [Brave Hearts]! "He's even the smartest." Raye mumbled to himself. Meanwhile... "..." Christian was speechless, he couldn't rebut Raye's words. Because in that moment¡ª He knew Raye was serious and sure of his words. "...How did he saw through me?" Christian questioned under his breath. His shoulders relaxed, his posture shifting. Then¡ª FWOOSH¡ª! A surge of mana erupted from his body! The air around him grew heavy, electrified with power! Rumble¡ª Crack - The ground beneath him trembled, small cracks forming from the sheer force of his presence! "Whoa...!" "This pressure...!" "Is this really the power of the weakest?!" The audience felt it too. Their breaths caught in their throats, hearts pounding wildly. The shock rippled through the crowd, disbelief painted on their faces. But Raye¡ª "..." He remained unfazed. His expression was calm, just smiling and staring straight at Christian. 'People really likes intimidating others with their dominating presence, huh.' Raye said in his head. And just then¡ª Swoosh¡ª Christian reached into his spatial storage. His hand moved swiftly, expertly. And with a single motion¡ª FWISH¡ª He pulled out his personal weapon! It was a long, sleek spear! Its blade gleamed under the arena's lights, reflecting a cold glint. The shaft was black, adorned with intricate green patterns that seemed to pulse with mana. It was elegant yet deadly, radiating a powerful aura! And as Christian held it¡ª Fwip- His posture shifted. His stance was perfect, balanced. His eyes grew sharp, focused. His demeanor changed completely, no longer humble, no longer casual. He looked like a predator, ready to strike! Raye felt it. The weight of Christian's intent. The pressure of his aura. The overwhelming power he had been hiding all along. Raye's expression didn't change. He didn't flinch. Instead¡ª A small smirk appeared on his lips. 'This is kinda exciting...' His eyes gleamed with excitement! Then¡ª Tap- Charles stepped forward, his presence instantly commanding attention. "..." His gaze shifted between the two contenders. "Are you both ready?" Charles' voice boomed across the arena. Fwip- Christian's grip tightened around his spear. His posture was firm, his mana was steady. "I'm ready." Christian declared. And following him¡ª "I'm ready too." Raye muttered, fixing the hold on his swords. Raye cracked his neck, his body was relaxed. His eyes gleamed with anticipation. And hearing both their answers¡ª "THEN START!!!" Charles suddenly announced that! The sound of his voice signaled the start of the match! And in that instant¡ª BAM! FWOOSH¡ª! Raye moved first! His figure shot forward, his speed explosive! The ground beneath him cracked, dust erupting in his wake! His movement was direct, aggressive. He was aiming straight for Christian! The crowd gasped! "He's charging in!" "Is he crazy? Christian's got the reach advantage!" Christian's eyes narrowed. His stance remained firm. And then¡ª Swoosh¡ª! He reacted swiftly, his spear slicing through the air with incredible precision! He took full advantage of his weapon's length, aiming to intercept Raye's approach! A quick thrust forward¡ª The spear's blade shimmered, its mana-infused edge deadly! But¡ª Fwish¡ª! Raye's body shifted mid-dash, his movements agile! He twisted his body, narrowly avoiding the spear's tip! The wind howled as the blade missed his face by a hair's breadth! But Raye didn't stop! His momentum carried him forward, closing the distance between them! His hand tightened around his sword's hilt. And then¡ª SWISH¡ª! He unleashed a horizontal slash with his right! Swoosh- [Nyx] cut through the air with speed and precision! Mana surged along its edge, creating a faint, dark trail behind it! The black mana-enhanced slash shot towards Christian's torso! And seeing that¡ª CLANG¡ª! Christian reacted with lightning speed! He spun his spear, deflecting the attack with its shaft! The force behind Raye's strike reverberated through his arms, but Christian's stance remained unshaken. Their weapons clashed, sparks flying from the impact! The shockwave was felt across the arena, sending dust and debris scattering! The audience felt it, the intensity of their collision. The sheer power behind their attacks! Neither of them backed down. Raye's eyes slightly shone with excitement. Christian's expression grew serious, his stance firm. Their mana clashed, the tension between them escalating. Raye's lips curled into a grin. Christian's gaze hardened. And in that moment¡ª They both knew. This was just the beginning. Chapter 143 143 - The Battle of Elites [6]—A Beautiful Swing Raye and Christian's weapons clashed with a deafening roar¡ª TINGG¡ª!!! Sparks erupted from the collision, lighting the fierce expressions on their faces. Fwoosh~ Christian's spear danced with precision, each thrust calculated, each movement fluid. His eyes were sharp, tracking Raye's every motion, waiting for an opening. But¡ª FWISH¡ª Raye was faster. His body twisted, narrowly avoiding another deadly thrust. His agility was unmatched, his footwork flawless. He moved like the wind, swift and unpredictable! 'Ugh, he's annoying...' Christian thought with a small frown. And just then¡ª SWOOSH¡ª! Raye retaliated with a rapid horizontal slash using [Nyx]! His black sword cut through the air with blinding speed! Christian's eyes widened¡ª THUNK¡ª!! He spun his spear, deflecting the attack just in time. He felt the impact of Raye's attack through his arms again, still, his form remained firm! "...Tch." Christian clicked his tongue, his grip tightening. 'He's faster when you faced him personally.' He wasn't expecting Raye to be this fast. But Christian wouldn't back down. His eyes grew colder, his resolve hardening. And then¡ª Fwip- FWISH¡ª Christian's body moved with precision, his spear striking once more! SHING¡ª! The blade of his spear shimmered with a green mana surrounding it, cutting through the space between them! Its reach was long and its speed was deadly. "...!" Raye was caught off guard by it! But¡ª FWISH¡ª TANGG¡ª!! He deflected it with [Celestria], his white sword glowing with mana too! His movements were smooth, effortlessly redirecting the attack! Christian's forehead wrinkled. 'He's good... Too good.' He said in his head with a frown. And at that moment¡ª FWOOSH¡ª! Raye started attacking relentlessly! FWISH¡ª SWOOSH¡ª WHOOSH¡ª Each of his swings was faster than the last! But Christian... TING¡ª CLANG¡ª TANGG¡ª!! He was blocking and deflecting every attack that was thrown at him! The sound of metal clashing against metal echoed across the arena. Sparks flew, mana collided. Their battle was fierce, intense. But neither of them backed down. TING¡ª! "Hah...!" Raye's eyes gleamed with excitement. His blood was boiling, his heart racing. Facing an opponent this strong... It was exhilarating for him! And just then¡ª SWOOSH¡ª! Christian found his chance. A single opening in Raye's barrage of strikes! His eyes focused, his body moved instinctively. And with precision¡ª FWOOSH¡ª! Christian drove his spear forward, aiming for Raye's heart! The blade of his weapon shot towards Raye like a lightning bolt! It was fast. Too fast¡ª! But¡ª TINGGG¡ª!!! Raye responded by twisting his body and deflecting it with [Celestria]! "Urgh...!" Shhhk¡ª! The spear skidded off his sword, narrowly missing him! Raye thought that he had done well deflecting such attack... But Christian wasn't done just yet! Swish- Enjoy new stories from My Virtual Library Empire His movements flowed like water, transitioning seamlessly. He spun his spear around¡ª SWOOSH¡ª! Then performed a horizontal slash aimed at Raye's neck! It was another terrifyingly fast attack! And sensing it come¡ª FWIP¡ª! Raye instinctively ducked, the blade slicing through the air above him! His reflexes were now really inhuman. "...!" Even Raye himself was surprised he dodged that attack just now. But recomposing himself¡ª SWISH¡ª! He countered with an upward slash from [Nyx]! The black sword surged with mana. Christian's eyes widened¡ª CLANG¡ª! He barely blocked it with the bottom part of his spear! The force behind Raye's attack was immense. The impact rattled Christian's bones, his stance faltered a little now... But his eyes remained sharp! And then, this time¡ª FWOOSH¡ª! It was Christian who unleashed a barrage of attacks, his spear dancing with incredible speed! FWISH¡ª His strikes were precise, aimed at Raye's vital points! 'The left!' FWOOSH¡ª He was meticulous, observant. Always aiming for the counter. And Raye¡ª "Keuk...!" 'Fuck this!' He was struggling to dodge the attacks! Slash- Fwish- Small cuts started appearing all over his body, his uniform was slowly getting torn. Ting¡ª Raye deflected some of the attacks, his swords moving like the extensions of his body. His footwork was light, his movements elegant. WHOOSH¡ª! Charles was planted on his place, thrusting and slashing his spear. Bam! FWISH¡ª "Ugh...!" While Raye was all around, dodging and deflecting attacks! He was slowly getting used to Christian's style and speed. And then, after a few moment¡ª Bam! Raye jumped back! FWOOOOM¡ª! Then a burst of mana suddenly surged from his body! It was powerful, overwhelming! Christian's eyes widened in shock. 'What is this¡ª!?' He instinctively paused for a second and asked that question in his head. And then he saw it¡ª [Celestria] was glowing. Its elegant white blade shone with mana¡ª Swoosh~ Then it started changing its shape! Raye's mana flowed into it, molding it to his will. And in just a second¡ª FWOOM¡ª! The sword transformed. It became a beautiful white gauntlet, encasing Raye's left hand! It intricate patterns adorned its surface. It radiated power, gleaming under the arena's lights. "..." Christian's breath caught in his throat. 'What is that...?!' He asked. But he didn't have time to think. Raye's eyes narrowed¡ª "[Flash]" And then he muttered that! FWOOOSH¡ª! Raye's figure became a blur and he disappeared from everyone's sight! And seeing that¡ª '?!' "Gotcha!" sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Christian shouted that! Hie instincts screamed! And reacting purely on reflex¡ª FWOOSH¡ª! He thrust his spear forward, aiming for Raye's head! The blade shot in front of him, faster than before! It was a killing blow! And then¡ª Fwish- "...!" Raye suddenly reappeared in front of Christian's spear, he was surprised to see a blade in front of his face! 'You can only travel straight when you use that skill, right?!' Christian asked in his head with a craze smile, seeing Raye's face about to get stabbed! But then¡ª Fwish¡ª TANKK¡ª! The spear was suddenly caught by something. Christian's eyes widened¡ª 'No way...!' His gaze followed the path of his spear... And there it was¡ª Raye's left hand. Encased in the beautiful white gauntlet, its intricate patterns glowing with mana. His fingers were wrapped around the body of the spear, holding it in place! "..." Christian's mouth fell open. His eyes trembled. And as he was in his stupor¡ª "You're too slow." He heard Raye's calm voice. "...!" It sent shivers down Christian's spine! And before he could even say anything¡ª SWOOSH¡ª! Raye swung [Nyx]! The black sword sliced through the air. It was beautiful. "Gurgh!" Fwip¡ª Christian desperately raised his left arm to shield his head. He even covered it with mana. But at that moment¡ª "[Blaze]" Raye mumbled that mid-swing! SWAAAAA¡ª A raging fire covered his sword! And with a clean, precise swing¡ª SLASH¡ª!! Raye cut through Christian's left arm and neck! "...?!" Christian's vision blurred. His body felt weightless. His head... It was flying. Time seemed to slow. He could see his own body below him, blood gushing from his neck. The crowd's faces were frozen in shock. Raye stood there, his posture relaxed. His swords gleamed under the light. And then¡ª Christian's vision faded. Darkness enveloped him. THUD¡ª! And his head hit the ground. Chapter 144 144 - The Battle of Elites [7]—A Sudden Quest The whole area went silent again as another head, cut off by Raye, hit the floor. They couldn't dare to utter a word. Everyone was looking at Christian's unmoving body on the floor. And then, soon enough¡ª Fwoosh~ Christian's head and body started disintegrating. Particles of light danced around his remains, vanishing into the air. And just like what happened to Ace¡ª Fwish- Thud! "Ugh...?!" He was thrown out of the arena, falling butt-first just inches away from the sulking Ace! Christian looked up at the arena. And there¡ª He saw Raye. But Raye wasn't looking at him. His gaze was fixed on Charles. Cold and unwavering. And at that moment¡ª "Winner, Raye!" Charles loudly announced it. His voice echoed throughout the arena. And for the second time¡ª "WHOOOAAAAHH!!!" "YOU'RE SO COOL, RAYE!!!" "LET ME GIVE YOU A KISS!!!" "My ears are still fine because of my earplugs, heh." Cheers for Raye erupted from the crowd again! Their excitement was palpable, their voices deafening. Though... "Tch¡ª!" The students and competitors from the other academies weren't happy, obviously. They were all glaring at Raye with hatred in their eyes. Their faces twisted in anger, jealousy burning in their gazes. Raye was just ignoring them. Their animosity meant nothing to him. Anyway, just then... "Tsk." Rickrey left the training grounds, frustrated. (Devin's opponent in the finals of the tournament before.) His shoulders were tense, his fists clenched. And with a frown on his face¡ª "Guess I'll go with his plan then." He mumbled that and started walking away, avoiding everyone's eyes. His figure disappeared into the distance, his mind clouded with thoughts. ***** Meanwhile... In the audience¡ª "...!" Elias' eyes were wide with shock. His mouth was slightly agape, his mind struggling to process what he had just witnessed in the last part of the duel. "That... That was the second stage of aura, wasn't it...?" He muttered under his breath, his voice trembling. He was talking about Raye's skill, [Blaze]. The second stage of aura is simply called [Elemental Aura]. It enhances the weapon's power much greater than early-stage auras. And depending on your aura's element, fighting certain opponents could either give you an advantage or a disadvantage... But¡ª "No... That wasn't it..." Elias's brows furrowed as he concluded. "Aura doesn't use mana... But the skill Raye just used... It was surging with mana..." He added. His heart was pounding, a deep frown appearing on his face. 'What was that...?' Elias asked in his head. Then¡ª Fwish- Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. His attention went back to Raye. And, opening his mouth slightly... "Is that really Raye...?" He asked. ***** On the other hand... In his office¡ª Lucian watched the fight through a holographic projection. His arms were crossed, his eyes sharp. He observed everything in silence. And then¡ª "Hmm..." He tilted his head, a curious smile forming on his lips. "Did he hit his head and change personality and stuff?" His voice was light, playful even. But his eyes were serious. His gaze was focused on Raye. Everything he knew about him... It wasn't the same as before. Raye was nothing like this just months ago. 'It was as if he was a completely different person.' Lucian thought. "Well... It's interesting..." Then he just leaned back in his chair, a glint of amusement in his eyes. "And that skill... Was it [Blaze]? That's pretty good. It could rival aura." His smile widened. "Did he make that himself? That's something you don't see every day." Lucian's fingers tapped rhythmically on his armrest. His mind was now fixated on Raye. "Just what are you hiding, Raye...?" His voice was soft, almost a whisper. His curiosity was now burning. And as the magic hologram continued to show Raye standing victoriously in the arena¡ª Lucian's smile deepened. "I wonder if we'll ever meet again..." He mumbled under his breath. ***** (Raye's POV) "Huff... haaaaa..." I let out a heavy sigh as exhaustion caught up to me. I'm kind of feeling sleepy now. 'I bet my face looks so serious right now. I'm tired as fuck.' I thought. Anyway... I glanced down at the arena. And there¡ª I saw the students from the other academies, frowning at me. 'Uwahh, they really hate me, huh.' I immediately turned my head away from them. I also caught a glimpse of Ace and the others, but I just ignored them. And looking on the other side... "Raye, win this thing!" "You're so amazing!" "WAAAAHHH!!!" I saw my schoolmates cheering for me. I even saw Jerusha and the others shouting something at me. I could hear them, but I couldn't understand their words. They were being drowned out by the noise in the crowd. And then¡ª I saw Allen and Leon not far from the others. The two of them were looking at me with complicated expressions on their faces. And I think I know why... They want to win this tournament, of course. So they were cheering for me. But they were having conflicted feelings now about the fact that I took out half of the elite four. "I bet they trained hard for this event. My bad, really..." I mumbled before looking away from them. 'Don't worry, guys. I'm done showing off now.' I said in my head, feeling happy. My plan was to attract the attention of everyone in the tournament to gain fame and secure my future success. And there's no easier way to do that than by defeating two of the elite four. Still... "My body feels light. I feel a lot stronger." I didn't expect this to be this easy. Moving on¡ª I decided not to think about that for now. I was planning to step down from the arena and stop fighting. The fatigue and lack of mana were already making my body feel heavy. "I did more than enough. I can stop now." I mumbled to myself. I left Elias alone because he's for Leon¡ªthe protagonist¡ªto fight. In the game's story, Leon defeated Elias, and that's what got him connected to the Alvah Dukedom, other than through Raye. And so¡ª "What's your plan now?" When Charles asked me that, I opened my mouth and was about to tell him that I'd stop here. But before I could even let out a sound¡ª Fwoosh- A bluish holographic system window appeared in front of my face. "...?" I was surprised by its sudden appearance. This rarely happens. I read what was written on the system window. And upon reading it... "Bruh." I muttered that in disbelief. ===== Sudden Quest: Blood versus Blood Condition: Fight and win against your biological brother¡ªElias Alvah! Rewards: +5 points to all stats ===== The system was telling me to fight again! I became silent, thinking to myself. Charles was just standing in front of me, waiting for my response. 'I'm already tired, and if I accept this, I'll actively change the flow of the game story.' I thought. But still¡ª The reward looked good as fuck! And so, after a slight pause¡ª 'Fuck it.' "I will continue fighting." I declared that! And hearing my words... "WHOOAAAAAA!!!" "WAAAAAHHHH!!!" "RAAAAAAAHHH!!!" "GAH?! SOMEONE BUMPED INTO ME AND MY EARPLUGS FELL! I CAN'T FIND THEM!!!" The crowd went wild again. ***** "That's enough." Charles silenced the crowd, his authoritative voice cutting through the deafening cheers. "..." And after that... Fwish¡ª He turned back to Raye. "Who do you want to be your next opponent?" Charles asked. And without hesitation¡ª Fwip¡ª Raye moved. His hands lifted. His fingers pointed. Then, with a calm expression on his face¡ª "I challenge Alvah." Raye declared that, pointing directly at Elias! And hearing his words¡ª "WHOOOOAAAAHHH!!!" "WHAT?!!" "IT'S BLOOD AGAINST BLOOD!" "DUDE, THIS IS INSANE!" "BROTHERS FIGHTING EACH OTHER?! IS THIS A DRAMA NOW?!" "ACK! MY EARS!!!" The crowd erupted once more, their voices colliding in chaotic excitement. Some were thrilled. Some were confused. But all of them knew¡ª This was no ordinary match. On the other hand¡ª "..." Elias was speechless. He blinked. Stay updated through My Virtual Library Empire His mind struggled to keep up with what had just happened. Raye... was challenging him? His own brother? The one that couldn't even properly look at him in the eyes before? "..." He couldn't believe it. His body tensed, confusion washing over him. But when he snapped out of his stupor¡ª His gaze locked onto Raye. Raye was looking down at him. Cold eyes. Unwavering. It was as if he was nothing more than an obstacle for him. And seeing that¡ª Clench¡ª Elias clenched his fists. His heartbeat pounded in his ears. Then, immediately¡ª Fwip¡ª He stood up. And with a deep breath¡ª "I accept the challenge." He said that. His voice was low, steady. But his mind was racing. This wasn't just any duel. Raye wasn't just looking for a fight. He was making a statement. But why? 'Is he trying to prove something?' Elias asked himself. But whatever it was... 'I'm not just going to back down.' He declared in his head, his determination settling in. Fwoosh~ The atmosphere shifted. The air felt heavier. The crowd, once loud, fell into murmurs. All eyes were on them now. The tension crackled like electricity. A fight between blood¡ª A battle between brothers¡ª It was about to begin. Chapter 145 145 - The Battle of Elites [8]—A Fight Between Brothers "..." Elias stood a few meters away from Raye, holding the golden handle of his longsword with both hands. "..." Raye just stared at him, [Nyx] on his right and [Celestria] on his left¡ªit was in its sword form. "It's starting..." "I'm excited." "Uwahhh, finally, silence... My ears..." Murmurs from the crowd erupted as the two faced off. Anticipation filled everyone's bodies as they grew excited about what was about to come... Elias wasn't the strongest of the Elite Four. And Raye had already defeated Ace and Christian¡ªthe arguably strongest of them. So, the result was already set, right? No, it wasn't... 'Ugh... My body aches.' Raye's condition wasn't good. His body felt heavy from being low on mana and stamina. His breathing was already rough¡ªhe was just making sure nobody heard it. Everyone knew this. That's why no one can be a hundred percent sure of the outcome. After all, Elias is also a member of the [Elite Four] from the other academies. And so, after calculating a bit¡ª 'I should finish this quickly.' Raye declared that in his head. He was sure that he would lose if the battle dragged on. So after deciding that¡ª Fwip¡ª Raye tightened his grip on his swords. And just then... "You're already tired. I'll put you to rest." Fwish¡ª Elias said that, taking a stance. "..." Raye just looked at him without changing expression. Then, crouching down and preparing to kick off the ground¡ª "Try it if you can." He said that in a monotone voice, a small smirk resting on his face. "..." Elias frowned at his words. And at that moment¡ª "START!" Charles exclaimed, starting the match! And as soon as they heard his voice¡ª BAM!! FWOOSH¡ª Elias and Raye immediately dashed toward each other! CLANG¡ª!! Their swords clashed mid-air, in the middle of the arena, sending sparks flying! Fwip¡ª Elias twisted his wrists, seamlessly flowing into a second strike. 'Oh no you don't.' Fwish¡ª But Raye reacted instantly¡ªtwisting his body to the right and barely dodging the blade by a hair's breadth! TINGG-! TANGK¡ª! SWISH¡ª Elias pressed forward, his swordplay like a flowing river, each movement chaining into the next without pause. His cold blade cut through the air in a smooth, relentless assault... But Raye was fast... Too fast. WHOOSH¡ª He ducked under a horizontal slash, moving to the side before Elias could fully recover his balance. And in that split second¡ª SWOOSH¡ª Raye's [Nyx] slashed forward, aiming for Elias' left leg! Seeing that¡ª Fwip- Elias immediately turned his sword upsidedown¡ª TINGGK¡ª!! Deflecting the attack with a sharp metallic ring! But in doing so¡ª Shhhhk¡ª! He slid back! The force behind Raye's attack sent him back by a few inches! "..." Elias just glared at Raye, not taking his attention away from him. And looking back at him... 'Tch¡­ I thought I got him there.' Raye thought, tightening his grip on his weapons. He wasn't used to fighting someone with such fluid swordplay. 'That's the Alvah swordsmanship, right? No wonder they're a reputable swordsman family.' Raye thought, his brows furrowing. Each of Elias's movements¡ªprecise, disciplined, and efficient¡ªcarried the weight of generations of refined technique. On the other hand... Elias smirked. 'He's distracted. Now!' He exclaimed in his head. Then¡ª BAM! He kicked off the ground, the force cracking against the arena floor. And in a split second¡ª FWISH¡ª He closed the gap, his sword blurring as he unleashed a lightning-fast combo! SWOOSH¡ª An upward slash! FWISH¡ª A diagonal cut! And lastly¡ª FWOOSH¡ª! A spinning strike that curved unpredictably! His blade cut through the air with deadly speed, each movement fluid, seamless¡ªrelentless. But¡ª SWOOSH¡ª Raye twisted his body to the side, just barely avoiding the first strike! FWISH¡ª He bent backward, feeling the wind of the diagonal slash narrowly missing his face! Then¡ª He dropped low. Fwip¡ª His feet skidded across the ground as he shifted under Elias's spinning strike, his eyes sharp, calculating. He successfully avoided the three attacks! But suddenly¡ª TAAANGK¡ª! A direct hit! Elias followed up with a fourth move in his combo! It was a downward vertical slash! "Urgh?!" Raye managed to block it just in time by crossing his swords, but the sheer force sent a violent tremor up his arms. 'Damn it...' His muscles tensed, his grip tightening around his weapons. He was ready to attack back! But before Raye could even launch a counter¡ª Elias suddenly changed the tempo. And with a sharp pivot¡ª FWIP¡ª He pulled his sword back¡ª FWOOSH! And lunged forward! A sudden thrust aimed straight for Raye's chest! Fast. Precise. Ruthless. But¡ª "..." Raye saw it. And at the very last second¡ª He twisted his torso back to the left! Fwish¡ª! Elias' blade grazed past his ribs, the cold steel slicing through the air instead of flesh. Then¡ª Bam! Raye leaped back, flipping backward and landing gracefully on his feet a few meters away! "That was a close one." Raye mumbled, straightening his stance with a frown on his face. But not letting him rest or get away¡ª FWOOSH¡ª Elias disappeared from where he stood! Fwish- And he reappeared in front of Raye! Experience tales at My Virtual Library Empire 'He's this fast?!' Raye was surprised. And before he knew it¡ª FWOOSH-! Elias launched another fast thrust! SWISH~ Raye spun backward to the right, barely avoiding a fatal hit¡ª Slash- But the blade still grazed his right side! Red blood appeared on Raye's clean white uniform coat. The crowd gasped. Elias' smirk deepened. And with a sly smile on his face¡ª "Slowing down, are we?" He taunted. "Fuuuu..." Raye exhaled sharply, ignoring Elias' provocation. And after that¡ª 'No choice.' Fwip- He clenched his swords. Then¡ª BOOM! Mana surged through his body! And opening his mouth¡ª "[Flash]" Raye activated his skill! Fwish¡ª His figure blurred, vanishing from sight! Elias's eyes widened¡ª He expected the skill, but he didn't expect it to be this fast in person! WHOOSH! Raye reappeared behind him in an instant, his [Celestria] already swinging down! "...?!" CLANG!!! Elias barely managed to turn and block, the sheer force of Raye's speed-enhanced attack sending a shockwave through the arena! S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. 'Fast¡­ but not enough.' Elias declared inwardly. Fwoosh~ Then his sword glowed as golden energy enveloped it¡ªit was Weapon Aura! BOOM! A massive force erupted from Elias' blade. "...?!" Shhhhk! Raye was slightly pushed backward despite his defensive stance. The ground beneath them cracked. 'His aura is something else, huh.' Raye thought. Swip- His grip tightened again as he channeled more mana into his swords. And at that moment¡ª Elias stepped forward. Raye's eyes sharpened. And¡ª FWOOSH¡ª!!! They vanished at the same time. The crowd held their breath. Then¡ª BOOOOOM¡ª!!! A deafening shockwave tore through the arena. Sparks of energy crackled around his blades as he met Elias's weapon aura head-on. TINGG-! CLANG! TANGGK¡ª! Their swords met in a blinding barrage of attacks¡ªeach strike sending shockwaves through the battlefield. Swoosh- swish¡ª Raye weaved through Elias's precise, fluid combos, countering with blinding speed. "...!" But Elias remained composed, using his aura to extend the reach of his sword and suppress Raye's movements. "Your speed is commendable, but it's not enough!" Elias muttered, his golden aura flaring even brighter. "Tch¡ª" '[Flash]' Then Raye suddenly vanished again¡ª And the next thing everyone knew... SCHWING! His sword slashed at Elias from the left with [Celestria]¡ª CLANG! Blocked! "Keuk...?!" Elias was able to block it. Then instantly, Raye flickered again¡ª "[Flash!]" SCHING! A strike from the right! TINGG¡ª! Blocked again! "Tsk!" Raye clicked his tongue, his mana running low from consecutive [Flash] activations. "Hah!" Elias smiled mischievously. FWAAAAA~ His golden aura intensified as he raised his sword overhead. And then¡ª "Here's your rest!" SWOOOSH¡ª!!! His sword came crashing down, golden energy surging toward Raye in a wave of destruction! A simple, downward vertical slash¡ª BOOM!!! Dust and debris erupted into the air as the attack landed. Swooooosh~ "..." Silence. Nobody in the crowd said a word, they were waiting for the dust cloud to disappear. Then¡ª FWOOOSH¡ª A transparent white light flickered through the smoke! And when the dust settled¡ª "..." They saw Raye standing tall, his entire body radiating intense mana output! His swords crackled with raw energy, fighting off Elias's aura with sheer force. Raye smirked. "This fight's just getting started." He said. And opening his mouth again¡ª "[Blaze]" He muttered! SWAAAAAA¡ª A violent raging fire engulfed [Celestria] and [Nyx]! Bam- Elias jumped back when he saw that. FWOOSH¡ª! His gaze locked onto Raye's blades, now wreathed in fierce, flickering flames. 'So he's finally using it again.' He said in his head, landing softly on the ground and readjusting his grip on his sword. Then¡ª FWAAAAAAAA¡ª! Elias' golden aura started surging in response! FWOOOOOOOSH¡ª Raye and Elias stood motionless, locked in a silent standoff. Their eyes sharp. Bodies tense. "..." Neither spoke. Neither moved. "..." The arena, once filled with murmurs, fell into eerie silence. The fight had just begun not long ago... But everyone can instinctively tell that the end was near. Swoosh~ Seconds stretched into minutes. Then, after a few moments of silence¡ª BAM! FWISH¡ª Raye and Elias vanished from their places! And suddenly¡ª BOOOOM¡ª!! They collided once more¡ªflames and golden energy erupting as their blades clashed mid-air! "..." Raye's eyes met with Elias'. And while they were looking at each other¡ª "I thought you were going to put me to rest? I'm waiting." Raye asked that slyly! And responding to him¡ª "Your tongue is as sharp as your weapons, huh." Elias muttered that with a frown on his face! Then, with that¡ª TIINGG¡ª!!! They started clashing swords again! Chapter 146 146 - The Battle of Elites [9]—The Deciding Clash! BOOOOM¡ª!!! Flames and golden energy clashed violently, the sheer force shaking the entire arena. TANGG¡ª! TINGG¡ª! SWISH¡ª! Raye and Elias' swords met again and again, neither side giving an inch. Sparks flew, the heat of Raye's flames colliding against the overwhelming power of Elias's golden aura. FWOOSH¡ª Elias launched a thrust, holding his sword with both hands, aiming at Raye's heart. TIINNK¡ª! Raye deflected it upward with [Nyx]. Fwish¡ª The blade of Elias' sword brushed past the left side of his face. "..." But Raye didn't flinch or even showed any fear. His eyes remained focused on Elias. And instead¡ª SLASH¡ª He swung [Celestria] diagonally upward, trying to cut off Elias' right arm! "?!" Elias realized what Raye was planning to do. "Urgh...!" He forcefully twisted his body to the left, and in doing so¡ª Fwoosh¡ª Raye hit nothing but the air. Then, as his sword was beside Raye's face¡ª Swish¡ª Elias followed a quick horizontal slash! "Ugh!" Fwip¡ª Raye crouched down as a response. And from there, with his [Nyx] that is engulfed in flame¡ª SWOOSH¡ª Raye heavily slashed horizontally toward Elias' waist, he was trying to cut him in half! Though... TINGG¡ª! Elias' hands flowed smoothly, he immediately moved his sword down and blocked Raye's attack! "Keuk...!" He groaned as the force behind the attack transferred to his arms. 'Ugh, he can still keep up?' Raye thought, his brows furrowing. Elias's defense was airtight, his movements too precise, too refined. Every attack Raye threw at him was met with a perfectly timed counter. But¡ª "[Flash]" Swish¡ª! Raye vanished once more! SCHWING¡ª! Then a flaming arc cut through the air, targeting Elias's exposed right side of the body! "...!" Elias was shocked seeing that, but immediately responding¡ª FWOOOSH¡ª! Golden aura exploded from his body, creating a powerful shockwave that pushed Raye back before he could land a clean hit! "Tch¡ª!" Raye skidded across the ground, flames flickering wildly around him. And before he could stabilize¡ª FWOOSH¡ª! Elias closed the distance in an instant, his sword glowing even brighter. And opening his mouth¡ª "I admit that I would've lost if you were in your perfect condition." He muttered. SWOOOSH¡ª And then he swung down his longsword! BOOOOM¡ª!!! "GARGH...!?" Raye barely managed to cross his blades in time, blocking the devastating strike¡ª But¡ª CRACK¡ª! The sheer force cracked the ground beneath him! 'Damn it¡­ I'm losing strength!' Raye gritted his teeth, his arms trembling from the impact. He had to move. Now! FWIP¡ª He twisted his body to the side, slipping out of Elias's pressure range¡ª Then¡ª FWOOSH¡ª!!! Raye intensified the mana he's using on his skill, [Blaze]! SWAAAAAAAAHH¡ª! A massive burst of flames erupted from his swords, engulfing the space between him and Elias! WHOOSH¡ª! Elias jumped back, his golden aura flaring to shield him from the scorching heat. Tap- And when they recovered their proper stance¡ª "..." The two of them locked eyes again. Both of them are breathing heavily. Both are also refusing to fall. "¡­Still standing?" Elias muttered, rolling his shoulders. And with a shrug... "As you can see, you're not strong enough to make me lie down." Raye replied to him. Elias got annoyed by his words, he decided to shut up for now. Then, after a while of staring at each other... FWOOOSH¡ª!!! They both vanished. TIIIIINGG¡ª!!! A deafening impact shook the arena as they clashed once more. TANGG¡ª! TINGG¡ª! SWOOSH¡ª! Blow after blow, faster and faster, their weapons became blurs of light and fire. And then¡ª FWIP¡ª Raye suddenly dropped low, spinning on his heel¡ª FWOOSH¡ª!!! A sweeping strike aimed at Elias's legs! But¡ª Bam-! Elias leapt over it effortlessly, flipping mid-air¡ª And with a flick of his wrist¡ª FWAAAA¡ª!!! A golden energy slash tore through the ground below! BOOOOM¡ª!!! The attack exploded upon impact, sending debris flying everywhere! Raye barely dodged in time, flipping backward and landing a few meters away. "Huff... Haaaaa..." His breathing was a lot heavier and rough now. His mana reserves were nearing empty. '¡­ I need to finish this now¡­' Raye thought. He had to end it. His condition was just running worse. And after seeing Raye like that¡ª "¡­I see." Elias mumbled, his eyes narrowed. "You're running out of gas." He said, looking at Raye. Then, smiling¡ª FWOOOOOO¡ª!!! His golden aura intensified, wrapping around his entire body like a raging storm. "I can still go on." Elias confidently declared. "..." Raye just ignored him. Fwip- Instead, he fixed the hold on his weapons. And just then¡ª BAM¡ª!!! Elias dashed forward, his sword cutting through the air like a golden comet! Tap¡ª Raye planted his right foot forward. And violently twisting his body¡ª SWOOOSH¡ª!!! He slashed both his swords horizontally, from his right to left! Raye decided to meet Elias' attack head-on! BOOOM¡ª!!! Flames and aura exploded when their weapons clashed! "Urgh?!" "Gakk...?!" Raye and Elias groaned in pain, their arms tingled. But ignoring that¡ª TANGG¡ª! TINGG¡ª! CLANG¡ª! They just started clashing again! A flurry of blows. Each one faster, sharper, deadlier than the last. Raye twisted¡ªstruck¡ªvanished¡ªreappeared¡ªattacked again. Elias countered¡ªblocked¡ªparried¡ªresponded with brutal precision. Neither gave in. TANG¡ª! "Gugh...!" Raye just blocked a heavy downward slash from Elias with [Celestria]. Fwish¡ª!! "Ughh... Fuck!" Elias just dodged Raye's counter thrust with [Nyx], it was aimed at his head. A small cut appeared on his cheek. Neither of them backed down. And then¡ª FWOOOSH¡ª!!! They both struck at the same time¡ª BOOOOOOM¡ª!!! A massive shockwave erupted, sending them flying to opposite sides of the arena! "Ugh?!" "Keuk?!" Raye and Elias skidded across the ground. Dust and smoke filled the arena platform. And when it cleared¡ª "..." "..." Both of them were still standing. Panting. Bleeding. Though, Raye was barely able to move. The flames on his swords were flickering, weak¡ªone could literally blow them out right now! Tap¡ª Elias took a step forward. Tap¡ª Raye did the same. One last attack. One final strike to decide it all. They locked eyes¡ª And then¡ª BAAM¡ª!!! They charged at each other. A golden streak. A fiery blur. And the moment their swords met¡ª BOOOOM¡ª!!! The entire arena trembled. And then¡ª "..." Swoosh~ Silence. "¡­!!" The crowd held their breath. The outcome was decided. Who had won? Who had fallen? The dust began to settle. And after a while¡ª "..." They saw Raye! S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The flames on his swords had completely disappeared! Both his arms were hanging down¡ªhe was barely holding onto his weapons! Spish¡ª Blood gushed from his nose, ears, and mouth! And soon enough¡ª "..." It started dripping from his eyes too, staining his face red! Right now, Raye looked like he was crying blood. And as that was happening¡ª "..." They saw Elias! He was standing a meter behind Raye. Motionless. His posture frozen in place¡ªhis stance looked like he had just finished a slash! His eyes are fierce, his expression intense. "..." Elias was gripping his longsword tightly with both hands. Everyone thought Elias had won. After all, just look at Raye¡ªhis flames were gone, his arms were down, and blood was dripping from his face like he was crying in crimson. How could he still stand? There was no way he had won. And yet, as the students Zion were feeling a bit of despair because of that¡ª "Shit..." Elias weakly cursed. Then¡ª Thud¡ª His body collapsed forward, hitting the ground hard! "...?!" A pool of blood began forming beneath him. And as the crowd gasped in shock¡ª They saw it. A massive, deep cut ran across Elias' stomach, fresh and gushing with blood! It was from the last exchange against Raye. The final clash had decided it. And the result was clear! "Raye won!" Charles' voice boomed through the arena. "..." Silence. The entire stadium was quiet. No cheers. No claps. Nothing. Everyone was speechless, struggling to process what had just happened. The one who looked like he was moments away from collapsing¡­ Had won. And the one who looked victorious¡­ Had fallen. A battle between two brothers¡ªdecided in a way no one expected. Then¡ª "WOOOOOAAAAHHHHH!!!" "WAAAAHHHHH!!!" The silence broke. The arena erupted! Roars of excitement filled the air. Explore hidden tales at My Virtual Library Empire The crowd screamed, cheered, and chanted Raye's name. "RAYE! RAYE! RAYE!!" "WHAT WAS THAT?!!" "THAT WAS AWESOME!!!" "RAYE YOU SON OF A BITCH, I LOVE YOU!!!" "FUCK MY EARS, THAT WAS INSANE!!! ACK...!" Their voices shook the entire stadium. And Raye¡ª "Haaaaaa..." He let out a tired sigh. Then, ignoring everyone in the crowd... "..." Raye looked at the system window that suddenly appeared in front of him just now. ===== Sudden Quest: Blood versus Blood (Complete) ----- Reward: +5 points to all stats! ===== 'Heh...' A small smile formed on his face after reading that. And slightly opening his mouth¡ª "Status." Raye muttered. Swoosh¡ª Then his status window appeared in front him! "..." Raye looked at it for a few seconds, then, nodding his head¡ª Fwish¡ª He put [Nyx] into his spatial ring. And with a soft glow... Fwoosh¡ª [Celestria] transformed into a staff. And using it as a walking stick¡ª Tap¡ª tap¡ª tap¡ª Raye casually walked away from Elias. 'I want to sleep.' He muttered on his head, his vision hazy. Raye was really exhausted that he feels like passing out at any moment now. Chapter 147 147 - Surprise! "Raye won!" Charles announced after Elias fell to the ground, a pool of blood forming beneath him. And hearing those words¡ª "..." Leon was speechless. He was watching from a different resting booth, not far from Jerusha and the others. "..." Allen, sitting beside him, was also silent. The two of them had just witnessed Raye's fight¡ªfrom the very start, when his opponent was Ace. And now, after seeing Raye emerge victorious from three consecutive battles¡ª "What the fuck..." Leon couldn't help but curse. He was in shock. "That guy is insane..." Allen muttered, his eyes fixed on Raye standing in the arena. Leon completely agreed with his words just now. And then¡ª They replayed the final exchange in their minds. They saw it. The moment everything was decided. FWOOSH¡ª! Raye and Elias kicked off the ground at the same time, dashing toward each other with all their remaining strength¡ª One final clash. One last strike to end it all. And when they entered each other's range¡ª FWOOSH¡ª! Both swords swung. Elias brought his longsword down in a devastating vertical slash, putting everything into the strike. While Raye swung [Nyx] horizontally, from right to left, aiming to cut through Elias. And at that moment... Leon and Allen saw it¡ª Elias' attack was going to land first! His sword was descending too fast. Raye was just too tired, his swing was too slow. It was over¡ª Or so they thought¡ª TINGK¡ª!!! A sharp metallic ring echoed through the air at that moment. Raye had blocked it! With [Celestria] in his left hand, he caught Elias' powerful strike just inches from his head! Shhhick¡ª The blade of Elias' longsword then slid across the smooth, polished surface of Raye's white sword, deflecting it off-course! Elias's face twisted in shock. His attack had missed. And in that exact moment¡ª BAM¡ª! Raye lunged forward. He didn't hesitate. He didn't waste a single second. And with [Nyx]¡ª SLASH¡ª! A clean, deep cut opened across Elias's stomach. And the next thing they knew¡ª Elias was on the ground, defeated. Neither of Leon and Allen could believe what they had just seen. It was absurd. It was ridiculous. It was¡ª "Fucking insane..." Leon muttered, his heart still racing. Allen just nodded, still too shocked to speak. They wanted to fight too¡ªnot the [Elite Four], but Raye! They looked up at the arena again. And there¡ª Tap¡ª tap¡ª tap¡ª They saw Raye casually walking away, using his elegant white staff as a walking stick. They knew Raye was strong, but not this strong. It had only been a couple of days since they last saw him. But in that short amount of time¡ª "He got stronger again." Leon and Allen had the same thought in unison, their expressions filled with disbelief and admiration. How was he improving so fast? Just how far could he go? They had no answer. And that made them even more eager to fight him. ***** On the other hand... "WAAAAAHHHH!!!" Devin was shouting uncontrollably. Watching Raye's fight had filled him with excitement¡ªhis blood was boiling, his heart racing. He couldn't help but let out a roar, unable to contain the surge of adrenaline coursing through his veins. His entire body was buzzing. His fists clenched and unclenched, his legs restless. He had to move. He had to fight! "...!" Lycus was standing too. His fists were clenched tightly, his knuckles white. He stared at Raye, still standing on the arena, and just like Allen and Leon¡ª 'I want to fight him...' A small smile tugged at his lips. His heart was pounding wildly. His entire body felt electrified. Just then¡ª "He took all the fun. This is basically our win now." Lena declared with a smirk, arms crossed. She looked at Raye again, watching him casually walk away from Elias. 'He's kinda cool up there.' She admitted to herself. Meanwhile¡ª 'I knew he could do it!' Your next journey awaits at My Virtual Library Empire Jerusha clenched her fists in excitement, practically bouncing in place. She was relentless, beaming with happiness at Raye's victory. And as she looked at him again¡ª "He's really cool..." She whispered under her breath, her cheeks turning a rosy shade. And then¡ª "Raye is slowly transitioning into a swordsman, huh?" Sofia muttered, arms folded as she analyzed the fight. "Except for his two skills, [Flash] and [Blaze], he hasn't really used any magic yet." She added, her tone thoughtful. And hearing her words¡ª "...?" Jerusha and the others tilted their heads. She was right. Raye, who was a student in the magic course, had barely used any spells. And realizing that¡ª "Haha..." The group couldn't help but laugh. 'He's really a weirdo.' They thought in unison. ***** Sitting comfortably on a luxurious throne, soft pillows supporting his back and bottom¡­ "Hmm¡­" Lucian smirked as he watched the holographic video floating before him. Displayed on the shimmering screen¡ª Raye. Bloodied. Exhausted. His body on the verge of collapse. And yet¡ª His posture remained steady. His expression unwavering. That confidence. That fire in his eyes. Lucian's smirk deepened. "Heh¡­ He looks confident, huh?" He muttered, resting his chin on his hand. "He's really different from his past self." His voice was calm, but his eyes flickered with something unreadable. Amusement? Interest? ¡­Pride? Lucian himself wasn't sure. But one thing was clear¡ªhe was impressed. 'Why couldn't he be like this when he was still part of the family?' He asked in his head, tapping a finger against the armrest. And then, he let out a soft chuckle. "If he'd been this capable back then, I might not have had to throw him away." A joke¡ªhalf-hearted, yet carrying a truth behind it. Lucian's gaze lingered on Raye's image for a few moments longer. Then, as if just realizing something¡ª "Oh, right. Elias was there too, wasn't he?" He mused absentmindedly. But his eyes never once drifted to the other figure in the video. As if Elias didn't even exist. Lucian didn't really care how good he did, because for him¡ª 'It doesn't change the fact that he lost.' Only the result matter. ***** ... "Ugh...! Shit¡­ My arms hurt¡­" Raye grumbled as he stood in his corner of the arena, rolling his shoulders. His entire body ached. His arms, especially, felt like they were made of lead. Then, shifting his gaze toward the center of the platform¡ª Fwoosh~ He saw it. Elias' body, slowly breaking apart into glowing fragments, fading into the air. And soon enough¡ª FWISH¡ª Thud! "Gah...?!" Elias was sent out of the arena, landing with a dull thud. Unharmed, yet utterly defeated. His breath was heavy, his mind blank. 'I lost¡­ huh¡­' He stared at the ground beneath him, his hands clenched into fists. Then, slowly, he turned his head. And there¡ª "..." "..." He saw them. Ace. Christian. Standing just a few feet away, their arms crossed, their expressions dark. Frustration. Disappointment. He could see it all in their eyes. And feeling that¡ª "Fuck..." Elias let out a low curse. Because he understood. He hated this feeling. The three of them¡ªAce, Christian, and himself¡ªall lost to Raye. It stung. Fwish¡ª Elias pushed himself up, shaking off his exhaustion. Tap- tap- tap¡ª Without a word, he started walking toward Ace and Christian. He wasn't in the mood to talk, but¡ª He'd rather be with them than sit alone with his defeat. As he was walking¡ª He paused. Elias eyes flickered back to the arena. There, standing on top of the platform, Raye remained. His white staff in hand, supporting him. His figure tall. Unshaken. Then, with a determined glint in his eyes¡ª "I'll get my revenge someday." Elias mumbled, clenching his fists. Fwip- Then he turned away. ... ... Meanwhile, back on the arena¡ª Tap¡ª Charles approached Raye, his footsteps light against the stone floor. "So, what do you plan to do next?" He asked. Raye blinked. Then¡ª "Meh." He let out a casual shrug. And opening his mouth¡ª "I'm done now." He declared. Hearing his words. "Okay." Charles nodded, seemingly satisfied with the response. Then, lowering his voice¡ª "Good work. And¡­ sorry about before." He whispered. (Charles was sorry about what he did in chapter 74, when he tried to sabotage and fail Raye in the first part of the physical examination of the class placement re-evaluation.) Moving on¡ª "..." Raye's eyes widened. He hadn't expected that. Especially from someone as strict and uptight as Charles. But after a few seconds of silence¡ª A small smile tugged at his lips. And with that smile¡­ "Thanks. And no problem." Raye replied, his voice light. "..." Charles smiled back at him. And without another word¡ª Fwish- He turned his back to Raye, facing the crowd instead. Then, raising his hand¡ª "Raye has decided to stop fighting!" Charles loudly announced. And at his words¡ª Clap¡ª clap¡ª clap¡ª! The stadium erupted in applause. At first, a few claps here and there. But then¡ª "WOOOOOOHHHH!!!" S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. A wave of cheers followed. "You were so good!" "Raye, you rock!" "You dominated this tournament!" "You defeated the [Elite Four], you're so awesome, Raye!" "I'm glad you're not a scumbag anymore!" Laughter and excitement filled the air. Some students chanted his name. Some just screamed incoherent praises. All of them were acknowledging him. And seeing that¡ª 'I could get used to this.' Raye smirked. It felt... strange. All his life, he was either looked down upon or ignored. But now... People were celebrating him. And he won't lie¡ª It felt good. Really good. With a satisfied sigh, Raye turned. It was time to leave. He took a step toward the stairs¡ª But before he could even lift his foot¡ª PHUCK¡ª!! "Keuk...?!" His entire body jerked. A sharp, unbearable pain exploded in his stomach. It was cold. Too cold. And looking down on it¡ª "W-What... the fuck...?" Raye saw a red hand with sharp black nails that seemed like claws! It was dripping with his blood! It had pierced through his body from behind! "..." The cheers in the arena¡ª Vanished. Silence. And then¡ª "RAYE!!!" Jerusha's scream shattered the air. Chapter 148 148 - The Invasion! [1] "Hah!" Bryan let out a laugh as soon as Raye was declared the winner against Elias. And with a smirk on his face¡ª 'He went beyond my expectations. He's really something else!' He declared that in his head. Then, immediately turning to the staff members from the other academies¡ª "Looks like your students weren't quite up to the task, huh?" Bryan said that. His tone was light, almost casual¡ª But the mockery in his words was clear. "Well, don't feel too bad. Raye just announced that he'll stop fighting now." Bryan added, flashing them a knowing grin. And hearing that¡ª "Tch..." The staff members from the other academies groaned in irritation. They couldn't say anything back. Because no matter how much they hated it¡ª Bryan was right. Raye alone had taken down the [Elite Four]. And that was an undeniable fact. Bryan leaned back in his seat, amused by their frustration. But just then, as he was relaxing his body... FWOOOOOSH¡ª! A wave of pressure suddenly crashed down on the entire arena. "¡ª?!" Bryan's smirk disappeared. His body tensed. And the other staff¡ª "Ugh¡­!" They flinched, eyes widening as chills ran down their spines. This feeling¡ª It wasn't just strong. It was overwhelming. Fwish¡ª Their heads snapped toward the source of it. And there¡ª In the middle of the arena¡ª They saw it. A figure. A noble-looking man with blood-red skin. Large black horns protruding from his forehead. Wings¡ªmassive and dark as the abyss¡ªspreading from his back. And lastly... His right arm¡ª It was pierced straight through Raye's stomach! "¡ª!!!" Bryan's eyes widened in shock when he saw that, a frown appeared on his face. And before he could even say a word¡ª BAM! FWIZZH¡ª! Ramiel dashed off toward tha arena! (The head professor of [S Class].) ***** Meanwhile, in the arena¡ª "!!!?" The students were stunned. Their minds couldn't process what they were seeing. A demon. A High-Rank demon. And Raye¡ª His body was limp. His blood dripped from the demon's claws. No one could breathe. No one could move. And then¡ª "RAYE!!!" Jerusha's scream ripped through the silence. And after that¡ª "A DEMON!!!" "AHHHHHH!!!" Panic exploded. Screams filled the air. Students bolted from their seats, shoving past each other, their fear turning the entire stadium into utter chaos. But¡ª BAM¡ª! Lycus and Devin shot forward, their instincts taking over. "RAYE!!!" They sprinted toward the arena, their eyes blazing. Their bodies moved before their minds could think. "...!" Lena gritted her teeth, her hands flying up¡ª Crackle¡ª! A surge of mana flared around her. She was already chanting a High-Rank spell! "...!" Sofia stood frozen, her hands trembling. Her breath hitched. Her mind screamed at her to move, to act. But¡ª She was paralyzed. Horror filled her face. And not far from them¡ª BAM¡ª! Leon and Allen launched themselves out of their seats. Their bodies blurred, their speed tearing through the ground. SWOOSH¡ª! They were rushing toward the arena¡ª Their weapons are already drawn. And Jerusha¡ª "Gugh...!" FWOOSH¡ª! Winds surged around her as she flew toward the arena, her body moving on pure instinct. Her heart pounded. Her breath was ragged. But none of that mattered. She had to reach him. She had to save Raye¡ª! ***** ... On the other hand¡ª "...?!" Raye's eyes widened in shock as he stared down at the crimson hand protruding from his stomach. The warm, sticky sensation of blood spilling down his body sent a shiver through him. And immediately¡ª 'A demon...?!' Raye concluded that in his head. His mind raced. 'What the hell is happening?! This is way too early... They weren't supposed to appear until the closing ceremony of the competition!' Raye exclaimed in his head. His heart pounded erratically. Something was wrong. Very wrong. "Keuk...!" He coughed up blood, his vision blurring as his strength drained from his body. And then¡ª "You're a strong one, kid. You would've been trouble in the future." A cold, emotionless voice came from behind him. It was the demon. "Urgh...!" Raye gritted his teeth. His body was weak. His mind was hazy. But hearing those words¡ª He felt anger flare in his chest. And then¡ª FWOOSH¡ª! A fist, wreathed in raging red mana, shot past Raye's face¡ªaimed directly at the demon! It was Charles! And seeing that¡ª BAM! The demon swiftly leaped back, dodging the incoming strike with ease. Charles, his expression twisted in fury, landed in front of Raye. His fists were clenched so tightly they trembled. But he didn't waste time. Fwip¡ª With one swift motion, he caught Raye's collapsing body. Enjoy exclusive content from My Virtual Library Empire And then¡ª BAM¡ª! He launched himself away from the demon, carrying Raye to safety. The demon watched with mild amusement. "Oh¡­" A smirk tugged at his lips. "How touching." He mumbled. Tap¡ª Charles landed softly on the ground, crouching as he carefully laid Raye down. His gaze darkened as he looked at the wounded student before him. Ans opening his mouth... "I'm sorry¡­" Charles muttered, frustration lacing his voice. For not stopping it. For not preventing this. For not being fast enough. But Raye¡ª "Heh¡­ It's no problem¡­" Raye weakly chuckled, brushing it off with a smirk. And at that moment¡ª SWISH¡ª! A sudden shift in the air. A blur of red. The demon appeared behind Charles¡ª His claws gleaming, ready to tear through him. He was fast! But¡ª Looking up at the demon¡ª "Too slow, motherfucker..." Raye grinned. And then¡ª BOOOM¡ª!!! A deafening explosion erupted! A shockwave tore through the arena¡ª FWOOSH¡ª! The demon was sent flying back, crashing outside the platform in a burst of rubble and dust! And where he once stood¡ª "I'll handle this." Ramiel appeared. S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Expression cold. Gaze sharp. Then¡ª Tap¡ª "Let me join in." Sariel appeared too. His usual calm demeanor was gone. His jaw clenched. His fury barely restrained. After that... Fwoosh¡ª Charles straightened, stepping beside them. His eyes burned with resolve. "I'll pay them back for hurting one of my students." He declared. And seeing those three¡ª Their strong, unwavering figures standing before him¡ª "...Heh." Raye smiled. And then¡ª Fwish~ His body started disappearing. 'Burn to hell you fucking demon!' Raye shouted in his head. Chapter 149 149 - The Invasion! [2] "Hmm¡­ That was strong." The High-Rank Demon muttered as he slowly stood up, rolling his shoulders. A deep, dark imprint marred his cheek¡ªa lingering trace of Ramiel's devastating punch. "Hmm...?" He tilted his head, touching his face. A faint tingling sensation lingered where the impact landed. Tiny crackles of residual electricity flickered on his skin before fading away. And feeling that¡ª The demon smiled. Excitement flickered in his crimson eyes. And then, looking up at the arena¡ª "..." He saw them. Ramiel. Sariel. Charles. The three professors stood at the edge of the platform, their auras flaring with overwhelming strength. A suffocating force radiated from them, making the air feel heavy. And sensing that¡ª "Hah¡­" The demon smirked, his blood racing with anticipation. Though, at that very moment¡ª FWOOOOOSH¡ª!!! A crushing presence suddenly descended upon the training ground! It was not from the three nor from the demon! "...!" The demon's smirk vanished. His body stiffened. A chill ran down his spine. Fwish¡ª His eyes snapped to the side, his instincts screaming danger. And there¡ª In the special spectator area¡ª "..." He saw him. Bryan. The headmaster of Zion Academy sat comfortably in his seat, one leg crossed over the other. But his gaze¡ª It was locked onto the demon. Cold. Ruthless. Overflowing with murderous intent. And staring back at him... "...He's mine." The demon whispered, his lips curling into a sharp grin. And then¡ª Opening his mouth again¡ª "SPREAD CHAOS!" His voice boomed across the training ground! And at the very next moment¡ª BOOM¡ª! BOOOOM¡ª! BAAAAM¡ª! Explosions erupted all around the place! And from within the rising smoke¡ª -GRRRRRRGH...! -GRAAAAA¡ª! -KEKEKEKEKE!!! Countless shadows emerged¡ª Low-Rank to Mid-Rank demons. Their twisted, grotesque forms tore through reality, their glowing red eyes gleaming with hunger. They were nothing alike the noble-looking demon, they were straight up monsters! "THERE ARE MORE OF THEM NOW!!!" "DEMONS!!!" The students panicked more at their appearance. Fear. Screams. Chaos. "?!" Ramiel, Sariel, and Charles all tensed, their eyes narrowing as they assessed the sudden flood of enemies. A coordinated assault¡ª This wasn't just an attack. It was a full-scale invasion. They were confused, torn between fighting the strong demon in front of them or saving the students. They couldn't pick easily... But then¡ª Swoosh~ A gust of wind stirred. A voice¡ªlow and commanding¡ªspoke behind them. "Save the kids. Let me handle that bastard." It was Bryan. "...!" The three professors turned, eyes widening. His presence had appeared out of nowhere¡ªnot a single sound, not a single trace of movement before that moment. But immediately¡ª "We got it." They bowed their heads in unison, their voices firm. And then¡ª FWISH¡ª! Their figures blurred¡ª And disappeared into the battlefield. Now¡ª Only two remained. Bryan. And the High-Rank Demon. The tension between them was palpable. And then¡ª "Climb back up here, you fucking bitch." Bryan's voice was cold and unamused, his gaze bearing down on the demon like an executioner ready to strike. Hearing that¡ª The demon let out a chuckle. "What a vile word." A sly grin spread across his face. "And they call me a demon." He said. ***** ... Fwish¡ª Thud! "Ugh...?!" Raye landed outside the arena¡ªhis body completely unharmed. And the hole that had been in his stomach... It was gone! Even his once before ragged and bloodstained uniform was now pristine clean! And seeing that¡ª 'I'm lucky I was still inside the training dome when I got killed.' Raye thought of that. Cold sweat formed on his forehead. If that demon had attacked just a second later¡ªonce he was out of the artifact's effect area¡ªhe would've truly died. A chilling thought. But before he could dwell on it further¡ª "RAYE!!!" A familiar voice rang out from above. "...?" Raye's head snapped up, and there¡ª "Ah." He saw Jerusha She was hovering up in the air, her expression filled with worry. And then¡ª FWOOSH¡ª She descended immediately, landing right beside him. Kneeling down, Jerusha quickly scanned Raye's body. "Are you okay?! What about your wound?!" She asked, her voice was desperate. "I'm fine." Raye reassured her. "Just exhausted. My mana's running low too." He added. S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. And hearing that¡ª Rustle¡ª Jerusha reached into her spatial pouch, and there... Fwip¡ª She pulled out a mana potion. "Here, drink this." Jerusha said, holding it out to Raye. "..." Raye hesitated. He wasn't used to receiving things, especially something as expensive as a mana potion. Though¡ª BOOOOM¡ª!!! The situation didn't leave room for him to choose. "Haaa..." So with a reluctant sigh¡ª Fwish¡ª Gulp- gulp¡ª Raye took the mana potion and he drank it. And as he was swallowing the last drop¡ª "[Nature's Miracle]" Jerusha cast a spirit magic on him. A soft green glow enveloped Raye. Jerusha had cast a spell¡ªrestoring his stamina. Raye blinked at her. "...Thanks." He muttered, a bit shy. Jerusha just smiled, relieved. "I'm just glad you're okay." She mumbled, her voice was trembling. And then¡ª BAM! A group landed near them. It was Lycus, Devin, Leon, and Allen. "Raye!" "You alright?!" "Can you stand?!" "...?" They asked as soon as they got there. Raye looked at them. For a second, he just stared. He saw that they were genuinely worried. And seeing that¡ª A small smile appeared on Raye's face. "...Haha. I'm fine." He replied with a laugh, his voice carried warmth. 'I can't believe the characters that I've admired before are this concerned about me now.' Raye thought to himself. But then¡ª Out of nowhere¡ª "Wait..." A thought struck him like lightning. Kyle. Pyro. Zephyrus. And Old Man Rey... "...!" Raye's entire body tensed as he remembered them. And without wasting a second¡ª Fwish¡ª! Raye shot up to his feet. And then¡ª BAM! In the blink of an eye¡ª FWOOSH¡ª! He dashed out toward the exit of the training ground, his movements frantic and desperate! "Huh?!" Jerusha and the others froze, startled by his sudden reaction. But then¡ª "...?" Their eyes caught a glimpse of Raye's expression. A look of sheer urgency and desperation. Seeing that, the five briefly looked at each other. And without hesitation¡ª BAM! FWOOSH¡ª! "Wait for us!" "Where are you going?!" Jerusha, Lycus, Leon, Allen, Devin¡ªall of them immediately took off after him! They know that something was wrong. Meanwhile¡ª Raye's mind was racing. His pulse pounded in his ears. His breath was sharp. And as his feet carried him toward the town¡ª 'This attack... it's just a diversion!' He clenched his fists. 'The demons' real targets are the civilians!' And at that moment¡ª Raye's heart sank. 'Old Man Rey. Kyle. Pyro. Zephyrus.' 'Please... be safe.' Discover stories with My Virtual Library Empire With gritted teeth¡ª BAM! FWOOSH¡ª! Raye pushed himself to run even faster! Chapter 150 150 - Helping Hands [1] Raye ran toward the exit of the outdoor training ground. But on his way¡ª BAM! -Keke! Stop right there! A demon appeared a few meters in front of him. It had a massive torso, its eyes were uneven, its lower body was skinny, and its horns and wings were nothing like the noble-looking demon's. It was clear that this demon was planning to stop Raye's advance. "Tch¡ª" Raye clicked his tongue in annoyance. 'I have no time for this!' He exclaimed in his head, readying to take out [Nyx] and [Celestria] from his spatial ring. Though, just then¡ª FWOOOSH¡ª A blurred figure ran past him! It was fast¡ªfaster than Ace! "Huh?" Raye was surprised by this. -?! And so was the demon! And the next thing they both knew¡ª Fwish¡ª Allen was in front of the demon! SWOOSH¡ª!! His sword¡ªjust inches away from the demon's face! But¡ª CLANG¡ª! The demon stopped it. A twisted grin spread across its uneven face. -Kehehehe! Is that all? Its small, disgusting wings twitched, its glowing red eyes gleaming with amusement. -You think a mere human can touch me? It sneered, its voice filled with arrogance. But then¡ª Fwish¡ª A sudden shift. A blur of movement behind the demon. And before it could even react¡ª FWOOSH¡ª! A fist¡ªcoated in blazing mana¡ªcame crashing toward its right side! -?!? The demon's eyes widened in shock when he felt that! Devin had appeared! Completely unnoticed. The demon was too focused on Allen. Devin's presence was hidden, his movements precise. And before his attack connected¡ª "[Azure Fist]" Devin muttered that! Then¡ª BOOOOOM¡ª!!! A deafening explosion erupted. A shockwave tore through the air. Blue flames engulfed the demon's right side, the sheer force of the blow sending it staggering back! "...!" Raye stood frozen. Speechless. The raw power. The perfect timing. They were strong. Stronger than he had imagined. Then¡ª Swish¡ª "...?" Devin glanced at him. And with a confident smile on his face¡ª "Let us handle this. We're itching to fight, after all." He said that to Raye. "...!" Raye's eyes widened. But immediately¡ª Fwip¡ª He bowed his head. Grateful. 'Thanks.' He muttered in his head. And then¡ª Read latest chapters on My Virtual Library Empire BAM¡ª! FWOOSH¡ª! He dashed toward the exit once more. No hesitation. No delay. His priority was clear. And as he vanished into the distance¡ª "Don't get in my way." Swish~ Allen said, fixing his stance. "Don't worry, you're not stronger than me." Then Devin mindlessly declared that, rolling his shoulders. "..." Allen frowned at his words, but he decided not to say anything for now. And together¡ª Fwip- They turned to the demon. He was blasted to the side a few meters away after Devin's punch. "Now then¡­" Allen smirked, tightening his grip on his sword. "You're up against us." He proclaimed. And hearing that¡ª -Kehehe¡­ The demon chuckled, its grotesque form twitching. Its amusement was gone. Instead¡ª A low, guttural growl rumbled from its throat. It was pissed. And the fight was only just beginning. ... ***** Raye left Allen and Devin to face off the what seemed to be a mid-rank demon. He completely trusted them to take care of it, so without worry¡ª BAM! He kicked off the ground, dashing forward. But before he could even really get away¡ª BOOM¡ª!!! The ground cracked a few meters in front of him¡ªdust and smoke exploded into the air! And from within it¡ª A towering figure emerged. It was another demon! Bigger. Stronger. And Raye could tell¡ª 'Is it about to be High-Rank?!' His eyes narrowed, his frown deepening. The demon stood in his way, its twisted grin widening after seeing Raye. -You look strong. The demon sneered. -Fight me. He said, his voice was filled with excitement, his crazed red eyes locked onto Raye. S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. 'Tch¡ªjust leave me the fuck alone!' Raye clicked his tongue in annoyance. But this time, before he could even stop in his tracks to take a stance¡ª "Keep going." A voice came from his behind. "?!?" Raye's eyes widened. But realizing whose voice is it¡ª Without hesitation¡ªwithout looking back¡ª BAM! Raye kicked off harder on the ground! FWOOOSH¡ª!! His speed doubled! Raye's body shot toward the demon in a blur! -Huh? The demon was startled. A human was charging at him like a bull, he didn't expect that. But now that he's seeing this¡ª A wide, twisted smile spread across the demon's face. -LOOKS LIKE YOU REALLY WANT TO DIE, HUH!!! It roared¡ªits eyes flaring with killing intent! And then¡ª FWOOSH¡ª!!! It swung its massive claws! The air howled¡ª Its speed was insane! It was going to slice through Raye! But even as the deadly claws closed in¡ª "..." Raye didn't stop. He didn't even blink. And just when the attack was about to land on him¡ª FWISH¡ª!!! A sharp gust of wind! A figure appeared beside Raye¡ªmoving faster than the eye could follow! And then¡ª SWOOSH¡ª!!! TANGG¡ª!!! A sword clashed against the demon's claws! The impact sent sparks flying! -?!? The demon's eyes widened in shock! Its attack was stopped¡ªcompletely deflected! His right hand was flung upward! And the one who did it¡ª It was Leon! "..." He stood firm, both hands gripping his mana-coated sword. And in that moment¡ª FWOOSH¡ª!!! Raye ran past the demon! His path was clear! -YOU'RE NOT GOING ANYWHERE!!! SWISH¡ª!!! The demon snarled¡ªits other hand lunging toward Raye's back! Its claws were just inches away from grabbing him¡ª But¡ª "Oh no, you don't." CLANK¡ª!!! Another clash! The demon's attack was stopped again! Lycus had appeared! His dual daggers crossed, holding back the demon's grasp! -?!? The demon's face twisted in frustration. Lycus grinned. "Tsk tsk, too slow." He said. Leon smirked. "Too weak." He followed. And hearing their provocation... The demon's expression darkened. ... On the other hand¡ª Fwish- Raye glanced back at Lycus and Leon. And seeing them stopping the demon... 'I really appreciate it. Thank you!' Raye said that in his head. Then, looking forward again¡ª BAM-! He kept running. Faster. Faster! SWOOOSH¡ª! Raye dashed toward the exit of the training, ignoring the chaos around him. Avoiding the students that were running all around in panic. Chapter 151 151 - Helping Hands [2] With how fast he was going¡ª Tap- Raye reached the entrance and exit of the outdoor training ground in seconds. But to his horror¡ª "What the fuck..." A grayish transparent barrier was blocking the way! Not just the entrance¡ª The whole area was sealed! Trapped inside this damn grayish barrier! It was done by the demon that stabbed him in the stomach earlier with their claws. Raye could feel that demon's mana in the barrier. BAM¡ª! Raye punched it with his mana-coated fist. "..." Nothing. Not even a crack. "Tch¡ª" Raye clicked his tongue, a deep frown on his face. And desperately¡ª BAM! He punched again. BAM¡ª! Again! BOOOM¡ª!!! And again! Each strike stronger than the last! But still... "..." The barrier didn't even budge. "..." Raye stood frozen, his fist clenched. His breathing was rough. His heart¡ªpounding with frustration. A complicated look formed on his face. Despair was creeping in. Annoyance. Anger. 'Please... I need to save them...' Explore more at My Virtual Library Empire His face twisted in frustration. He was worried about Old Man Rey and the others. He couldn't waste time. He couldn't afford to be stuck here! And so¡ª Raye gritted his teeth. He refused to give up. Even if this barrier was unbreakable¡ª Even if it shattered his hands¡ª He would tear it down! FWIP¡ª Raye took a stance. His eyes burned with determination. SWOOSH¡ª!!! A powerful gust of wind surged around his right arm! The air around him grew heavier¡ª The ground beneath him cracked from the sheer pressure! Then¡ª SWAAAAA¡ª!!! Raging flames engulfed his fist! The heat¡ªscorching! The mana¡ªoverwhelming! It was enough to make the atmosphere twist! And at that moment¡ª Raye was ready to give it his all! Even if it meant breaking his bones! FWISH¡ª Raye pulled back his right fist... He was ready to unleash a devastating blow! But before he could even throw the punch¡ª "You need to get out, right?" He heard a voice. Another familiar one. Raye's eyes widened. He stiffened. And turning around¡ª "Jerusha..." He saw her. Standing there. Smiling. Her presence¡ªcalm yet powerful. FWISH¡ª Raye retrieved his mana. The swirling flames around his arm vanished. The gust of wind dissipated. He took a deep breath¡ª And remembering Jerusha's question¡ª "That's right." Raye responded firmly, a worried expression on his face. "Mhm." Jerusha nodded after hearing his answer. "Got it." She said that cheerfully. And then¡ª She turned to her right¡ª Looking at the resting booth where she had been watching Raye's matches earlier with the others. And with a wide smile¡ª "Lena!" Jerusha shouted. "Huh?" Raye was caught off guard. But he wasn't the only one, because a few tens of meters away from them¡ª "Huh...?" Lena flinched. She was in the middle of fending off three low-rank demons. Protecting Sofia and the other students with her magic. Yet despite that¡ª She turned her head. Fwish¡ª Her gaze snapped toward the source of the voice. And when she saw¡ª Jerusha. Smiling and waving at her. Lena's brow twitched. "What is it?!" She shouted back while keeping an eye on the demons. And then¡ª "Blast a high-rank spell on me!" Jerusha shouted back. "...?!" Raye's body stiffened. "What?" Lena's expression twisted. 'Did I hear that right?' 'Jerusha wanted me to attack her?' She asked in her head. It didn't make sense to her. But¡ª Lena knows that Jerusha wasn't an idiot. She wouldn't ask for something like that without a reason. So instead of questioning it¡ª "[PARALYZE!]" FWOOOZT¡ª!!! -Gaghk?! -Keuk...?! -GAAH?! Lena cast that spell to buy time for herself. The three demons in front of her suddenly convulsed! They stiffened¡ªcompletely frozen! It wouldn't last long¡ªjust a few seconds. But that was enough. Fwip¡ª Lena whipped her head around toward Jerusha and Raye's direction. Her face was serious. Focused. Then without hesitation¡ª SWOOSH~! She began circulating her mana. And immediately¡ª Fwish- The atmosphere shifted. A terrifyingly thick pressure began forming around her. FWOOSH~!! The air crackled¡ªsparks danced along her fingertips. The ground beneath her hummed with energy. And then¡ª "...!" Lena's eyes glowed. She parted her lips¡ª And spoke the words of destruction. "[Storm Judgment!]" She exclaimed! FWOOOOOOOZZZHS¡ª!!! Then a massive pillar of lightning surged forward! It roared through the air¡ªblindingly bright! And it was heading straight for¡ª Jerusha! "!!!?" Raye's body tensed¡ªhis instincts screamed at him. His heart skipped a beat. But just as he was about to react¡ª He stole a glance at Jerusha. And¡ª She was calm. Too calm. "...?" Raye forced himself to stop. He clenched his fists. "Fuuuu..." He took a deep breath. S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. And then¡ª He simply waited. He would trust her. No matter how insane this looked. And soon¡ª When Lena's magic was about to collide with them¡ª FWOOOOOOSH¡ª!!! A violent gust of mana erupted from Jerusha's body! "...?!" Raye's eyes widened. But he remained silent. He simply watched. Observed. What was about to happen¡ª He needed to see it with his own eyes. And then¡ª Jerusha opened her mouth. Her expression¡ªserious. And with a commanding voice¡ª "[Abyssal Cyclone!]" She muttered the spell. SWooOOoooOSH~!! The air twisted. Distorted. A black vortex¡ªa fusion of wind and raw energy¡ªmanifested in front of Jerusha! It wasn't just a vacuum. It was a force that devoured. And in an instant¡ª FWOOOOOM¡ª!!! Lena's [Storm Judgment] was sucked in! Like a ravenous beast consuming prey! "...Gh¡ª!" Jerusha frowned. Her brows furrowed in strain. It wasn't easy for her to absorb that strong of a spell. Her body trembled slightly¡ªthe mana flow was unstable. But still¡ª Jerusha endured it. And then¡ª Her gaze snapped toward the barrier. The one blocking the entrance and exit. She glared. And then¡ª Jerusha opened her mouth again. And with fierce determination¡ª "[BANG!!!]" She exclaimed! Then¡ª BOOOOOOOOOOOOOM¡ª!!!! A blinding explosion erupted! The devoured lightning was unleashed¡ªbut this time, it was several times stronger! A destructive shockwave tore through the air! The entire training ground quaked from the sheer force! SWOOOOOOOOOSH¡ª!! The wind howled! The impact was impossible to ignore! "Argh¡ª?!" Raye stumbled back! The force almost blew him away! He instinctively shielded his eyes with his arms! The pressure was¡ªoverwhelming! And then¡ª As the dust cloud settled... "..." Raye's gaze snapped toward the barrier. The one that had been blocking his way. And what he saw¡ª Was a massive hole right in the middle of it! Big enough for multiple people to pass through at once! Raye's eyes widened. For a moment¡ª He stood dumbfounded. And then, a thought crossed his mind¡ª 'Main characters really are something else.' Raye said in his head. Chapter 152 152 - The Invasion! [3] BOOOOOOOOOOOOOM¡ª!!!! Hearing such a strong explosion¡ª "Hmm?" -Huh? Bryan and the noble demon turned their heads toward its direction. And because the barrier was made by him¡ª -'It broke...' The demon immediately realized what had happened, a deep frown dawning on his face. -'Who did it?' He asked in his head. But just then¡ª "Don't get distracted now." The demon suddenly heard a voice in front of him! -?! He was shocked. And when he looked forward¡ª Pat- He saw Bryan. His right palm was resting against the demon's chest. -'When?!' The demon was baffled. His instincts screamed at him¡ª Danger! But before he could even react¡ª "[Blast]" Bryan muttered that. BOOOM¡ª! -GARGH...?! Then a crushing force erupted from Bryan's palm! The demon felt the impact explode through his chest¡ª Like a cannon fired point-blank! FWOOOSH¡ª! His body was sent flying backward! BAAM! His back crashed into the concrete wall, the ground trembling from the force. But¡ª Fwooosh¡ª Amidst the dust and debris¡ª -Wow, you're really strong... Stronger than the three before. A voice echoed. Fwop- The demon immediately got back on his feet¡ªunharmed. Casually. Like nothing had happened. Fwip¡ª He brushed the dust off his clothes, his expression unfazed. "You're sturdy, huh." Bryan mumbled, observing the demon with mild curiosity. "..." -... The two of them locked eyes. Neither of them moved. Neither of them spoke. The tension thickened¡ª Then suddenly¡ª SWISH¡ª The demon vanished where he stood! And then¡ª FWISH¡ª! He reappeared right in front of Bryan! FWOOOSH¡ª!! His claws, surging with demonic energy, tore through the air¡ª Aiming straight for Bryan's face! But¡ª Fwip¡ª Bryan simply tilted his head to the side. Dodging it effortlessly. Nonchalantly. -...?! The demon's eyes twitched. He was fast¡ªso fast¡ª But Bryan made it look easy. As if he had seen the attack coming a mile away. Then the demon saw it¡ª "..." Bryan was staring at him, his face emotionless. And at that moment¡ª "[Graviton Push]" Bryan mumbled that. FWOOOSH¡ª!!! -Huh?! A crushing force slammed into the demon's body! BAAAM¡ª!! He was flung backward¡ªagain! Swoosh~ A powerful shockwave rippled through the area as his body collided with the wall! Dust exploded outward. Debris scattered. Cracks spread across the concrete. And from within the cloud of destruction¡ª Fwish¡ª -... The demon emerged. Unscathed. But¡ª This time, his expression was different. His confidence wavered. A flicker of uncertainty flashed in his eyes. He was confused. Unsure of what had just happened. And seeing that¡ª Fwip¡ª Bryan shrugged his shoulders. "Never seen Telekinesis Magic before?" He asked. A smirk tugged at the corner of his lips. Bryan Blackwood... He was a master in [Telekinesis Magic]. He didn't think that there was a need to hide it. Because Bryan was just that confident in his strength. ***** ... As that was happening¡ª "The barrier... It's starting to close..." Raye's eyes locked onto the grayish barrier. The massive hole Jerusha and Lena had created¡ª It was slowly sealing itself back up! "I need to go now." He said urgently, turning toward Jerusha. "Where are you headed anyway?" Jerusha asked, curious. And as Raye got into position to dash off again¡ª "To where the Old Man and the others are." Raye mumbled that in seriousity. Then¡ª BAM¡ª! He kicked off the ground! His figure blurred as he propelled himself forward, vanishing into the distance. And hearing his words¡ª "...!" Jerusha's eyes widened. That was enough¡ª Enough for her to understand what was happening! "..." Her expression turned serious. Her resolve hardened. And with a determined look on her face¡ª Fwish¡ª Jerusha shifted her stance, preparing to take off after Raye. 'I'm coming with you.' She said in her head. But just as she was about to soar¡ª "Urgh...!" Jerusha heard a groan. Pained. Strained. And instantly¡ª Fwish¡ª Her gaze snapped toward the source of it. Then when she saw what was it¡ª "...!" Jerusha froze. It was Lena. She was struggling, being surrounded by three demons. A demon loomed over her¡ª Behind her¡ª And on her Right¡ª And what's more... She's protecting roughly 50 students within her mana barrier, so she can't cast a proper spell or fight properly! And seeing the situation Lena was in. "Tsk...!" Jerusha gritted her teeth. She wanted to help. But¡ª She also wanted to go after Raye. She wanted to assist him in whatever he was planning to do. Conflicted¡ª Jerusha's fists clenched. Her breathing quickened. Fwish¡ª She looked at Raye. His figure was getting smaller. He was already far¡ª And getting farther fast. For a few moments¡ª "..." Jerusha stood still, not saying anything, with a complicated expression on her face. She just watched Raye's back. And then, resolving herself¡ª 'I trust you, Raye. I'll leave it to you.' She declared that in her head. And with her decision set¡ª FWOOSH¡ª Jerusha flew toward Lena instead! 'I'll go and help you as soon as everything here is settled!' She added internally, thinking about Raye. And soon¡ª BOOM¡ª! Jerusha landed beside Lena, her presence commanding attention! "Huh?" "...?!" -Hm? All eyes turned to her. The students¡ª Lena¡ª And even the demons! "Jerusha..." Lena breathed out, relieved but still tense. The demon, however¡ª They grinned mischievously. -Another one for us to kill and have fun with, huh? One of them sneered, stepping forward¡ª The air around that demon was vibrating with malicious mana. But Jerusha¡ª "..." She wasn't fazed at all. As a matter of fact¡ª She confidently shut her eyes! And in the next instant¡ª FWOOOOOSH¡ª!!!! A violent gust erupted around her! The atmosphere twisted. Wind howled¡ª The ground trembled beneath her sheer presence! "?!" "..." The students were surprised, while Lena was observing silently. -What's that? A different demon asked. Then¡ª Fwip- Jerusha's eyes snapped open. And with a commanding voice¡ª "[Tempest Wave!]" She shouted that! FWOOOOOOOOOOOSH¡ª!!!! A massive gale burst forth¡ª Like a raging storm unleashed! And that storm... SWOOOOSH¡ª!!! -HUUUHHH?!! -W-WHAT?! -KEEEEEK!! It blasted the demons away! Their bodies flung through the air¡ª And then¡ª BOOOOM¡ª!! -Kak!? -Gurgh!! -Ugh!? They slammed onto the ground, groaning in pain! And in that moment, not missing such opportunity¡ª "Run toward the exit!" Jerusha exclaimed, her voice rang out. Loud. Clear. "Lena and I opened a path¡ªGO TO SAFETY!" She added with urgency. And at her words¡ª "Ah¡ª!" "R-Right...!" "Run!!" The students snapped out of their stupor! And without hesitation¡ª BAM! All of them began sprinting toward the exit¡ª Fear gripping their hearts¡ª But hope was igniting their will, making their bodies move! "..." Lena looked at Jerusha. Her gaze¡ªgrateful. She was thankful for the help¡ª Even though it looks just a little, it meant a lot. Moving on, looking back at her¡ª Wink¡ª Jerusha simply smiled and winked at Lena. And just then¡ª BAM! A loud, heavy impact shook the ground around them. "..." Lena's ears rang, she frowned in annoyance¡ª FwOOoooOoosh~ The air trembled. And when Jerusha and Lena turned their heads¡ª They saw them. The three demons¡ª S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Tap- tap- tap¡ª They were slowly walking toward them. They were all grinning slyly. Their presence were menacing. -That hurt a little... Grrrr... One of the demons growled. -T-The other humans are g-getting away... Kek...! Another one stammered, its grotesque face twitching in irritation. -Tch... Let's just kill these two first¡ªthen go after them. The third demon sneered, cracking its neck. The tension thickened. The ground beneath them hummed with energy. Lena and Jerusha¡ª They remained still, not doing or saying anything. "..." They glanced at each other. No words needed. No hesitation. And then¡ª Fwip- In unison, Jerusha and Lena nodded their heads. And immediately¡ª Fwish¡ª They turned their heads back to the demons. Their eyes¡ªsharp. Focused. Determined. And in that moment¡ª They silently agreed. They would fight together. No holding back. No running away. And this time¡ª They were aiming to take down the three demons. FWOOSH¡ª Jerusha's purple-colored mana surged. Read latest stories on My Virtual Library Empire The air around her twisted¡ªher Wind Spirit Magic whirling violently. SWOOOOSH~ Lena did the same¡ªher own bluish mana crackling, sparks dancing along her fingertips. And seeing them charging for something¡ª -Nuh uh. BAM!! SWOOSH¡ª! The three demons immediately lunged at them, attempting to stop their attacks! Their grotesque claws ripping through the air, their eyes burning with malice! The two saw them coming. Fwish¡ª! So Jerusha and Lena immediately responded, they split ways! -Hmm? -What? The demons were confused who to go after. And not missing that opportunity¡ª Jerusha's gaze sharpened. "Lena!" She called out. And Lena immediately understood what to do. Jerusha swung her arm sideways¡ª FWOOOOOOOSH¡ª!! Then an immense tornado erupted from her hands, twisting with ferocity! The violent winds swept up one of the demons¡ªspinning it mid-air! -GAAHHHH?! WAIT!!! It didn't really hurt the demon, but now they have one less enemy to worry about. And then¡ª "Now!" Jerusha shouted that. And waiting for her signal¡ª "[Arc Lightning!]" Lena cast that spell as she thrust her hand forward! And in an instant¡ª FWOOZZZZTH¡ª! A bolt of blue lightning CRASHED into the airborne demon that Jerusha sent flying! BAAAAAAANG¡ª!! A blinding explosion erupted! -GRAAAAAAHHHH!!!? The demon screamed in agony as it was blasted into the ground, its body convulsing! But¡ª The two demons were still rushing at them! They didn't care about their comrade that just fell! Jerusha and Lena's expressions hardened. Because they know¡ª This fight was far from over! Fwish-! The two prepared themselves. Jerusha and Lena were mages, all they have is their vast mana pool and strong spells. But on the other hand¡ª Demons are known to be physically strong and very good at magic! In short¡ª The two of them would be in trouble if the fight will be dragged into close combat! Chapter 153 153 - The Invasion! [4] As soon as Raye burst out of the barrier¡ª BAAAM¡ª!!! FWOOOOOSH¡ª!! A powerful gust of wind exploded beneath his feet! His body blurred¡ª And then¡ª FWISH¡ª He dashed forward, each step shaking the ground! The town¡ª He had to get to the town! Or to be precise, to Kyle's shop! 'Old Man. Pyro. Zephyrus. Kyle...' His mind raced, his heart pounded. He was gasping for air, sweat rolling down his face. Experience tales at My Virtual Library Empire But he didn't stop. Instead¡ª SWIIIISH¡ª! Raye went faster. FWOOOOOSH¡ª!!! He pushed his body to its limit, propelling himself even faster, the wind howling behind him. His eyes burned with urgency¡ª With desperation. ***** ... And after what felt like an eternity¡ª Tap¡ª Raye arrived at his destination. And the moment he did¡ª "...!" He froze in place. His breath caught in his throat. Because in front of him¡ª -GRAAAAAAHHHH¡ª!!! It was a scene of pure horror! "AHHHHHH!!!" "DEMONS!!!" "MONSTERS!!!" Screams. Terrified, desperate screams filled the air. The town... It was in flames. Red and orange embers crackled as houses burned. Dark, monstrous figures rampaged through the streets. Shadowy demons with grotesque faces tore through everything in sight. Flying beasts circled above, swooping down like vultures. Shattering windows. Ripping apart buildings. Devouring people. The air smelled of smoke, blood, and death. "Shit..." Raye's hands clenched into fists. His jaw tightened. His chest burned with rage. But refocusing himself on his goal and gritting his teeth¡ª BAAAM¡ª!!! He kicked off the ground! Dashing straight into the chaos¡ª FWISH¡ª Raye slipped through the panicking crowds¡ª Eyes scanning everywhere. 'Where is he?!' 'Where is Old Man?!' He asked in his head, wondering if they were mixed in with the townspeople. And just then¡ª FWOOOSH¡ª!!! A massive shadow loomed over him. Raye's eyes snapped upward, and there¡ª -KIEEEEEEK!!! He saw a monstrous bat-like creature, its body writhing in demonic energy. And with its crimson eyes glowing with bloodlust¡ª FWISH¡ª It flew straight toward Raye! Its massive wings stirred the wind¡ª -KIIIIEEE!! Its sharp fangs bared. Its killing intent was suffocating. But Raye, annoyed¡ª "Fuck off...!" He just cursed at it, his voice dripping with irritation. And in an instant¡ª Fwoosh~ A glint of black flashed in his right hand¡ª [Nyx] Raye's beloved sword, appearing from his spatial ring. And tightly gripping its hilt¡ª SLASH¡ª!!! Raye unleashed a single, fluid swing! A crescent arc of light cut through the air¡ª -Keh?! The monster didn't even have time to react. SPLURT¡ª! Its body split in half! The monster's black blood splattered on the ground. And then¡ª Thud¡ª! It fell to the ground, lifeless. And after that¡ª BAM¡ª Raye just ran past it. "..." He didn't even spare the monster a glance. Because¡ª 'I have no time to waste.' Raye thought, frowning. ***** FWOOOSH¡ª! Raye ran deeper into the town, heading toward Kyle's newly opened new shop branch. -GRAAAAAH!!! -KIEEEEAAAAAK!!! Monsters¡ª They lunged at him from every direction! "..." But with [Celestria] in his left hand, and [Nyx] in his right¡ª "HAAAAA!!!" SWIIIISH¡ª! SLASH¡ª!! -KIEK...?! -GARGH?!! Raye cut them all down with just one swing each! "Haaaa... Haaaa... Haaa..." His breathing was becoming more rough, but he never slowed down. His vision blurred too, because of lack of oxygen¡ª BAM! But Raye just kept running! He remained focused on his goal! And before he knew it¡ª Tap. S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. He reached Kyle's shop. He had been praying on his way. But just like the other buildings and houses¡ª SWAAAAAAAA¡ª! Kyle's shop was on fire. "..." Raye stood still. The color drained from his face. 'Please...' He hoped. He wished. For their safety. His heart pounded¡ª His chest tightened. It was getting hard to breathe. But before Raye could even fall into despair¡ª -Mee...ep...?! He heard a familiar chirping! "?!" Raye's eyes widened. And without hesitation or whatsoever¡ª Not caring if it was a trap or not¡ª FWOOSH¡ª Raye ran toward it! It was coming from just behind the shop! Not inside¡ª Fwish¡ª Raye turned to the corner, heart racing. And then¡ª His breath hitched. "...!" He saw the others behind the shop! "..." Raye didn't say anything, he couldn't find a word to utter. Because there they were. Old Man Rey¡ª He was on the ground, unmoving. Blood spilled from his mouth. Next, Kyle¡ª He was unconscious. And his left arm¡ª It was gone. It looks like that it was severed by something sharp! Then Pyro¡ª His small, warm glow¡ª It was flickering. Fading. And lastly, Zephyrus¡ª He was heavily injured. He has been fighting since earlier. Fending off enemies. And seeing the four of them like that¡ª "..." Raye's fists clenched. His grip on his swords tightened. His rage¡ª BOILING. And then¡ª Fwish- His gaze shifted¡ª To them, the enemies. And there¡ª -... -... Raye saw two demons. One was super strong, it was obvious just by its presence. It was as strong as the noble demon that stabbed him in the stomach earlier! But that's not what caught Raye's attention... The other demon¡ª "You...!" Raye's voice dripped with venom as he muttered that. His entire body trembled with fury. The other demon, it was¡ª The demon that attacked the orphanage! (Chapter 91-95.) The one that tried to kidnap Jerusha and make her his wife! The one Raye swore¡ª He'd kill. And at that moment¡ª -Oh? -Hmm? The two demons saw him too. Their eyes gleamed with amusement¡ª And cruelty. -Another toy? The strong demon muttered in an almost bored tone. But the other one¡ª -HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA¡ª!!! It laughed! Loudly. Madly. That demon recognized Raye! And with a mischievous, twisted grin on his face¡ª -Are they your friends? No wonder they're getting involved in someone else's business just like you! The demon sneered, his voice dripping with mockery. "Tch¡ª" Raye gritted his teeth. Fwip¡ª His grip on [Nyx] and [Celestria] tightened. He was about to explode¡ª About to unleash his wrath¡ª But then¡ª "...?" His eyes met Zephyrus' gaze. -... Zephyrus was calm. Steady. Unwavering... And seeing him like that¡ª "..." Raye was able to calm himself to some degree. "Hooooo...." Raye inhaled sharply. And then¡ª "Fuuuuuuu..." He exhaled. Slowly. Steadying himself. Recomposing. -HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA¡ª!!! The maniac laughter from the demon he know continued. It was echoing. Mocking. And just then¡ª Fwish¡ª Raye turned his attention back to the maniacally laughing bastard. Then, opening his mouth¡ª A smirk tugged at his lips, though his eyes are still glaring. And with a pissed off expression on his face¡ª "How about you?" Raye asked, his voice was cold. And without even letting the demon respond¡ª "Did you call your daddy to get revenge for you because you got your ass kicked by some human?" Raye followed with that! -... Silence. For a moment¡ª Just a moment¡ª The bastard demon¡ª Didn't move. Didn't laugh. Didn't say a word. -Hah! Then the strong demon let out a low chuckle. He was amused. Intrigued. But the other one¡ª His grin twitched. His shoulders tensed. And his eyes¡ª -... Burned with silent rage. "...!" Raye's smirk widened seeing that. Bullseye! He hit a nerve. And that¡ª Was exactly what Raye wanted. -YOU FUCKING BUG!!! BAM! SWOOOOSH¡ª!!! The enraged demon then lunged at Raye, his demonic energy surging¡ª A suffocating wave of pure murderous intent flooding the area. His crimson eyes¡ª Burning with hatred. His claws¡ª Aimed to rip Raye apart. And seeing him like that¡ª 'Hah...!' Raye smiled a little, he was successful in provoking the weaker demon. Leaving the strong demon still watching! Still observing. It was just curious. Amused. And because of its pride as a noble demon¡ª It wouldn't allow himself to gang up on a single enemy! Not with a mere human! A race the demons deemed inferior. And that meant¡ª This was a one-on-one fight between Raye and the weaker demon! And that was more than enough... Raye deliberately made the situation like this! Fwish¡ª The weaker demon closed in. He got closer¡ª Too close. And the moment he got really near¡ª "[Flash]" Raye muttered that with a sly smile. FWISH¡ª! Then he disappeared from where he stood! -?! The demon's eyes widened. But he had seen this before. So he clenched his fists, his claws digging into his own palms. His head snapped around¡ª Scanning. Searching. Waiting. He knows that Raye was going to appear soon. But then¡ª "[Flash]" The demon heard it again! "[Flash]" Again. "[Flash]" And again! Fwoosh¡ª! A blur of movement. A flicker of black and white. -What the fuck is happening?! The demon growled, eyes darting wildly, frustration creeping into his voice. 'Where¡ª?!' 'Where is he?!' He asked in his head, finding Raye. And then¡ª -There. A deep voice entered his ears. A calm, composed voice. Not Raye's¡ª But the noble demon's. Fwoosh¡ª -?! The demon froze. Slowly, he turned his head. And there¡ª The noble demon stood, unfazed. Expression neutral. One hand raised¡ª Pointing. The demon followed his superior's finger¡ª His eyes trailing the direction. And at the end of that finger¡ª -...! His eyes widened. The demon's body tensed. Because there¡ª He saw Raye. And not just him... Old Man Rey. Pyro. Zephyrus. Kyle. All of them¡ª They were all beside him! Safe and sound! Actually, Raye¡ª He had been rescuing them the whole time! Using one of his personal skills, [Flash]¡ª Slipping through the demon's sight¡ª Dodging his gaze. Evading his radar. And one by one¡ª Raye carried the Old Man and the others to safety! -... The demon's jaw clenched after realizing that. His teeth gnashed. And even though he's annoyed to even admit it¡ª The demon had been played by Raye. Chapter 154 154 - The Invasion! [5]—Rowan The Demon "Can you still move?" Raye asked, crouching. He was glancing at Zephyrus on his right side. Zephyrus' white feathers and fur were now tainted red with his own blood. And the mana Raye was feeling within him¡ª 'It's weak.' Raye frowned. He glared at the two demons a few tens of meters away from him. Keeping an eye on them. And just then, opening his beak¡ª -I can still somewhat move... Zephyrus weakly muttered that. And hearing him¡ª "..." Raye immediately realized that he was bluffing, keeping a strong facade. But even after knowing that¡ª "That's great." Raye decided to believe his words. And with his brows knitted together¡ª "Protect the others. I'll handle the rest." He said that, turning to the demons. And with a weak, but confident nod¡ª -Okay... I'll let you steal the spotlight this time... Zephyrus replied to him. Raye smiled at his cheeky response. Then, at that very moment¡ª -Hah! Saying your goodbyes? The weaker demon said that with a laugh. "..." Raye just ignored him. -Don't worry, I'll make sure all of you get to the afterlife so nobody gets left behind! The demon exclaimed. This time¡ª Fwish¡ª Raye stood up. He still didn't say anything though. Not really caring about that... The demon continued talking¡ª -Be glad! For I, Rowan Brogais¡ªa candidate for the Demon King's royal guard, will be¡ª "Shut up." But Raye cut him off at the near end of his speech. -...?! The demon, Rowan, was shocked by this. And then¡ª Fwip¡ª Raye pointed the tip of [Celestria] at him. And with a deep frown on his face¡ª "A royal guard? The fuck are you on about? You weren't even able to protect your dog last time and ran off alone. Stop bullshitting." Raye said that! "Remember when I cut off your left hand? I see that you managed to recover it somehow. Well, I'll just cut it off again for you... And this time¡ªI'll be taking your head as well." And then he declared that! At his words¡ª -... Rowan became silent. His hands trembled slightly. S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. His wings twitched. His expression¡ª Twisted with something dark. -Heh... The noble demon smiled slyly, his crimson eyes locking onto the silent Rowan. On the other hand¡­ "..." Raye waited. His grip on [Nyx] and [Celestria] tightened. His cold, blue eyes¡ªunwavering. The battlefield grew eerily still. And after a few moments of nothing¡ª FWOOOOOSH¡ª!! A violent surge of demonic energy exploded into the air! "?!?" Raye's body tensed. His instincts screamed danger. The overwhelming pressure¡ª It was thick, disgusting. It was suffocating. And the source of this twisted energy¡­ It was Rowan! His body trembled with rage. His bloodlust¡ªuncontained. His fangs clenched so tightly that they threatened to break. And opening his mouth wide in anger¡ª -THIS TIME, I WILL REALLY KILL YOU AND MAKE YOU SHUT UP!!! Rowan's roared. His voice shook the very air! And then¡ª BAM! FWOOOOOSH¡ª!! He kicked off the ground! His dark wings¡ª FWAP¡ª! He flapped it once, the impact sent him flying forward faster! Rowan's speed was monstrous! SWOOSH¡ª!!! The air cracked! Rowan shot straight like a bullet! His claws¡ª Extended in front of him. Glowing with an eerie, dark light. His pupils¡ª Dilated, wild. Burning with unfiltered hatred! And Raye¡ª His breathing¡ªsteady. His stance¡ªsolid. His heart¡ªcalm. 'Tch... He's really fast.' Raye clicked his tongue inside his head. Rowan was just as strong as before when he first saw him a few weeks ago! FWAAAAAH~!! Rowan's demonic energy surged violently¡ª Making the air feel like lead. But¡ª "..." Raye didn't falter. And instead¡ª BAM! He put his right foot forward, heavily planting it on the ground! And looking at Rowan coming at him like a meteor¡ª "Urgh... GRAAAAA!!!" SWOOOOSH¡ª!!! Raye forcefully swung [Nyx] horizontally to meet him head-on! BOOOOOOM¡ª!!! A deafening shockwave tore through the battlefield as Raye's sword collided with Rowan's red claws! CRACK¡ª The ground beneath them broke! Sparks erupted from their weapons! (Rowan's weapon is his claws. Any instrument used to attack or defend can be considered as a weapon.) -What...?! Rowan was surprised when his attack was stopped by Raye! He flinched and became frozen in place! The Raye from a few weeks ago would have already broken his arm by now. Rowan's attack would have gone through, and he would have been able to successfully kill Raye! This situation made no sense to him! -'What the hell happened to him in such a short amount of time?!' Rowan questioned in his head, utterly confused. And as if reading his thoughts¡ª "I got stronger¡ªa lot stronger." Raye said that! His expression strained, his arms trembling. 'Keuk...! Fuck!' He had barely blocked Rowan's attack. ***** ... BAM! Raye immediately jumped back, creating distance between himself and Rowan. Tap¡ª And after gently landing on the ground¡ª "Fuuuuu..." He let out a long sigh, his breath steadying. 'I really shouldn't meet his attacks head-on if possible.' Raye thought to himself, his eyes shifting down to his trembling right arm. His fingers twitched slightly, the impact from blocking Rowan's strike still lingering. A faint frown formed on his face. But he had no time to dwell on it¡ª Fwish¡ª Raye turned his gaze back to Rowan. And there¡ª -... He saw Rowan staring at him. His expression was different now¡ªhis usual arrogance was gone, replaced with something new. Caution. He wasn't attacking immediately this time. Raye could tell¡ªRowan was confused. He was trying to make sense of Raye's sudden surge in strength. And Raye? Well¡ª He was grateful for this. 'Good. Stay wary.' If Rowan hesitated even for a moment, that was time Raye could use. Even if just a little, he could replenish some of his mana and stamina. But noticing this plan of his¡ª -He's trying to recover, attack him now. A cold, commanding voice cut through the moment! It was the noble demon who was watching from the sidelines! "...?!" Raye's eyes widened. Annoyance flared inside him, he clenched his hands hard. 'Damn it.' His plan to buy a few more seconds to recover had been ruined. But at the same time¡ª He felt a small sense of relief. The noble demon wasn't interfering directly. For now, that is. Anyway, at the noble demon's words¡ª -Huh? Rowan blinked. And then¡ª -Ah... Realization struck him. His eyes locked onto Raye¡ªonto the faint, slow restoration of his mana. And at that moment¡ª -I won't let you! BAM¡ª! Rowan kicked off the ground! His speed exploded as he lunged forward, closing the gap in an instant! "Ugh...!" Raye groaned, irritation flashing through him. Then without hesitation¡ª BAM! FWOOOSH¡ª! He kicked off the ground as well, dashing forward to meet Rowan head-on in the middle! One thought burned in his mind¡ª 'I can't let this fight reach the others behind me.' He was protecting Zephyrus and the others from harm. And remembering the condition the others were in¡ª "GRAAAAAAHHHH!!!" Raye screamed, letting out his anger as he rushed at Rowan! BOOM¡ª! Your next journey awaits at My Virtual Library Empire CRACK¡ª The two met in the middle, stopping abruptly in front of each other. The ground cracked beneath their feet from the sheer force of their landing. And then¡ª FWOOOOSH¡ª! Rowan immediately thrust his right hand forward, his razor-sharp claws aiming straight for Raye's face! Fwish¡ª Raye twisted his head to the right, narrowly avoiding it! And as a response¡ª SWISH¡ª He unleashed a rising diagonal slash with [Celestria]! TINCK!!! But it was blocked¡ª! Rowan's right wing, engulfed in demonic energy, took the hit with ease! SWOOOSH¡ª Rowan then threw a heavy hook with his left! "..." And seeing that¡ª Fwoosh¡ª Raye crouched down to dodge it! A chilling breeze swept past the top of his head¡ª If that had hit, his skull would've exploded! But ignoring that fact¡ª SWUSH¡ª Raye swung [Nyx] horizontally, aiming for Rowan's left leg! His attack was fast¡ª! -?! Rowan couldn't block it! But then¡ª CLANG¡ª! A sharp metallic sound rang out the moment Raye's sword struck Rowan's skin! "Urgh...?!" Raye groaned in pain¡ª His hand was flung upward from the impact! His grip nearly loosened¡ª And his wrist throbbed. 'What the hell...?!' His eyes widened in shock. Rowan's skin¡ª It was as hard as steel! Raye instantly realized it¡ª 'Demonic reinforcement...!' The bastard had enhanced his body with corrupted mana, turning his flesh into armor! And as he was preoccupied with that thought¡ª FWOOOSH¡ª Rowan launched a front kick straight at Raye's face! "?!!" Fwip- Raye was surprised, but he immediately crossed his arms in front of him and coated them with mana. And with it¡ª BAAAM¡ª! "GURGHH...?!" Raye took the hit! Even though he blocked it, his arms tingled in pain, it felt like they would shatter! Fwooosh¡ª Raye was flung backwards. Shhhhcc¡ª He skidded off the ground as he was on his knee. And after stopping¡ª "..." He immediately looked up at Rowan. -Hah! Rowan smirked, his eyes gleaming with mockery. -What's the problem? I thought you'd be cutting off my head this time? Will you be able to do that if you can't even cut my skin? He sneered, being all arrogant again. "..." Raye frowned, hearing him. And seeing his frustrated expression¡ª -HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! Rowan started laughing manically again, he was really satisfied with what he was seeing. Chapter 155 155 - The Invasion! [6]—Enraged. -HAHAHAHAHAHAHA¡ª!!! Experience tales at My Virtual Library Empire Rowan's laughter echoed like a madman's, his twisted amusement filling the battlefield. On the other hand¡ª "Fuuu..." Raye exhaled slowly, forcing himself to remain calm. His mind raced, sharpening his thoughts like a blade. He couldn't afford to let his rage cloud his judgment¡ªnot yet. The demon stood just a few meters in front of him, laughing like a crazed beast. Fwip- Raye fixed his grip on his swords. 'I have to find a way to kill him.' He mumbled internally. His eyes narrowed, scanning Rowan's posture, his movements, his breathing. 'He's strong, but he's not untouchable.' Raye declared to himself. He just needed the right timing to attack. And as he was thinking about that for a bit¡ª Fwish- Raye slightly glanced over his shoulder. And there¡ª "..." He saw Zephyrus sitting on the ground, he's about to pass out. He looked a lot better than before. His body was still bloodied and battered, but it seems like his life isn't in danger anymore. Also¡ª Raye noticed that small greenish wind domes were covering the bodies of Old Man Rey, Pyro, and Kyle. And seeing that¡ª 'Looks like Zephyrus healed himself a little, and now he's helping the others too...' Raye immediately concluded that in his head. He smiled a little seeing them in better conditions. His feeling eased up a bit. He was happy that they're okay. Though, at the very moment he thought of that¡ª FWISH¡ª A blur figure appeared on Zephyrus' right! And then¡ª Fwoop- Someone materialized! It was¡ª The noble demon. "?!" Raye's eyes widened. His heart lurched. 'Why is he there¡ª?!' And before he could even react¡ª -You bugs are distracting the human from fighting. The noble demon's calm voice echoed throughout the area. -Huh? Zephyrus weakly turned to the demon, utterly confused and exhausted. And the next thing everyone knew¡ª -[Dark Sphere] Fwoosh¡ª!!! A dense, crackling blast of demonic energy erupted from the noble demon's right palm¡ª SWISH¡ª And it shot straight toward Zephyrus and the others! "..!" Raye's eyes widened seeing this. -...? Zephyrus' vision was blurry, he's barely conscious. He doesn't really know what was happening anymore... He's tired now. And then¡ª The noble demon's attack hit him. B O O O O M ¡ª!!! A massive explosion engulfed Zephyrus and the others! FWOOOOOOOSH~! A shockwave tore through the battlefield. Dust and debris filled the air. "...!" Raye's breath caught in his throat. The dust cloud swirled violently, obscuring his vision. 'No... No, no, no!' Fwoooosh~ And when it settled¡ª "..." Raye saw them. -... Zephyrus lay on the ground. Bleeding. His condition was a lot worse than before. And it wasn't just him. Old Man Rey. Pyro. Kyle. Their bodies were motionless. They were all flung aside. And the faint mana that Raye was feeling from them before¡ª ... It was gone. "..." Raye was speechless. He froze in place. His face¡ª It became pale, drained of color as his mouth hung open. His eyes¡ª They're still locked onto Old Man Rey and the others. Raye waited. 'Move...' Even for just a little. 'Breathe...' Just the faintest sign. 'Let me feel it... just a bit of your mana...' Raye pleaded desperately in his head. Though¡ª Seconds passed. And still¡ª "..." Nothing happened. And as if that wasn't enough¡ª -That's better. The noble demon smirked and mumbled that, looking down at Zephyrus and the others with pure disgust. His tone was casual, like he had just crushed a few insects beneath his feet. "...!!!?" Raye caught a glance of him¡ªof his expression. And seeing the noble demon like that¡ª "Gurgh..." Raye finally snapped. And opening his mouth¡ª "GRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH¡ª!!!" Raye screamed in rage, his roar shattering the air! FWOOOOOOOOOOSH¡ª!!! A violent surge of mana exploded from his body! The air trembled¡ª -Wha?! Rowan flinched, his laughter dying in his throat. He frowned, suddenly feeling a bit uneasy. And the noble demon¡ª -Ah, finally... You'll show your true worth! His lips curled into a pleased grin. Fwip¡ª Raye's grip on his swords tightened. His blue eyes turned bloodshot. Pop¡ª! Veins bulged across his forehead. And then¡ª His pupils disappeared. "GRRRRRRRRHHH¡ª!" Along with his sanity! FWOOOOOOOSH~!!! A howling gust of winds wrapped around Raye. SWAAAAAAAAAAAA¡ª sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Flames ignited¡ª Flickering across [Celestria] and [Nyx]. Raye's mind was empty. All that remained was rage. Pure. Unrelenting. Rage. "GRAAAAAAAAAAHHH¡ª!!!" And with that fueling his body¡ª BAAM! He kicked off the ground¡ª And shot straight for the noble demon! Even though he knew¡ª The gap between their strength was like heaven and earth! Raye shot toward his target like a meteor! But then¡ª Fwish¡ª -Your opponent is me! Rowan appeared in between of Raye and the noble demon. A mischievous smirk curled on his lips. -Looks like you've gone cra¡ª Rowan started speaking, but before he could even finish¡ª SWISH¡ª! Raye reached him! He was a lot faster than before! -?! Rowan was caught off guard by this. But instead of panicking¡ª -'He can't cut me anyway, I'm fine.' Rowan just remained standing still, confident! But at that moment¡ª BAM! -URGH...?! Raye's right hand latched onto his throat! The cold edge of [Nyx] was pressing against his cheek! -?! Rowan's eyes widened in confusion. He thought Raye was going to slice him with his sword. And that's when he noticed it¡ª -'Huh? Where's his other sword?' The white, elegant sword that was in Raye's left hand¡ª It was gone. And instead¡ª Fwoosh¡ª A white gauntlet had formed around Raye's left fist¡ª Blazing with furious fire! And seeing that¡ª -Wait¡ª Rowan's instincts screamed at him¡ª Something was wrong! But before he could even react¡ª FWOOOSH¡ª BOOOM!!! Raye's left fist crashed into his face! -GAHH?! Rowan's head snapped back as a shockwave burst from the impact! His feet barely remained on the ground. -'THIS FUCKER DARES TO¡ª!' Rowan's rage flared. He forced his eyes open¡ª BOOOM¡ª! -GURGH?! But another devastating punch landed right in the center of his nose! His mind reeled¡ª -'What the fuck?!' Rowan was shocked. And before he could even recover¡ª BAAAM¡ª!! -GACKK...?! Raye's fist slammed into his nose yet again! This time, the pain was real! Rowan could feel it¡ª His reinforced body couldn't fully negate blunt attacks! Burning agony seared across his face! -RAAAH!!! Rowan roared in fury. -FUCK OFF!!! He exclaimed, annoyed. And heavily¡ª BAM!!! He swung his right fist and punched Raye in the stomach! Rowan felt good with that attack just now! -'Now it's my turn to pay you back!' Rowan grinned, thinking Raye was stunned because of pain. But when he opened his eyes¡ª "..." He saw Raye still staring at him. Unfazed. His blue, bloodshot eyes bore into his skull. -...?! Rowan felt a chill run down his spine. -'Huh¡ª?!' And before he could even process what was it¡ª SWISH¡ª BOOOOOOM¡ª!!! Raye unleashed a swift, heavy punch that exploded against Rowan's nose! Crack¡ª A sickening sound echoed. Rowan's skull¡ª It cracked! -GAARGH!!! Rowan groaned as his brain was shook. Pain was flooding his senses! A scorched mark burned at the center of his face because of Raye's last attack¡ª -'This bastard...!' His vision blurred. His balance wavered. And yet¡ª Raye was already moving again! F W O O O S H¡ª! Another punch was coming¡ª A faster one. A stronger one. A deadlier one. And Rowan¡ª -!!! He had no time to stop it! Seeing Raye's fist closing in on his face once again¡ª Fwip! Rowan brushed off Raye's right hand that was grabbing his neck. And instinctively¡ª Bam! He jumped back, away from Raye! FWOOOOSH¡ª! Rowan successfully dodged the attack. Raye hit nothing but air, his momentum carrying him forward slightly. For a moment, Rowan wanted to smirk, to mock Raye for missing. But¡ª -... He didn't. He couldn't even bring himself to laugh. His eyes slowly landed to his trembling red hands. And opening his mouth¡ª -I... I was scared of that dog's attack...? Rowan weakly muttered that. His voice was barely above a whisper, his disbelief evident. But slightly shaking his head¡ª -'What happened to my attack earlier anyway? Did it get blocked?' Rowan disregarded his shaken nerves and focused on analyzing the fight. His eyes shifted back to Raye. And what he saw¡ª -... You've really gone insane... Left a deep frown formed on Rowan's face. Because he could see it. On Raye's stomach... His uniform was torn, revealing a massive bruise spreading across his abdomen. It was proof. Proof that Rowan's attack had landed cleanly. And this also means¡ª -'So you're saying that he endured the pain and launched a stronger counter?!' That Raye had just tanked his attack! And this was when Rowan realized it¡ª -'He's lost his mind.' Raye had gone insane. No hesitation. No restraint. Only raw, primal fury. And seeing this¡ª -Hmmn~ More! Fight more! Entertain me! The noble demon exclaimed, his body shuddering with excitement. Pleasure. Thrill. Delight. He was enjoying this far too much. (What a weirdo...) "Tch¡ª" Rowan clicked his tongue, his annoyance rising. He didn't need the noble's commentary. What he needed¡ª Was to kill Raye. And fast. So with a resolute expression on Rowan's face¡ª FWOOOOSH¡ª! A new surge of demonic energy erupted from his body! His irritation had boiled over into anger. And anger¡ª Fueled him too. Fwip¡ª Rowan crouched down, preparing to take off with a frown on his face. But just then¡ª "[Flash]" Rowan heard that. Then¡ª BOOOM¡ª!!! A devastating punch landed straight on his nose again! -GAAARGH...?!! Rowan groaned in pain, he didn't know what just happened! FWOOOSH¡ª He was flung backward¡ª THUD! And fell on his back onto the ground. -Ugh... Rowan looked up to where he was standing before. And there¡ª "..." He saw Raye, looking down at him with cold eyes. His body oozed with pure killing intent. Chapter 156 156 - The Invasion! [7]—Three Down In the outdoor training grounds¡ª There were ten demons that invaded the tournament. One noble demon, four high-ranks, two mid-ranks, and three low-ranks. Bryan, the headmaster of Zion Academy, was facing the noble-rank demon. The four high-ranks, scattered throughout the area, were being handled by Sariel, Ramiel, and Charles. Allen and Devin were fighting one of the mid-rank demons, while Leon and Lycus were facing the other one. And the three low-rank demons... "[Water Spear!]" FWOOOSH¡ª BAAAM¡ª "[Lightning Bolt!]" FWOOOZZZT¡ª BOOOM¡ª! Jerusha and Lena were currently clashing with them. The two of them launched a spell. FWISH¡ª -... But the three demons just swiftly avoided them! The demons were trying to close the distance between themselves and the two¡ª But Jerusha and Lena were doing their best to maintain the distance and keep their advantage in reach. They're both doing fine against the demons using magic, but the situation will worsen if close combat gets involved. So, seeing the demons rush at them¡ª "[Wind Barrier!]" S W O O O S H¡ª! Jerusha cast a spell, creating a small wind dome around her and Lena. It's meant to separate them from the demons. Fwish¡ª And looking at Lena¡ª "Buy me just a second." Jerusha said that. "Huh?" Lena was surprised by her sudden request. And at that moment¡ª Tap¡ª One of the demons reached the barrier! And with a crazed smile on its face¡ª -[VOID PUNCH!] FWOOOSH¡ª He exclaimed that and threw a straight punch with his right fist! And when it hit the barrier¡ª FWOOP¡ª The violent wind in the area the demon punched disappeared, his hand slipping through effortlessly! -Hah! The demon laughed, thinking he had Jerusha and Lena cornered now. But when he looked at them¡ª "..." He saw Jerusha calmly staring at him, not even remotely surprised that her spell had been pierced through. And in the next moment¡ª "[Paralyze]" The demon heard that. And before he could even turn to the source¡ªLena¡ª BOOOM! A straight line of electricity shot through the air and struck his arm, the one that had slipped through the barrier! SWIIISZZZT¡ª! The electricity surged through his body, paralyzing him! -GURGH...?! The demon groaned, his body locking up, unable to move. He twitched as Lena's magic coursed through him! (He was shocked lol) Lena's spell, [Paralyze], could completely stop someone's movement for hours if they were a normal opponent. But because demons have high magic resistance... the effect would last only five seconds at most. Yet Lena didn't care. After all¡ª 'Jerusha said I only need to stop him from moving for a second.' She thought. And just then¡ª "[Wind Cleave!]" Jerusha shouted that. F W I S H¡ª! Then the winds that had been protecting them shifted! They shot toward the paralyzed demon! SWISH¡ª Each gust became as sharp as a blade, their speed like bullets tearing through the air. And before the demon could even recover from paralysis¡ª -Shit¡ª! Jerusha's magic hit him. S L A S H¡ª! Each of the wind blades carved through his flesh! His body was torn apart in an instant! And soon¡ª Thud- thud- thud¡ª Chunks of meat fell onto the ground. It was the demon. He had been turned into minced meat! "Wha..." Lena was shocked at the sight of it, she hadn't expected a demon to be killed so easily¡ªso brutally. 'It's a low-rank, but it's still a demon.' She thought, dumbfounded. And it wasn't just her¡ª -...?! -Huh?! The other two demons froze in their places. Their blood ran cold. They had just witnessed one of their own get torn to shreds¡ªreduced to nothing but minced flesh. They thought Jerusha and Lena were just kids. The demons were surprised, that's why they stopped moving instinctively. And not missing such an opportunity¡ª "[Verdant Chains!]" Jerusha exclaimed that! Her voice cut through the battlefield like a blade. FWOOOM¡ª! The ground beneath the nearest demon erupted violently! And after that¡ª FWOOOOOSH¡ª! A massive vine, reinforced with pure mana, burst forth like a coiling serpent¡ª! -W-WHAT THE HELL¡ª?! W H I P¡ª! Find your next read at My Virtual Library Empire The demon's surprised voice barely left his throat before the vine lashed around him¡ª SQUEEZING. CRUSHING. -KIEEEEK...?!! Crack¡ª His bones creaked, his muscles tensed, his claws slashed wildly¡ª The demon spasmed, trying to escape the vine. But it was useless... He was trapped. -GET ME OFF THIS!! The demon shouted in rage. And following him¡ª "LENA!" Jerusha roared. "...!" Lena flinched¡ªher heart pounded¡ª She was surprised by the sudden call. But knowing exactly what she had to do¡ª "Urgh...!" Lena gritted her teeth¡ªher hands moved on instinct. And opening her mouth¡ª "[DIVINE PUNISHMENT]!" She chanted that! FWOOOOOOOOOM¡ª!!! A blinding surge of mana burst from her body. Fwoosh~ A massive golden magic circle appeared into existence above the restrained demon¡ª Crackling. Roaring. Pulsating with overwhelming power¡ª! And seeing that¡ª -?!! The demon's eyes widened. A feeling he had never experienced before¡ªpure, suffocating fear¡ªseized him. -N-NO! WAI¡ª The demon tried to plead for his life. But it was too late. FWOOOOOOOOOOOOSH¡ª!!! A titanic column of lightning¡ªtwo meters wide¡ªcame crashing down from the magic circle! B O O O O O O O O O M¡ª!!! And it hit the trapped demon directly! C R A C K¡ª! The entire area erupted! The earth shattered! SWOOOOSH¡ª! A violent shockwave tore through the air, ripping the ground apart! "UGH¡ª!!" Jerusha and Lena staggered back, shielding themselves from the sheer force of destruction. A blinding white light engulfed the battlefield. A deafening roar of thunder shook their very bones. And then¡ª Fwish~ "..." Silence. The dust settled. The light faded. And what remained¡ª Was nothing. The demon, once trapped in the vine earlier, was gone. No body. No flesh. No bones. Only ashes drifting into the wind. And seeing that¡ª -... The last remaining low-rank demon became speechless. Hjs crimson eyes widened, his breath hitched. -...! His companions¡ªmassacred in mere moments. Demons aren't exactly compassionate creatures, they don't care much about each other or about demons weaker than themselves. But now that he stood alone... A chill crawled down the demon's spine. -'What... WHAT THE FUCK ARE THESE BRATS?!' Panic surged through his mind. His instincts screamed¡ª RUN! And immediately disregarding his pride¡ª FWOOOSH¡ª! The demon turned around without hesitation and bolted! He pushed his demonic energy to its limit! FWISH¡ª His body blurred, dashing away at full speed! In the demon's head, he wasn't running away. Instead¡ª -'I need reinforcement!' He was making a tactical retreat! S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. He plans to call for help from the higher-ranked demons in the area! He refused to fight alone! But as he had his back turned¡ª "You're not getting away." Jerusha's voice rang out behind him. It was cold. Unforgiving. And the moment she spoke¡ª FWIP¡ª! A razor-sharp gust of wind shot toward the demon's legs! SHING¡ª! The air itself became a blade! And in the next moment¡ª -...?! SPLURT¡ª! -GAHHHHHH!!! The demon screamed. His right foot¡ª It was severed. The demon's balance crumbled. THUD! He crashed to the ground, rolling in agony. He couldn't use his deformed, small wings to fly and support himself. Blood gushed out like a fountain from his severed foot. -'The hell...?!' Fwoosh¡ª The demon's hands trembled as he clutched the bloody stump where his foot used to be. His breathing was ragged, desperate. And just then¡ª Fwaaaah¡ª A shadow loomed over his. And looking up¡ª "...It's over." The demon saw Lena standing in front of him. Her expression was blank. Her blue eyes glowed with raw mana. Fwip¡ª Lena raised her hand. Fwooosh~ Then a massive light-blue magic circle formed beneath the demon. And opening her mouth¡ª "[Crimson Judgment]" She muttered that. And at that moment¡ª F W O O O Z Z Z S H¡ª!!! The air crackled. The temperature skyrocketed. A pillar of crimson lightning erupted from the ground! -WAIT¡ª!!! The demon shrieked in horror¡ª BOOOOOOOOOOOM¡ª!!! But an explosion shattered the ground, drowning his voice. And after that¡ª SWAAAAA¡ª Flames engulfed his entire body. -GAAAAAAAHH!!! STOOOP!!! The demon's screams echoed in pure agony. His flesh melted. His body disintegrated. The heat was unbearable¡ª "...?!" Even Jerusha and Lena had to shield themselves. SWAAAAAAAAA¡ª! The flames raged for several more seconds. And then¡ª "..." Silence. The flames died down. And the demon¡ª He was gone. Not even ash remained. Only scorched earth. And confirming his defeat¡ª "Fuuuuu..." Jerusha exhaled, lowering her hands. "Haaaaaa..." Lena let out a slow breath, her heart still pounding. "...It's done." They mumbled in unison. And their enemies¡ª Are now annihilated. So with that finished... Tap- tap- tap¡ª Jerusha started walking away. "Hmm, where are you headed?" Lena turned to her and asked that. Fwish¡ª "..." Jerusha looked back at her, silent for a second. Then, with a bright but shy smile¡ª "I'll go and follow after Raye." She mumbled that. "Oh, okay..." Lena nodded her head at her words. "But your condition? How about your mana and stamina?" Then she asked that. "Ehh, I can handle this much." Jerusha replied, waving her hands casually. Though in reality, she's a bit tired and wants to rest. (Lena is the same.) Jerusha just really wants to go after Raye. Then, suddenly¡ª "H-Here..." Jerusha and Lena heard a voice not far from them. "Huh?" "Hm?" They both turned their heads toward the source of it. And there¡ª "Ah..." They saw Sofia, standing shyly with her head bowed while holding vials of what appears to be healing portions! "I-I can't fight... This is all I can do... I'm sorry." Sofia weakly muttered, tears threatening to fall from her eyes. She was embarrassed that she couldn't help more because she was so weak. But then¡ª "Ah, just right on time!" "You're a lifesaver!" Jerusha and Lena exclaimed, their voices filled with relief and genuine happiness. "Huh?" Sofia was surprised. She raised her head¡ª "..." Then she saw Jerusha and Lena looking at her with warm smiles. "Thank you." They said in unison. And hearing their words¡ª "..." A small smile appeared on Sofia's face. Chapter 157 157 The Invasion! [8]—A Team? GULP¡ª GULP¡ª After drinking the healing potions Sofia had brought¡ª "Fwaaaa...!" "Huuuuu...!" Jerusha and Lena immediately started feeling better. Their stamina was recovering fast, and so was their mana! The minor injuries they had? They were already healed. And feeling the immediate effects of the potions¡ª 'These are some nice potions...' Lena and Jerusha thought that in unison, their eyes slightly widened in surprise. "Did you make these?" Lena asked, turning to Sofia. Read exclusive adventures at My Virtual Library Empire And Sofia, bringing out more potions from her spatial bag¡ª "Ah! Yeah... Is it good?" She looked back at Lena and answered shyly. "Good? It's more than that, these are amazing!" Jerusha exclaimed, a genuine smile on her face. "Mhm." Lena nodded in agreement. And seeing them like that, praising her work¡ª "Hehe... Thanks..." Sofia became embarrassed. She was happy to be of help. And so, with a resolute expression on her face¡ª "I'm going to go around the training grounds and help the others with my potions. I have lots more in my bag." Sofia declared that. "..." Jerusha and Lena smiled, admiring her will and pure intentions. And just then¡ª "I'll go with you and protect you. I'm all good now anyway. Thanks to you." Lena said that, brushing off her shoulders. "Ah! Thank you...!" Sofia thanked her, bowing her head slightly. "Don't mind it, we're friends." Lena replied. And hearing that last word¡ª 'Friends...' Sofia smiled once more, blushing a little. Fwish¡ª She straightened her posture. And looking at Lena¡ª "Thanks, I really appreciate it." Sofia mumbled that. "Meh." Lena simply responded, waving her hand casually, brushing off her words. And then¡ª "As much as I want to go too, I have somewhere I need to be." Jerusha butted in, saying that awkwardly. "Huh? Where?" Sofia asked her. And instead of Jerusha¡ª "She's going to follow after Raye." Lena answered for her. "Ah... Haha..." Jerusha let out an awkward laugh after that. And with that¡ª "AHHHHHHH..." Sofia realized what was happening. "No worries, I know what you're going to do is important, whatever it is." She said to Jerusha. "I can also protect her alone. So off you go." Then Lena followed. "Erm... Yeah..." Jerusha mumbled. And after that¡ª "See you guys later." Fwish¡ª Jerusha turned her back against them. Though, before she could even take off¡ª Swish¡ª "..." She looked back at Sofia. "...?" "Erm, what is it?" Sofia tilted her head in confusion. And opening her mouth¡ª "Can I get some potions? Raye might be in danger and hurt... I'll also use them for injured people I see on the way." Jerusha muttered that, all shy. "..." Sofia just looked at her for a second, watching her reaction. And with a small smirk on her face¡ª "No problem!" She replied. "Ah! Thank you!!" Jerusha happily responded. And with that¡ª Fwiiish¡ª Sofia took out about ten healing potions from her spatial bag. Fwip¡ª Swoosh¡ª Jerusha took them all and stored them in her spatial ring. (Similar to Raye's.) And with that¡ª "Thank you again! I'm off now!" BAM¡ª! FWOOOOSH¡ª!! Jerusha said her last goodbye, kicked off the ground, and shot through the air. "..." "..." Lena and Sofia just watched her go. And looking at Jerusha's back¡ª 'Now I'm sure. She likes Raye.' Lena and Sofia thought of that in unison. A small mischievous grin appeared on their faces. And when Jerusha disappeared from their sights... "Let's go?" "Ah, yeah... Let's go." Tap¡ª tap¡ª tap¡ª Sofia and Lena started walking, their goal to find injured individuals and help them¡ªalso, to save students from the other demons. And currently... Monsters were starting to appear inside the grayish barrier too. 'This is going to be tiring.' Lena thought with a frown on her face. ***** Meanwhile, somewhere in the outdoor training ground¡ª Swoooo¡ª The scent of blood and scorched earth filled the air. "..." "..." Devin and Allen stood side by side, their gazes locked onto the mid-rank demon in front of them. -Keke... The demon grinned¡ªa sickening, twisted expression stretching across his grotesque face. His uneven body twitched, and his long, dark claws flexed, oozing with demonic energy. -Which one of you wants to die first? His voice was deep, guttural, and filled with malice. He looks really arrogant despite being ugly as fuck... Also, he had been annoying Allen and Devin since earlier. (For about 2 mins now.) "..." Allen didn't answer his question. And instead, after sending mana to his legs¡ª Bam! FWISH¡ª He kicked off and vanished from his spot! -Hm?! The demon's eyes widened in surprise. And the next thing he knew¡ª WHOOSH¡ª! Allen reappeared beside him, his steel-white sword flashing! SWOOSH¡ª! Allen launched a clean, precise cut. But¡ª CLANG¡ª! -Nope. The demon easily blocked it with his thick, darkened left claws. "Tch¡ª" Allen clicked his tongue, visually annoyed. And then¡ª FWISH¡ª He immediately vanished again! FWIP¡ª He reappeared behind the demon this time. And with his eyes focused¡ª FWOOSH¡ª Allen thrust his sword forward, aiming for the demon's nape! Swish¡ª But the demon reacted instantly! He twisted his body unnaturally, and opening his mouth¡ª -[Dark Spikes] He muttered that¡ª! S H I I I I N G¡ª! Black spikes erupted from the demon's back, shooting straight at Allen¡ª! "...!" Allen was caught off guard by this. 'I can't dodge...!' He exclaimed in his head, frowning. The spikes were now only a few inches away from his face! But then¡ª BOOM¡ª! sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. A flaming fist crashed into the spikes, shattering them before they could even reach Allen! "Careful now." It was Devin! He stood there, smoke rising from his fists, his gauntlets glowing with intense heat. -Huh? The demon turned to Devin unconsciously¡ª And not missing that opportunity¡ª FWOOSH¡ª! Allen vanished again! -What¡ªWHERE?! The demon was confused. He didn't know what was happening, there's a lot happening in such a short amount of time. And then¡ª S L A S H¡ª! A deep wound opened across his shoulder! -GAAARGH...!? The demon let out a guttural roar. Then, spinning wildly¡ª -GHHRRRRAAAA!!! SWOOOSH¡ª! The demon launched a spinning strike with his sharp claws as a counter! Fwish¡ª But he hit nothing but air! Allen was already gone before the demon even felt the attack land! FWOOSH¡ª! Instead, Devin appeared in front of him¡ª And¡ª B A A M¡ª! A flaming uppercut struck his gut! -GURRRGH...?!! The demon was beyond shocked when another attack landed. -'What are these brats?!' He angrily exclaimed in his head. He wouldn't have guessed that this was the first time Allen and Devin were teaming up! Chapter 158 158 - The Invasion! [9]—The Bait With Devin's attack just now¡ª -GURGH...! The demon was sent staggering backward, heat searing his flesh. But he was tough. Very tough. BAM¡ª The demon regained his footing instantly, black mist swirling around him, his grotesque face twisting in pain and rage. And opening his mouth¡ª -You fucking brats... He whispered that under his breath, his voice trembling with fury. Fwish~ His red eyes glowed menacingly, locking onto Devin and Allen, who stood a few meters away, calm but ready. Then, raising both his claws and aiming it at the two¡ª -[DARK REND!] The demon exclaimed that with a voice dripping in malice! Then¡ª S H R I I I K¡ª! A massive, crescent-shaped slash of dark energy shot from his palm toward Devin and Allen¡ª! "...?!" "Huh?!" Allen and Devin immediately sensed the overwhelming danger behind the demon's attack. And as a response¡ª "I'm out of here." Bam¡ª FWISH¡ª! Allen disappeared in an instant, vanishing from sight. Devin, however¡ª "Shit...!" Fwip¡ª He crossed his arms, bringing up his steel gauntlets¡ª And with it¡ª BOOOOOOM¡ª! He took the demon's attack head-on! "URRRGH....!!?" Devin groaned, gritting his teeth as he felt the violent impact of the dark energy slamming into his entire body. SWOOOOSH¡ª!! Smoke and dust erupted from the sheer force of the attack, shrouding Devin in a thick cloud. And through it¡ª FWOOOSH¡ª! Allen appeared, cutting through the haze like a phantom¡ª! Though, getting used to his speed¡ª Swish¡ª The demon's eyes quickly snapped to him! -THERE YOU ARE, YOU BAST¡ª! HISH¡ª But Allen was much faster this time. SLASH¡ª! And his sword cut open a big wound on the demon's right arm mid-sentence! -URGH...?! GRAAAAAAAHHH!!! The demon roared in agony, black blood spraying from the stump¡ª And as he was writhing in pain¡ª FWOOOSH¡ª! Devin burst out from the smoke too, his body glowing with intense heat! SWAAAAAA¡ª!! Bright orange flames blazed around his fists, burning hotter than before. And opening his mouth¡ª "Eat this¡ª!" Devin shouted that¡ª B A A M¡ª! Then a blazing punch struck the demon's jaw with crushing force! S P L U R T¡ª! The demon's sharp teeth flew out of his mouth, scattering across the ground. -KEUK...! The demon stumbled, blood dripping from his mangled lips. Though¡ª Despite the relentless damage and continuous attacks he had just received¡ª -... The demon was still standing. And he was really pissed off now. -You... damn... pests¡ª!!! SWOOOSH~! The demon's demonic energy flared violently, his entire body trembling with rage¡ª And with his glowing red eyes locked onto Devin¡ª -[BLACK BURST!] The demon unleashed his rage! BOOOOM¡ª! A massive wave of darkness exploded outward! "Fucking hell!" Fwip¡ª Devin braced himself for the impact¡ª BOOOOM¡ª! And he took the attack head-on again! SHHHHIIIICCK¡ª The sheer force behind it sent Devin skidding backward, his boots digging into the ground! And Allen¡ª FWIP¡ª! He vanished again before the attack could reach him. -THAT SLIPPERY FUCKING BASTARD!!! The demon's rage boiled over. Fwish¡ª His glowing red eyes snapped to Devin once again. And with a deep frown on his grotesque face¡ª -You... I'LL KILL YOU FIRST! The demon snarled that. BAAM!! SWOOSH¡ª Then he lunged forward, his speed faster than before¡ª! Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. And when he got close¡ª WHOOOOSH¡ª! The demon swung his right claws in a sharp arc, aiming to rip Devin apart! "!!!" Devin's eyes widened in shock seeing the incoming attack. But then¡ª FWISH¡ª He immediately raised both his hands that are covered with his steel gauntlets. And with them¡ª B A A M¡ª! He caught the demon's clawed right hand, holding it in place! "URGH...!! GRAAAAAAHHH!!!" Devin grunted, his muscles straining as he struggled to resist the raw power behind the demon's strength. And seeing him like that¡ª -HAH! ARE YOU A FUCKING MORON?!! The demon sneered¡ª And immediately¡ª S L A S H¡ª! He swung his other arm! SWISH¡ª His claws were closing in on Devin's face at terrifying speed! -DIEEEE!!! The demon thought he finally got one of the pests. Though, at that moment¡ª FWIP¡ª! "..." Allen reappeared at the demon's blind spot! And opening his mouth¡ª "[Piercing Strike!]" He shouted the¡ª FWOOOOSH¡ª! Then his blade shot forward! PHUCK¡ª! Allen's sword pierced deep into the demon's back, impaling his spine. -KIEEEEEEEEK...!!!! The demon let out a shrill, agonized shriek¡ª -FUCK OFF!! Fwip¡ª He immediately stopped his attack and spun around, desperate to deal with Allen. But as soon as he did¡ª "[Azure Fist]" Devin muttered that. B O O O O O M¡ª! -GAAAAHH?!! And then he slammed his flaming fist into the demon's gut! SWAAAAAAAAAA¡ª Blue flames erupted from Devin's knuckles, consuming the demon's entire torso in a fiery inferno! And when the fire settled¡ª Enjoy new tales from My Virtual Library Empire -gu..gh...?? A fist-sized hole was burned through the demon's stomach! -ugh... coff! Tap- tap¡ª The demon staggered a few steps back away from the two, black blood pouring from his mouth. Fwish- He glared at Devin and Allen, his body trembling violently. -...Damn it... The demon realized that he was losing. His rage peaked. And with veins popping out of his disgusting head¡ª -NO MORE GAMES!!! The demon roared, his body pulsing with chaotic power! S W O O O S H¡ª His cracked skin split open, thick black mist pouring out. He was going all out! And then¡ª BAAM¡ª! The demon exploded forward, faster than before¡ª! He rushed at Devin again! "Huh?!" Devin barely had time to react, only able to raise his guard. And because of that¡ª S L A S H¡ª! A deep gash was carved into his left side! "GURRRHG¡ª?!" Devin let out a pained groan. SPLURT¡ª Blood sprayed from his wound, staining the ground. Tap¡ª The demon landed just a step behind Devin, licking his lips with a crazed grin. And with a wild expression¡ª -DIE¡ª!!! He raised his claws, ready to finish Devin off! And then¡ª FWISH¡ª! "Wow, you're a great bait, Devin." Allen's voice came from behind the demon. -?!! And without hesitation¡ª S L A S H¡ª! Allen's blade severed the demon's left leg. -?!! -GAAAAAAHHH!!! The demon screamed¡ª Thud¡ª He collapsed onto one knee¡ª And as soon as he did¡ª "Fuck off, stop using me as a decoy." Devin said that. FWOOSH¡ª! Then his burning fist came flying! B O O O M¡ª! And struck the demon's face with overwhelming force! SNAP¡ª -GRAAA?! The demon's head snapped back¡ª And¡ª Bam¡ª! He fell onto the ground, back-first. Blood. Smoke. And silence. "Fuuu... haaaa... fuck..." Devin panted, flames still flickering on his fists. "Hufff..." Allen stood beside him, his blade stained black. And the demon¡ª -grrrgh... He was barely moving. Coughing. Twitching. Unable to rise. And looking at him¡ª Crack¡ª Devin cracked his knuckles. SHIIING¡ª Allen raised his sword. "..." "..." They exchanged glances. And with a final nod¡ª SWOOSH¡ª! FWOOSH¡ª! They struck together. B O O O M¡ª! Chapter 159 159 - The Invasion! [10]—Lycus and Leon "Ugh..." Devin groaned, grabbing the left side of his body. Blood was gushing out of his wound, seeping into his left gauntlet, staining the steel with dark crimson. A sharp, throbbing pain pulsed through his torso, but he gritted his teeth, refusing to show too much weakness. "That looks like it hurts." Allen mumbled, glancing at him with a blank expression, his sword still loosely gripped in his hand. And with a frown on his face¡ª "No shit, Mister Detective." Devin grumbled, voice laced with slight irritation. He was still kind of annoyed at Allen for constantly using him as bait earlier, letting the demon attack him head-on just so he could land a surprise strike. The two of them didn't fight as a team, rather, they just fought individually, reacting to each other's actions rather than coordinating. Their so-called "teamwork" was just taking advantage of whatever openings the other created. And Allen had it better since he was fast and agile, vanishing from sight and reappearing at will. Meanwhile, Devin had to tank the demon's wrath, bracing himself against every attack while Allen darted in and out, striking from blind spots. He wasn't complaining¡ªhe could take hits, sure. But still. "Tch..." Devin clicked his tongue, rolling his shoulder as another wave of pain surged through his side. Anyway¡ª "..." Devin and Allen turned their attention back to the demon they had just fought. Its decapitated head lay a few feet away, twisted in an expression of frozen rage, its mouth still slightly open as if mid-snarl. Its torso was utterly wrecked, a gaping, charred hole in its chest, the edges still smoldering from Devin's flames. This was the result of their last combined attack. "Hmm, I can't believe we really defeated a demon." Devin mumbled, exhaling deeply as he looked down at the corpse. Even though he was exhausted, there was a strange sense of satisfaction in his voice. But then¡ª "Well, it might be mid-rank, but that demon was nothing special in their ranks." Allen said that, shrugging his shoulders as if it was no big deal. "What do you mean?" Devin asked, turning to him. "..." And looking at him straight¡ª "Look at his form." Allen muttered, pointing at the demon on the ground. Devin went and took another look at the demon's corpse. But even after staring at it for seconds... "...?" He still doesn't know what Allen was talking about. And seeing him like that¡ª "Haaaaaa..." Allen let out a frustrated sigh. Then opening his mouth¡ª "His form, it's ugly and looks more like a monster." He stated that. "Strong demons with high bloodline tend to look humanoid. The only differences are their dark wings, claws, horns, and reddish skin tones... But the demon we fought, he looks like a combination of a pig and a cow." Allen continued, explaining. And after hearing his words¡ª "So what you're saying is that we just killed a nobody?" Devin frowned and asked. And casually¡ª "Yep." Allen responded with a nod of his head. "..." "..." The two of them became silent after that. They don't know what to say. And looking at his bloodied left side of the body¡ª 'Just a nobody, huh.' Devin thought of that, complicated feeling swirling in his head. "..." And just then¡ª "Guys, we're here!!" Devin and Allen heard a familiar voice not far away. "Huh?" Fwish¡ª And when they went to check who it was¡ª "Ah..." They saw Sofia running towards them. "..." Lena was casually following her from behind. And in their hands¡ª Vials of potions. And seeing that¡ª "Ah...! I need one of those, I'm injured because of two crazy bastards!" Devin shouted that, pertaining to Allen and the demon. "Ugh, just let it go." Allen said. "No." And Devin simply replied to him without hesitation. ... ***** If Allen and Devin had just finished their fight¡ª Well, not far from them¡ª "..." "..." Leon and Lycus' fight with the demon in front of them was just about to begin. Swoooosh~ The air between them was heavy. The scent of blood lingered, mixing with the faint static of demonic energy crackling in the atmosphere. -... The mid-rank demon, on the verge of evolving into a high-rank, stood tall, his piercing red eyes scanning his opponents. Fwish¡ª His long, razor-sharp claws gleamed in the dim light, a clear warning. -Humans. The demon muttered, his voice deep and smooth, lacking the arrogance of his lesser kin. -I can see that you will not be as easy as the others. He said. And then¡ª Tap- A slow, calculated step forward¡ªhis movements were unnaturally precise. "Fuuuu..." Fwip- Leon exhaled, tightening his grip on his steel sword. "..." Lycus, on the other hand, bared his teeth in a smile. Fwooosh~ FWIP¡ª His daggers twirled between his fingers before locking into his reverse grip, his stance lowering. "Finally, we're going to get some action too." Lycus whispered, his voice filled with anticipation. "..." Leon heard him, he just didn't say anything. Though, he feels the same excitement as Lycus. Fwish¡ª Leon tensed his muscles on his lower body, especially on his legs and foot. And after that¡ª BAAM¡ª He kicked off the ground! FWOOOSH¡ª He closed the distance between him and the demon in a blink, his blade was gleaming! And when he got the demon in his attack range¡ª SWOOSH¡ª! Leon's steel sword swiftly slashed in a clean arc! Though¡ª The demon was faster. TIIING¡ª! A claw intercepted Leon's strike with unnatural strength. "Urgh...!" Leon groaned. But as a response¡ª Fwop¡ª He twisted his wrist and pressed forward! CLANG! ¡ªonly for the demon to parry his blade with ease again! "...?!" SHHHHIIIICCK¡ª Leon was sent skidding back, he was frustrated. But at that moment¡ª FWOOSH¡ª! "..." Lycus was already there! And with a fast swipe¡ª SWISH¡ª He launched a rapid, precise slash with the dagger in his right, aimed at the demon's neck! -Oh... SHIIING¡ª! The demon just leaned back, dodging by a hair's breadth. Fwish¡ª And as Lycus' second dagger followed up¡ª -You're too slow. The demon said that. THWACK¡ª! "KEUK...!!!" SWOOOOSH¡ª And then he kicked Lycus while he was mid-air, launching him backward! Though before he could hit the ground¡ª FWIP¡ª! Tap- Lycus twisted, flipping mid-air and landing gracefully. Then looking at the demon with a frown on his face¡ª "...He dodged that?" Lycus muttered. And even though his expression is like that, his excitement was increasing. And then¡ª Tap- Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "..." Leon stepped beside him, his eyes narrowed, glaring at the demon. "This isn't going to be easy." He said. And looking at him¡ª "Well duh, of course it isn't." Lycus responded to him, fixing his stance. Seeing them side to side¡ª -Both of you at once? That's better. The demon said that and smirked. And the next moment, without even a sign or warning¡ª SWISH¡ª The demon vanished! "...!" Both Leon and Lycus' bodies immediately tensed, their eyes shot open. And then the demon appeared! F W O O O S H¡ª! From above¡ª! The demon descended like a shadow, claws aimed straight for them! But being ready¡ª "!!!" SWOOSH¡ª Leon reacted instantly and swung up his sword with both his hands tightly clenching it! T A A A A N G¡ª! His sword met the demon's attack, but the force was overwhelming! "URRRRRGGHHH¡ª!" CRACK¡ª Leon's feet dug into the ground as he was pushed back in terms of strength! And Lycus, making use of that opportunity¡ª FWOOSH¡ª! He vanished from his spot! FSSSH¡ª A blur moved behind the demon. And sensing that¡ª -Another sneak attack? The demon whispered. FWISH¡ª Then he twisted mid-air! S L A S H¡ª! His claw shot out, meeting Lycus' incoming dagger mid-strike! And with that¡ª CLANG¡ª! Another parry! FWOOSH¡ª And as Lycus' second dagger thrust forward¡ª THWACK¡ª! The demon struck first! "GAHH?!!" Lycus received a knee to the stomach¡ª! "Ghh¡ª!" He coughed, he became vulnerable to attacks. But before the demon could even follow up another attack¡ª FWOOSH¡ª! Leon suddenly appeared beside him! And opening his mouth¡ª "<Celestial Sword Style, Astral Gale>!" Leon exclaimed that! S L A S H¡ª! And then he swung his sword horizontally! WHOOOOOOSH¡ª! A powerful gust exploded from Leon's sword! -Tch. The demon clicked his tongue. He couldn't dodge mid-air because of Lycus. And so¡ª B O O M¡ª! He received the attack head-on! SWOOOSH¡ª -Ugh...! The wind forced the demon back, giving Lycus time to recover. "...Damn." Lycus muttered, shaking off the impact. "He's something else." Leon said, keeping an eye on the demon. (The demon just landed elegantly just a few meters away from them. Leon's attack barely did anything to him.) Find adventures on My Virtual Library Empire "He's calm. He's not making mistakes." Lycus stated, recalling every exchange that had happened so far. And opening his mouth again¡ª "Then I guess we'll have to force him to make one." Lycus declared that. The demon, hearing their conversation, rolled his shoulders. -Very well. He muttered. F w o o s h-! Then his dark claws extended further, glowing with demonic energy. And with a confident smirk om his face¡ª -Try it if you can. The demon provocatively announced that! "..." Lycus and Leon became silent at his words, chills ran down his spine. And briefly glancing at each other¡ª "Mhm." "..." They nodded in unison. Then¡ª B A A M¡ª! SWOOOOSH¡ª They kicked off the ground and dashed straight to the demon! Their battle resumes! Chapter 160 160 - The Invasion! [11]—Lycus and Leon II S W O O S H¡ª Leon and Lycus dashed toward the demon, their movements sharp and decisive. The demon remained still, watching them approach with an eerie calmness. And upon reaching him¡ª SWISH¡ª Leon swung his sword down in a swift, precise motion, aiming to carve through the demon's shoulder! F W I P¡ª Lycus followed up instantly, lunging forward with a rapid one-two thrust of his daggers, striking at the demon's ribs! But the demon was faster than expected. With a subtle, almost effortless movement¡ª TING¡ª -... The demon lightly struck the side of Leon's sword with his left hand¡ª SWOOSH¡ª Deflecting it to the side, making Leon's strike miss entirely! "Urgh...!" BAM! Leon groaned as his weapon hit nothing but the solid concrete floor, sending small cracks spreading from the impact. And immediately after¡ª FWISH¡ª The demon twisted his body, smoothly dodging the first thrust from Lycus! His glowing red eyes flicked toward Lycus¡ª And then¡ª Raising his right hand, claws crackling with dark energy¡ª CLANG¡ª! He caught Lycus' second dagger mid-strike! "...?!" Lycus' eyes widened in shock. He tried to yank his weapon back¡ª But the demon's grip was like iron. And before he could react¡ª FWOOSH¡ª The demon's left hand lashed forward, his razor-sharp claws aiming straight for Lycus' face! The strike was so fast¡ª It was like a shadow streaking through the air! But just then¡ª Leon recovered his balance in an instant! And without hesitation¡ª S W I S H¡ª He swung his sword in a horizontal arc from right to left! -Huh¡­? The demon hadn't expected such a quick counter. If he continued his attack, Leon's blade would slice straight through his stomach. And so¡ª BAM! Continue reading on My Virtual Library Empire The demon leaped back with a powerful burst of strength, dodging the slash by a hair's breadth. B A M! Leon and Lycus did the same, retreating several feet away to rethink their approach. TAP¡ª And landing lightly on the cracked battlefield, the three fighters faced each other once more. "..." "..." -... Silence. Each of them analyzed the situation, reading the battlefield, searching for an opening. And as that was happening... The demon smirked. -What a surprise¡­ To see two young warriors this skilled. He said. "..." Leon and Lycus remained quiet, their eyes locked onto him with cold intensity. The demon didn't seem to mind their silence. Instead, he continued, his voice filled with eerie amusement¡ª -Would you both consider joining our side? In exchange for power, wealth¡­ anything you desire? His tone was calm. He wasn't joking. But without even thinking about it for a second¡ª "Fuck off." "No thanks. I'd rather not join the losing side." Leon and Lycus responded coldly, one after the other. And hearing their words¡ª -Such a shame. The demon muttered. Then, with no warning¡ª S W O O O S H¡ª He dashed toward the two at an insane speed! And in the blink of an eye¡ª FWISH¡ª He was right in front of them! TAP¡ª The demon planted his right foot forward¡ª Directly between Leon and Lycus, who were standing side by side. And with overwhelming strength¡ª S L A S H¡ª! The demon swung his right hand as he roughly twisted his body to strengthen the attack, his claws extending like deadly blades¡ª Dripping with malevolent demonic energy! "...!" "!!!?" Lycus and Leon's eyes widened¡ª The demon was even faster than before! But they reacted instantly¡ª FWIP¡ª Lycus crossed his daggers in front of him, bracing for the incoming blow¡ª FWISH¡ª Leon did the same, raising his sword to block! And then¡ª T A A A N G¡ª! A massive shockwave burst out from the impact! "URGH...?!" "GARGH!!!" Lycus and Leon gritted their teeth, feeling the sheer force of the clash shake their very bones! SHIIICK¡ª Their feet scraped against the ground as they were pushed back against their will! And before they could fully regain their footing¡ª FWISH¡ª The demon reappeared in front of Leon! His left hand was already raised¡ª -Try blocking this. He said. FWOOSH¡ª And then he unleashed a crushing downward strike! The sheer pressure made the air tremble! "Shit!" Leon cursed¡ª SWISH¡ª He forcefully raised his sword up, trying to block it! And then¡ª CLANG¡ª!!! The demon's claws slammed into his blade! "GRAAAAAAHHH¡ª!!!" Leon screamed as an unbearable force pressed down on him! CRACK- A sharp pain tore through his left arm¡ª His bones fractured under the pressure! CRACK- The ground beneath him shattered, unable to withstand the sheer force! 'I'm going to get crushed¡­!' Leon gritted his teeth as blood trickled from his nose. 'No way I'll let this fucker kill me!' And with pure, stubborn willpower¡ª BAM! Leon took a step forward! Then¡ª Gritting his teeth¡ª "FUCK OFF!!!" T I N G¡ª! He swung his sword upward with all his strength¡ª Deflecting the demon's claw up at the last second! -...! The demon's eyes widened¡ª He hadn't expected Leon to be able to do that! And in that brief moment of his stupor¡ª "[Cross Slash]" Lycus suddenly appeared behind him! And gripping his daggers tightly¡ª S L A S H¡ª!!! He slashed them in a cross pattern¡ª Carving deep wounds into the demon's back! -Keuk¡­! The demon groaned, staggering forward! And Leon didn't waste that opportunity too¡ª With his sword still up in the air¡ª "DIEEE¡ª!" SWISH¡ª He swung it down, aiming to cleave the demon's skull in two! But¡ª -DON'T GET COCKY!!! The demon roared. And with a furious expression on his fave¡ª CLANG¡ª He caught Leon's blade with his bare hand! Then¡ª With a deadly glare¡ª TWHACK! He struck a brutal kick to Leon's stomach! "GARGH...?!" Leon gasped as his body folded over, his vision blurring from the sheer force of the impact! Blood and saliva blurted out of his mouth. But then, ignoring the pain once more¡ª BAM-!! Leon countered with a kick of his own! It wasn't as strong as what he had just received¡ª -Ugh?! But it was enough to make the demon stagger back! And in that instant¡ª FWOOSH¡ª PHUCK!! Lycus lunged, thrusting his right dagger into the demon's back! -Grgh...! The demon groaned¡ª But Lycus wasn't finished¡ª SLASH¡ª He twisted the blade and tore it sideways¡ª Ripping open another deep, bloody wound on the demon's back! -GAAAAHHH!!! The demon let out a pained shriek. And hearing him¡ª "..." Lycus smirked. It was all going well for them¡ª But then¡ª B O O M¡ª!! A violent explosion of demonic energy burst out from the demon's body! "Wha?!" "Gah?!" TAP- Leon and Lycus were blown backward, shielding their eyes from the blinding surge! And when the energy settled¡ª -... The demon stood between them. Still and silent. And the air around him¡ª Swooosh~ It was different. It was darker. More terrifying. And feeling that¡ª "..." "..." Leon and Lycus frowned. The fight wasn't over. It was only getting started. ***** BAM! Leon and Lycus kicked off and met again. They stood side by side once more, observing the demon. And just then¡ª S W O O S H¡ª The two tensed their bodies. "..." "..." The air around them had changed too. Meanwhile¡ª The demon stood still, his crimson eyes glowing¡ª And in the next moment¡ª FWISH¡ª!!! He vanished! "!?" "Shit¡ª!!" And before the two could react¡ª FWOOSH¡ª!!! The demon reappeared right in front of them! S L A S H¡ª!!! His right claw tore through the air, aiming to rip them apart! SWISH¡ª Leon barely leaned back, dodging by a hair's breadth! FWIP¡ª Lycus twisted to the side, evading at the last second! But¡ª FWISH¡ª!!! The demon followed up instantly, his left claw shooting forward! "!!!" Swoosh¡ª CLANG¡ª!! Leon blocked with his sword, arms shaking from the force! TING¡ª!! "Tch!" Lycus barely deflected it with his dagger, his stance faltering! Then¡ª BAM! The demon spun mid-air, whipping his leg toward them! "!?" And as a response¡ª Fwop¡ª Leon ducked. BAM! Then Lycus leaped back. WHOOSH¡ª!!! The kick barely missed them, sending a gust of wind past their faces! But the demon wasn't done there. And with an absurd speed¡ª FWISH¡ª His hands shot out. FWIP¡ª!!! And then his clawed hands clamped down on both Lycus' and Leon's arms! "!?" S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Urgh¡ª?!" The eyes of the two widened. And before they could even try to struggle¡ª B A M¡ª!!! The demon slammed them against into each other! "GAH¡ª!!!" "URGH¡ª!!!" Leon's and Lycus' bodies crashed, pain exploding in their chests! And following that¡ª B O O M¡ª!!! The demon threw the two to the ground, shaking the battlefield! Swoosh~ Dust exploded into the air. Tap¡ª The demon stepped on top of Lycus' unmoving. And looking at the two on the ground¡ª -Hah. The demon grinned mischievously. And opening his mouth¡ª -Too bad... If we had met a few more years in the future, our situation would've been reversed. He muttered that. "Urgh..." Leon weakly groaned as he opened his eyes and looked up at the demon. And with a deep frown on his face¡ª "You haven't won yet, bastard." Leon muttered that. SLASH¡ª -Urgh?! And then the demon felt something cut the achilles of his right foot! "He's right." It was Lycus, he was just pretending to be unconscious earlier! Chapter 161 161 - The Invasion! [12]—Relived -Keuk?! The demon let out a weak groan as he felt a sting on his achilles. And looking down¡ª He saw Lycus. He was looking at him with an annoying smirk. And seeing that¡ª -DIE!!! SWOOSH¡ª!!! The demon raised his foot and brought it down heavily, aiming to crush Lycus'' chest! But as soon as the demon lifted his foot that was pinning Lycus down¡ª "Hngh...!" BAM! "GAH?!" Leon kicked Lycus hard on the side! FWISH~ Lycus then slid across the ground¡ª B O O M¡ª!!! Making the demon''s foot slammed into nothing but the ground, cracking it on impact! -Huh?! The demon was momentarily flustered by this. And at that moment¡ª BAM¡ª!!! Lycus sprang up! SWISH¡ª He twisted his torso mid-air, turning sharply toward the demon. And using the momentum of his spin¡ª S W I S H¡ª!!! He extended his left hand, slashing straight toward the back of the demon''s head! -In?! FWISH¡ª!!! The demon sensed the incoming attack and tilted his head to the side, barely avoiding it. But¡ª S L A S H¡ª!!! Lycus'' dagger still managed to carve through his flesh¡ª Cutting off his right ear! -... The demon remained silent for a moment. Blood dripped from the side of his head, his severed ear falling uselessly to the ground. And then¡ª G R R R R R R R R ¡ª A deep, guttural growl escaped his throat. His eyes¡ª S H I I I I N G¡ª Glowed with an overwhelming, violent red! -You... His voice trembled with fury. -You BASTARDS!!! The demon exclaimed in rage. FWOOOOOSH¡ª!!! Then a sudden explosion of dark energy erupted from his body! The sheer force of it sent dust and debris flying everywhere¡ª "Guh?!" "Hmm?!" Making Leon and Lycus shield their faces with their arms. And when they looked back¡ª TAP¡ª The demon was already gone. "...!" "Shit¡ª!" And before either of them could react¡ª FWISH¡ª!!! The demon appeared right between them! S W O O O S H¡ª!!! Both of his clawed hands swung outward at blinding speed! "!!!" FWIP¡ª! Leon and Lycus barely ducked in time, narrowly avoiding the attack¡ª Explore stories at My Virtual Library Empire S W I S H¡ª!! The claws sliced through the air right where their necks had been! But¡ª F W I P¡ª Before they could counter¡ª B A M!!! The demon violently kicked Leon in the ribs, sending him crashing back! "GAHH!!!?" And without missing a beat¡ª PHUCK¡ª!!! His left hand stabbed straight into Lycus'' right shoulder! "AGH¡ª?!" Lycus clenched his teeth in pain¡ª But he still forced himself to move! And gritting his teeth¡ª SLASH¡ª!!! He swung his right dagger toward the demon''s throat! -... The demon saw it, but instead of dodging¡ª BAM¡ª!!! He headbutted Lycus! "KEUK...?!" Tap- tap¡ª Lycus'' body stumbled backward, but before he could fall¡ª FWIP¡ª!!! The demon grabbed his right dagger with his left hand covered with demonic energy and pulled him forward! And with his other hand¡ª BAM!!! The demon heavily punched Lycus in the stomach! "GAH¡ª!!!" BOOM¡ª! S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Sending him crashing into the ground! "Ugh...!" Blood splattered from Lycus'' mouth. But before the demon could finish him¡ª "GRAAAHHHH!!!" Leon suddenly appeared behind him with his sword raised high! S W I I I S H¡ª!!! Then he brought down his sword, aiming to split the demon''s skull! But¡ª FWIP¡ª T A A A N G¡ª!!! The demon turned at the last second and caught Leon''s blade with his bare hand! "...?!" Leon''s eyes widened. The demon glared at him, his face twisted in rage. -DON''T THINK YOU CAN WIN!!! He roared. B A M¡ª!!! Then he slammed his forehead against Leon''s¡ª "GAH?!" CRACK¡ª!!! Leon''s vision blurred, his ears rang¡ª But he didn''t fall! Instead¡ª "FUCK YOU!!!" F W I S H¡ª! Leon forcefully pulled his sword back. And gritting his teeth¡ª S W I S H¡ª!!! He swung down his sword again! And this time¡ª SLASH¡ª! His blade tore across the demon''s chest! Blood sprayed out¡ª -... But the demon didn''t even flinch! And as a response¡ª PHUCK¡ª!!! His left claws slashed diagonally across Leon''s shoulders! "GRHHH¡ª!!!" Leon groaned in pain, his body almost giving out¡ª But before the demon could follow up¡ª FWISH¡ª!!! Lycus reappeared at his blind spot, his daggers gleaming! S L A S H¡ª!!! And he opened a deep cut on the demon''s back! Though¡ª B A M¡ª!!! The demon kicked Lycus mid-air, sending him flying away! "GURGH¡ª!!!" BOOM!!! Lycus crashed against a broken pillar! And the demon, turning back to Leon¡ª PHUCK¡ª!!! His right claws stabbed straight into Leon''s stomach! "...?!!" Leon''s body stiffened when he felt that. And blood¡ª "..." Dripped down from his lips, mouth, and stomach. He felt his whole body heat up, his consciousness fading. But nevertheless¡ª "..." He didn''t scream. He didn''t flinch. And glaring at the demon¡ª "...!" PHWIP¡ª!!! His hand shot forward and grabbed the demon''s wrist. -Hmm?? The demon slightly frowned, but he didn''t take this seriously because of Leon''s current condition. Then he tried to yank his claws back¡ª But¡ª FWIP!!! Leon tightened his grip on him! -Ngh¡ª?! The demon groaned, surprised. He was struggling to take his hand back! Leon was holding on! His bloodied lips then curled into a smirk. And opening his mouth¡ª "Too late." He muttered that. And then¡ª PHUCK¡ª!!! Lycus appeared. His dagger¡ª Pierced straight through the demon''s heart! -GHRRRRGH¡ª! The demon''s body shook. But Lycus wasn''t done! S L A S H¡ª!!! He slashed horizontally, tearing open the demon''s chest! -GAAAHHHH¡ª!!! Blood sprayed everywhere. The demon staggered forward. But even then¡ª -...! His bloodshot eyes remained filled with rage! -You... FUCKERS...!!! And with sheer willpower, or anger¡ª Fwish- The demon raised his other claw, the left one! But before he could even swing it down¡ª FWIP¡ª Leon let go of the demon''s right wrist and tightly gripped the handle of his sword with both hands. And even though he''s barely holding onto his consciousness now¡ª "GRAHHHHH¡ª!" SWOOSH¡ª Leon horizontally swung his sword with his remaining strength! And then¡ª S L A S H¡ª!!! His blade cut through the demon''s neck!!! -!!? The demon''s red eyes flickered, shock was apparent on his face. And after that¡ª His head¡ª Thud- It fell on the ground. His body remained standing for a brief moment¡ª THUD¡ª Before it also collapsed. And with that¡ª "..." "..." -... Silence. "...Hah...hah...hahh..." Leon let out a slow, shaky breath. "Huff...huuu...fuuu...." Tap- Lycus, panting heavily, stepped closer. Then the two of them¡ª "..." Stared at the demon''s unmoving body. And finally¡ª ''It''s over.'' They declared that in their heads. The two of them were glad. But following that¡ª BAM! Leon fell onto the ground too! "Huh?!" This shocked Lycus. And when he crouched down to check on him¡ª He saw a pool of blood forming under Leon. It was from the hole in his stomach and the other injuries he sustained from the fight! "Leon!" Lycus exclaimed, worried. He could see Leon slowly turning pale¡ªhe was losing a lot of blood. "Urgh...!" Lycus groaned. He wasn''t in good condition either. "Haaaaa..." Leon let out a heavy sigh. His vision was seeing nothing but blur now. His eyelids were getting heavier by the second. He really wanted to pass out now¡ª "Don''t close your eyes!" Only Lycus'' voice was stopping him from succumbing to it. But soon, he wouldn''t be able to hold on¡ª ''Am I going to die now...?'' Leon asked in his head. ''That sucks.'' He said. Then, thinking about Raye¡ª ''I wonder what he''s doing right now... He really looked desperate to leave this place earlier.'' He stated that. "I hope I was able to be of help... He was a bitch before... But he''s all good now." Leon weakly mumbled, a small smirk appearing on his face. And after that¡ª "..." He closed his eyes, losing consciousness! And seeing that¡ª "Leon! Wake up!" Lycus shouted in worry. He was violently shaking Leon''s body. But even after doing it for a while¡ª "..." There was still no response from him. ''Don''t you fucking die on me.'' Lycus desperately thought. He wasn''t really that close to Leon, but he knew he was a good guy. And Lycus considered him a friend. So desperately¡ª ''Anyone...!'' He looked around, searching for someone¡ªfor something to help Leon. And at that moment¡ª "Move." Lycus heard a familiar voice above him. "?!" And the next thing he knew¡ª Fwish¡ª Lena was beside him, crouching down and looking at Leon! And without beating around the bush¡ª "[Vital Overheal!!!]" Lena started healing Leon, her eyes focused only on him! "..." Lycus stared at Lena, grateful. But then¡ª "Get over here!" "Huh?" Fwish¡ª Someone pulled him to the side. And when he looked at who it was¡ª "You''re hurt again..." He saw Sofia, looking at him with teary eyes. "Drink this!" Sofia said, handing a vial of healing potion to him. "..." And Lycus, looking at her¡ª "Thanks." He mumbled that, a relieved expression appearing on his face. He saw Allen and Devin running in their direction too. Then, he looked back at Lena and Leon... Leon was breathing normally now and his color is going back to normal. So finally... "Haaa..." Lycus could finally relax now. Chapter 162 162 - The Heroine "Lycus, are you okay?" Devin asked as soon as he reached Sofia and Lycus. Worry was apparent in his eyes. Then, looking back at him¡ª "Don''t worry, I''m fine." Lycus replied, letting out a small, reassuring smile. And then¡ª Tap¡ª Allen arrived too. "..." His eyes fell on Leon and the gaping wound in his stomach. "Is he going to be okay...?" Allen asked, furrowing his eyes. And at his question¡ª "..." Lycus glanced at Leon''s bloodied body. Then with a slight frown on his face¡ª "I don''t actually know..." He weakly muttered that. "..." Devin, Sofia, Allen, Lycus¡ªall of them looked at Lena. "Grgh..." She was groaning, slightly struggling. She was focused on healing Leon. Lena hadn''t recovered all of her mana yet, but despite that, here she was again, using a high-rank healing spell. Sweat started falling down her face, strength leaving her body. It was never that easy to heal someone. Your adventure continues at My Virtual Library Empire Lycus and the others knew that. And so¡ª "..." They looked at Lena and Leon alternately, worried expressions on their faces. Then, feeling their prickly gazes¡ª "With me alone, I''m not sure if I''ll be able to save him..." Lena stated that with a frown. "...!" The others widened their eyes in surprise when they heard that. They all looked at Leon¡ª "..." He was still unconscious, but his complexion was all fine now. They all thought Leon was getting better, but it turned out his life was still in danger. And knowing that¡ª "Shit..." Lycus cursed to himself. He felt slightly guilty and responsible because he was the one who fought alongside Leon. Lycus knew that he did nothing wrong and that no one was blaming him. ''If only I was stronger...'' But he couldn''t help but find fault in himself. And just then¡ª "What about your potions? They healed Devin''s wound!" Allen suddenly asked that, he was looking at Sofia. Slight desperation could be heard in his voice and seen on his face. Allen was close with Leon, they''re rivals and friends at the same time after all. But at his question¡ª "..." Sofia just bitterly shook her head at him. Then, opening her mouth¡ª "My potions can only heal physical wounds. They can''t restore one''s vitality. It worked on Devin because he hadn''t lost a lot of blood back then, and his injury wasn''t as bad." She explained that. "I''m sorry." And then she followed, looking down. Once again, Sofia felt helpless and powerless. She was frustrated. And it''s not just her¡ª "Fuck..." Devin muttered. He was feeling useless too¡ªhe literally couldn''t do anything to help right now. "..." Allen, Lycus, Devin, and Sofia¡ªthey became silent. Despair slowly ate at them¡ª "..." Even Lena. The frown on her face was deepening. ''If only Senior Jerusha was here, she could do this all alone...'' Lena declared in her head, remembering how big of a mana pool Jerusha had. And after that¡ª "..." The five of them desperately tried to find a way to help Leon¡ªto save him. Anything. Anyone... Then, as they were doing that¡ª Swoosh~ "Leon!" The group heard a shout from not far away. And this voice¡ª "Huh...?" Only Allen, Devin, and Lycus were able to recognize whose it was. Fwish¡ª The five of them turned their heads toward the source of the shout. And there¡ª They saw a beautiful young woman with silky, long black hair and obsidian-like eyes, holding a big wooden staff. Fwoosh¡ª She was flying toward them! "Leon, why are you hurt again?!" It was Aria Themis. (Chapter 30) Leon''s childhood friend¡ªand the main heroine in the game! Anyway... Swish¡ª Aria reached where Leon and the others were not long after. And seeing Leon''s condition¡ª "Leon!" She called for him again, worried. Aria was trying to wake him up to see if he was conscious. Her expression was almost crying, her eyes tearing up. "ugh..." Aria had seen Leon in such conditions multiple times now. But still¡ª "Please... Wake up..." There''s just no way she''ll get used to something like this. ''Please...!'' Aria was panicking, she was still in a mess, she doesn''t know what to do¡ªshe still can''t calm down. But as she was like that¡ª "You''re a mage, right?!" Lena suddenly loudly asked that, snapping Aria out of her stupor! Lena could feel a strong surge of mana coming from Aria. "Huh?" S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Aria was surprised, she just stared at Lena for a split second. She forgot about the others, only focusing on Leon. But immediately realizing the urgency of the situation, and noticing that Lena was healing Leon¡ª "Yes." Aria quickly responded. "Can you use healing spells?" Lena followed another question without beating around the bush. And immediately opening her mouth¡ª "Yes." Aria answered again. ''I had to learn strong healing spells because Leon always gets hurt.'' She thought. And hearing her answer¡ª "..." Lena smiled. "...!" Allen, Sofia, Devin, Lycus¡ªtheir eyes lit up. Then, opening her mouth¡ª "I''m currently healing the big hole on Leon''s stomach. I want you to replenish his vitality with a spell as strong as mine while I do that. I''m using the spell [Vital Overheal]." Lena explained that. And without wasting a second¡ª "I know that spell too, I''ll use it as well." Aria muttered that with a resolute look in her eyes. Fwish¡ª She crouched down toward Leon, on Lena''s opposite side without waiting for any instruction. And without further ado¡ª "[Vital Overheal!!!]" Aria cast the same spell Lena was using on Leon. F W O O O S H¡ª!! And immediately, finally after that¡ª "urgh..." Leon let out a weak groan! It was silent that everyone almost missed it! But still¡ª Leon was showing a sign of life! And seeing that¡ª "...!" Lycus, Devin, Sofia, Allen¡ªtheir eyes widened. Then immediately¡ª "Protect them both!" Lycus exclaimed that! And at his instruction¡ª "Ah!" Devin and Allen snapped out of their surprise. Fwish¡ª And then they immediately started guarding Aria and Lena¡ª "grgh...!" Who were focused on healing Leon! "Don''t die on us." Lycus whispered under his breath, glancing at Leon behind him. And after that¡ª TAP¡ª He stepped forward¡ªguarding Aria, Leon, and Lena. Chaos was still going everywhere they looked. Chapter 163 163 - The Heroine II Meanwhile, outside the outdoor training ground¡ª SWOOSH¡ª Jerusha was dashing toward the town. B O O M¡ª! She was going so fast, exploding gusts of winds under her feet with every step she took. (Yep, this move was inspired by Raye''s skill too, along with the [Bang] before.) F W O O O S H¡ª!!! Jerusha was basically flying at this point. ''Wow, this skill is really something else...!'' She exclaimed in her head. She was copying Raye''s skill, [Flash], to some extent. Jerusha was doing this because this skill uses less mana than flying, but it still let the user travel at an absurd speed! FWISH¡ª The scenery around Jerusha blurred as she pushed forward, feeling the wind violently lash against her face. But even with that¡ª "..." Her eyes remained sharp, focused only on reaching the town as fast as possible. ''If Raye''s in trouble, I need to be ready.'' Jerusha thought, furrowing her brows. She was trying to save as much mana as possible¡ªjust in case. Then¡ª "Everyone..." Thinking about Raye, Old Man Rey, Kyle, Pyro, and Zephyrus¡­ "..." Jerusha slowly became worried. THUMP¡ª Her heart felt heavy, a bad feeling looming over her. It clung to her mind, stubborn and persistent. But then¡ª "No!" Shouting that to herself and shaking her head, Jerusha reassured herself that everyone was fine. ''They''re fine¡­ There''s no way anything happened to them.'' She told herself. Though, even after doing that¡ª "..." The uneasiness still wouldn''t leave her mind. It sat there, deep in her chest, refusing to fade. "..." Jerusha became silent. And after that¡ª Fwoosh~ Silently condensing more mana on her legs and tensing her muscles¡ª B A M¡ª! F W I S H¡ª!! Jerusha kicked off the ground harder, the impact blasting debris into the air! Her speed¡ª FWOOSH¡ª!!! It doubled in an instant! The world blurred even more, the wind roaring in her ears, whipping her hair wildly. "...!" But Jerusha didn''t care. ''I''ll get there in time¡­ I have to.'' Her determination burned brighter, and with one final push¡ª FWOOSH¡ª!!! She shot forward like a comet, racing toward the town at full force! ... ***** And not long after¡ª TAP¡ª Jerusha reached the town. And there¡ª "Wha..." Jerusha saw the unfolding chaos. B O O M¡ª!!! The town was in shambles, smoke rising into the darkening sky. -KIEEEEE!!! -DIE, YOU BUGS!!! BOOM! -KE KE KE KE-!!! Monsters and demons were everywhere, rampaging through the streets. BAAM!! They tore through buildings, knocking over stalls, destroying everything in their path. "KYAAAAA!!!" "STOP!!!" "RUN EVERYONE!!!" "SOMEONE HELP!!!" Townspeople were running, hiding, panicking¡ª "MOMMY!!" Crying. Screams filled the air, a desperate cry out of fear. They were being attacked. And witnessing this¡ª "¡­" Jerusha stood in horror, her eyes darting from one scene of destruction to another. And for a brief moment¡ª "What is this...?" Her heart sank. S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. -DIE HUMAN BRAT!! SWOOSH¡ª But after catching a glimpse of a low-rank demon trying to attack a little girl¡ª "...!" Jerusha immediately snapped out of her stupor! "TCH¡ª!" She gritted her teeth, anger flashing across her face. FWIP¡ª Her hands clenched into fists, and without hesitation¡ª "[RADIANT BURST!!!]" She opened her mouth and shouted that! BOOOOM¡ª!!! Strong mana erupted from her body, surging outward in a massive wave! F W O O S H¡ª!!! A blinding light engulfed the battlefield¡ª And in an instant¡ª -KIEE?!! -HUH?! -OUCH!!? WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS?!! Every single monster and demon that was caught within its reach¡ª B O O M¡ª!!! -GRAAAAA!!!? -GAAAAHHHH?!!! -KIEEEEEEEEK?!! ¡ªwas eradicated! F W I I S H~! Ash and smoke filled the air, the bodies of the demons and monsters disintegrating on the spot! On the other hand¡ª "Huh...?" "What...?" "M-Mommy..?" Not a single townsperson was harmed. Tap¡ª "Huff..." Jerusha stood at the center of it all, panting. She had used a lot of mana that she was saving¡ª But she didn''t care. "..." Her sharp eyes scanned the battlefield instead. And seeing that no more monsters or demons are nearby... "Hup...!" Jerusha took a deep breath¡ª "RUN TOWARD THE XAPHAM HALL!!!" And then she exclaimed that! "Huh?!" "Ugh...?!" The townspeople turned toward her, hearing her shout. Their eyes questioning. But before they could even say anything¡ª "A lot of professors are there, there are also another set of anti-demon barriers there. Take shelter there!" Jerusha added that. And at her words... "Ah...!" "Thank you, Miss!" "Thank you so much!" The people thanked her. Tap- tap- tap¡ª! And then they all started heading toward the Xapham Hall desperately. "Take this... Use them to the most injured people." Jerusha then stopped one of them and said that, handing them a lot of healing potions that were from Sofia. (Jerusha left one potion each for Raye and the others¡ªjust in case. She didn''t leave one for her though.) And the one receiving them¡ª "You''re an angel... Really... Thank you..." She said that to Jerusha. And without further ado¡ª Tap- tap- tap¡ª She left after slightly bowing her head. "This was given to us by the kind lady... Give them to those who are gravely injured but still have a chance of surviving." And then she immediately started distributing the healing potions to those who needed them. "..." Jerusha just watched them get away, standing on a concrete road that was covered with blood. She doesn''t know if it''s from the monsters, demons, or the humans. But ignoring that¡ª Fwish- Jerusha looked back in front of her. -KIEEEE!!! -Huh? What happened here? Why''s everyone dead? Then she saw new demons and monsters starting to show up. And glaring at them¡ª "[FIRE CANNON!!!]" Jerusha cast another strong spell! Explore new worlds at My Virtual Library Empire FWOOOSH¡ª Launching a huge fireball toward the unsuspecting new demons and monsters¡ª B O O O O M¡ª!!! SWAAAAAA¡ª -AHHHH!!! -KAAAAAHHH!!! Killing them immediately and turning them into ashes! SWAAAAAAAA¡ª Then, opening her mouth¡ª "I need to find Raye and the others fast." Jerusha mumbled that. Her expression turning serious. And after that¡ª B A A M¡ª! She kicked off the ground and started running toward her destination¡ª Kyle''s shop. -GAH?! -KEUK...?! -URGH!!? She killed a lot of monsters and low-rank demons on the way. She also saved a lot of people and told them where to take shelter. And during that¡ª "..." Jerusha never lost sight of her destination. And soon enough¡ª Tap- "..." She reached Kyle''s shop. Chapter 164 164 - Raye Versus Rowan [1] Tap¡ª Jerusha arrived at Kyle''s shop. And there¡ª "GRAAAAAHH!!!" SWOOOSH¡ª C L A N G¡ª!! -Urgh...?! She saw Raye clashing violently with Rowan(The Demon)! ''That''s the demon from before!'' Jerusha exclaimed in her head as her eyes locked onto Rowan. She recognized him. Then, not far from Raye and Rowan¡ª "...!" Jerusha saw another figure. It was the noble demon. -Fight more! He stood there, watching the fight with a wide, amused smile. Jerusha instantly felt the overwhelming demonic energy radiating from him. "..." She held her breath. Staying silent. Suppressing her presence. Observing. And carefully¡ª Swish- She slipped behind a large pile of rubble, her sharp eyes scanning the battlefield. But then¡ª When she glanced downward¡ª "Huh...?" Jerusha''s breath hitched. "..." She saw them. Old Man Rey. Kyle. Pyro. Zephyrus. They were lying motionless on the ground. Kyle''s left arm¡ªgone. Pyro''s flames¡ªfading. Zephyrus'' mana¡ªdrained. And Old Man Rey¡ª He''s not breathing. S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "...!" Jerusha''s chest tightened. Her vision blurred. "..." Her eyes widened in shock. FWIP¡ª Her fists clenched so tightly they trembled. Her body felt weak. But the rage inside her¡ª Swoosh~ It burned hotter than anything. Jerusha wanted to scream. She wanted to rip those demons apart. But just as her lips parted¡ª "I''LL FUCKING KILL YOU BOTH!!! GRAAAAAHHHH¡ª!!!" T I N G¡ª! Jerusha flinched when she heard that loud shout. "?!!" She whipped her head toward Raye. Fwish¡ª And there¡ª SWOOSH¡ª TANG! SWISH¡ª CLANG! She saw Raye swung his black sword wildly with both hands, pure malice burning in his every strike! -URGH...!! I''LL KILL YOU FIRST, YOU FUCKING BUG!!! Rowan blocked and deflected each of his attacks, his body steady, his strength unyielding. Yet¡ª -Fuck...! Annoyance flickered across the demon''s grotesque face. "HAAAAA¡ª!!!" Raye''s rage was relentless. And witnessing him like that¡ª ''The both of us can''t be out of control at the same time.'' Jerusha regained her reasoning to some extent. Yes, she was furious. Yes, she wanted to tear the demons apart. But¡ª She couldn''t lose control. She needed to act. And so¡ª Fwish- Her eyes darted back to Old Man Rey and the others. Their injuries were severe¡ªbut they weren''t necessarily dead. There was still hope. And clinging to that hope¡ª "Fuuuu..." Jerusha took a deep breath. She waited. Tensed. Focused. And not long after¡ª That right timing arrived. "HAAAAAAA¡ª!!!" SWOOSH¡ª Raye swung his sword upward with immense force! Fwip- Rowan raised his clawed hands to block¡ª T I N G¡ª! -KEUK?!! But the sheer power behind Raye''s attack sent his hands flying! And as Rowan''s arms were up¡ª Raye''s left fist, wrapped in an elegant white gauntlet¡ª B A M¡ª! SLAMMED into Rowan''s face! -GAHHH¡ª!!! Rowan let out a pained roar. F W O O S H¡ª BOOM!!! His body was sent crashing into a burning house nearby! And Raye¡ª He didn''t stop there! BAM! SWOOSH¡ª He dashed after him! -Hmm... The noble demon, eyes tracking the two¡ª FWISH¡ª Vanished. He chased after them. And at that moment¡ª ''Now!'' Jerusha''s eyes sharpened. FWOOSH¡ª She bolted toward Old Man Rey and the others! And as soon as she reached them¡ª FWIP¡ª She stuffed Zephyrus and Pyro into her spatial ring. Then¡ª She grabbed Old Man Rey and Kyle¡ª BAM! Then she kicked off the ground! Dashing in the opposite direction where Raye and the others are! Away from the chaos! ''I need to find a safe place...!'' Jerusha declared in her head. But with this situation they''re in¡ª ''Where?'' That task is hard to do. Continue reading on My Virtual Library Empire Fwish¡ª Jerusha''s eyes darted around, still trying to find anything. And then¡ª "...!" She saw a burning house. Still intact¡ªjust engulfed in flames. SWOOSH¡ª Jerusha propelled herself toward the house. And when she reached its burning door¡ª BAM! She kicked it down! Tap¡ª She rushed inside. Fwop¡ª Carefully setting Old Man Rey and Kyle down. And then¡ª F W O O O S H¡ª!!! A strong gust of wind erupted from her body¡ª Swaaaaa~ Extinguishing the flames around them! And opening her mouth¡ª "[Summon]" Jerusha muttered that! SWOOOOOOHH¡ª A blinding light flashed all over the house. And from it¡ª Fwish- -Hmm?! A 5-meter-tall White Griffin emerged! It was Phobos! (The mighty spirit of the Northern Forest.) And immediately after seeing him¡ª "Protect us, please!" Jerusha pleaded that to him. -What...? Phobos asked, his eyes widened. Jerusha rarely summoned him. And even rarer¡ª Did she ever ask for anything. "Please..." -... But seeing her desperate expression¡ª -Okay. Phobos didn''t question Jerusha''s request. He simply obeyed. FWAP¡ª And with a single flap of his massive white wings¡ª S W I S H¡ª The remaining flames around them completely vanished! "Thank you." Jerusha murmured, relief washing over her as she gazed at Phobos with grateful eyes. But there was no time to rest. FWIP¡ª She pulled Zephyrus and Pyro out of her spatial ring. -Huh...? Phobos'' sharp eyes landed on Zephyrus. His friend. Wounded. Unconscious. And in that moment¡ª -... He understood the urgency of the situation. No words were needed. They had to act fast. So moving on¡ª "..." Gulp¡ª Gulp¡ª Gulp¡ª Jerusha poured the last of her healing potions into Old Man Rey''s and the others'' mouths, forcing them to drink. Immediately after¡ª Swaaaaah~ Their wounds began closing. Their complexions regained color. But Jerusha knew¡ª Potions had their limits. And so¡ª She opened her mouth¡ª "[Sanctuary''s Embrace!]" And cast that spell! S W I I S H¡ª A transparent golden dome made of thick and pure mana covered Jerusha and the others. And while inside it¡ª Fwoooooh~ Old Man Rey, Kyle, Pyro, Zephyrus¡ªthey all started healing! But this spell strains the body of the caster... "ugh..." Jerusha focused herself on keeping the spell active. ''I won''t let you guys die...'' She thought. She made it her responsibility to save everyone. And looking at her like that¡ª -I''m sensing some low-rank bugs outside... I''ll handle them, don''t worry and just focus there. Phobos made it his mission to protect Jerusha and the others. ***** Meanwhile, back to where Raye was¡ª -GRAAHHH!!! BAM! Rowan angrily kicked away the debris on top of him after being flung away in a burning house. Fwip- He quickly got back up. And immediately¡ª FWOOOSH¡ª!! Raye blitzed forward toward him! SHIING¡ª His black sword gleaming under the flickering flames surrounding them! "...!" His eyes burned with unforgiving malice, his body radiating pure hatred. And with all of his might¡ª "DIEEEE¡ª!!!" SWOOSH¡ª! Raye swung his sword downward, aiming to cleave Rowan in half! -Tch!! Rowan clicked his tongue in annoyance when he saw that. Fwish- CLANG¡ª!! Then his clawed hand shot up, catching Raye''s blade between his fingers with raw power! But just gritting his teeth¡ª "GRAAAAHHHH¡ª!" Raye still continued on putting force behind his attack! -SHUT UP! BAM!! But Rowan just launched a knee kick on his stomach! "KUGH¡ª!!" Air was forced out of Raye''s lungs. But still¡ª He didn''t falter! BAM¡ª!! His left gauntlet-covered fist shot forward, smashing into Rowan''s jaw! -URGH!! Tap- Rowan staggered back a step, his crimson eyes flaring with rage. -... He glared at Raye. Fwip- His wings flared open¡ª FWOOOSH¡ª!! And then he vanished in a blur! Rowan disappeared! "...!" Raye''s instincts screamed at that second¡ª SWOOSH¡ª!! Rowan reappeared behind him, claws poised to rip his back open! But¡ª T I N G¡ª!! Raye''s sword twisted mid-air, meeting Rowan''s claws just in time! SCREEEEEECH¡ª!! Sparks erupted from the impact, the two locked in a deadly struggle. Rowan frowned. -JUST DIE ALREADY! He exclaimed. Then¡ª BAM¡ª!! His wing whipped out and hit Raye! "GAHH!!" FWOOSH¡ª The impact sent Raye flying like a bullet¡ª BOOOOM¡ª!!! Crashing through burning rubble! Fwaaaaa~ Smoke billowed into the air... -Haaaa... Rowan let out a sigh. He thought it''ll take a while for Raye to recover. But then¡ª FWOOSH¡ª!! A black streak burst from the smoke. -What¡ª?! Rowan''s eyes widened seeing that. And before he could even do something¡ª BAM¡ª!!! Raye''s fist¡ªcoated in his white gauntlet¡ª slammed into his gut! CRACK¡ª -URRRGPP??! The force caved in his torso slightly. FWOOSH¡ª Sending him soaring through the air¡ª BOOOM¡ª!!! Straight into another burning house! -Keuk... Fucking BITCH! Rowan snarled, tearing himself from the wreckage. -''Is he on drugs or something?!'' He asked in his head. But instead of receiving an answer¡ª Fwish- "..." Raye greeted him. He already reached him! S W O O S H¡ª!!! And he swung his sword horizontally straight toward Rowan! -...! SWISH¡ª Rowan barely dodged as Raye''s blade carved through the air, slicing clean through a charred wooden beam behind him! Then as a response¡ª Tap- Rowan stepped forward¡ª -FUCK OFF!!! BAM! And then he struck a kick on Raye''s ribs! "KEUK!!" Swoosh- Tap- Raye coughed blood but twisted his body mid-air, landing on his feet! FWOOSH¡ª But Rowan was already rushing in! -DIE, YOU BUG!! S L A S H¡ª His claws slashed toward Raye''s throat¡ª TANG¡ª!! But Raye parried them with his sword! Then¡ª "HAAAAA¡ª!!!" He spun, driving his gauntleted fist straight into Rowan''s horned skull! BAM¡ª!!! -GAH?! Rowan''s head snapped sideways. But being a sturdy demon he is¡ª -Heh... He just grinned. -IS THAT ALL??!! And then he shouted that. FWOOSH¡ª Rowan''s own right fist shot forward! BAM¡ª!!! And he hit Raye straight in the jaw! "GARGH!!?" CRACK¡ª! Raye''s jaw cracked from the impact! Though¡ª TAP- He Ignored the pain and took a step with his right foot! And with his bloodshot eyes still glaring at Rowan¡ª "THAT''S NOT ALL FUCKER!!!" B O O M¡ª! He countered with another left straight in Rowan''s nose! -KEUK...! Rowan groaned in pain. His annoyance of Raye increased. -''THIS CRAZY MOTHEFUCKER!!!'' Rowan exclaimed in his head, readying to counter. But then¡ª BAM! -GAH?!! Another punch hit his nose! And this time, before Rowan could even process the situation¡ª "GRRRRRGH...!" SWOOSH¡ª Raye swung his sword, [Nyx]. SLASH¡ª And he cut off Rowan''s left hand! -GRAAAHHHHRGH...! Rowan shrieked in pain! BAM! He jumped back to get away from Raye. Tap- He landed on the ground, holding the place where his left hand was before. And as he was trying to stop the blood from gushing out¡ª "Your head is next." He heard that from Raye. His voice was weak. -...! But it sent a slight shiver on Rowan''s back. Chapter 165 165 - Raye Versus Rowan [2] TANG¡ª TING¡ª C L A N G¡ª!!! Rowan and Raye continued fighting. Sparks flew everywhere as Raye''s sword clashed with Rowan''s sharp dark claws. And on the other hand, just watching them from the sidelines¡ª -Haha, more! The noble demon shouted that with a wide smile on his face. He looked like he was getting turned on just by watching the intense fight between the two. He hadn''t noticed yet that the bodies of Old Man Rey and the others were gone. And that''s because the noble demon doesn''t really care about them in the first place, he also thinks they''re deads anyway. Anyway, just then¡ª BAM! "GARGH!!" Crack- Rowan''s clawed fist smashed into Raye''s ribs, sending a sickening crack through the air. But¡ª "URGH...!" TAP¡ª Raye didn''t stop! He planted his feet firmly on the ground! His rage drowned out the pain. His rage fueled him. His rage kept him moving. And with that rage¡ª FWISH¡ª Raye raised his left hand with the gauntlet¡ª TINGK¡ª!! And blocked Rowan''s next attack! It was a fast thrust of his right claws! "GH¡­!" Raye groaned. But he was already swinging back with his sword, [Nyx]! "RAAAAAAHH!!!" WHOOSH¡ª Raye launched a wild horizontal slash aimed straight for Rowan''s neck! -URGH¡ª?! FWIP¡ª Rowan barely ducked in time to dodge it. But then¡ª BAM¡ª!!! Raye''s knee crashed into his face! -KUAAAGH¡­!!! Tap- tap- Rowan''s head snapped back up and he staggered back. And then, looking back at Raye again¡ª -''Fuck¡­!!'' His mind screamed. -''Why¡­?!'' Rowan asked in his head, confused. He knew he was stronger than Raye. He knew he landed more attacks throughout the first. He knew that his claws should be tearing this human apart. But instead¡ª -''WHY AM I GETTING PUSHED BACK BY THIS PEASANT?!!'' Rowan exclaimed in his head as annoyance slowly filled him. And that''s not all¡ª He''s noticing one more annoying thing¡ª -That fucking bastard... Rowan mumbled with a frown. -''He''s getting stronger as time passes by!'' And then he declared that internally! That''s right¡ª Raye was getting stronger! With every strike. With every movement. His dodges became sharper! His counters became faster! His blocks became flawless! Raye''s instincts¡ª They were evolving mid-battle! -''WHAT KIND OF A FREAK IS HE?!!'' Rowan frustratingly grumbled in his head. His pride was taking a hit. -''There''s just no way that he''s stronger than me¡­!!'' Rowan said to himself. -This filthy human can''t be¡ª!!! He exclaimed. And as he was in denial¡ª "SHUT UP!!!" BAM¡ª!!! Raye''s fist smashed into his face. -GRAAH¡ª!! Rowan roared, shaking off the hit. But before he could react¡ª SWISH¡ª!! Raye''s black sword came down like a guillotine! -Urgh...!? FWOOSH¡ª Rowan barely twisted his body, the blade skimming past his throat! -... Cold sweat dripped down his back. -''Shit¡­!!'' Rowan cursed, looking at his left side... His left hand was gone. And because of it¡ª -''If only I have it...!'' His balance was off. Rowan''s attacks weren''t as deadly now than before. He was¡ª WEAKER. And realizing that¡ª -GRHH¡­!!! Rowan clenched his teeth. -''NO¡­!!!'' -''NO, NO, NO, NO, NO¡ª!!!'' He repeatedly shouted in his head, he was turning crazy. -A MERE HUMAN WOULDN''T BEST ME!!! He shouted that. -''This isn''t happening!'' -''My pride wouldn''t allow it!'' He followed. And after that¡ª B O O M¡ª!!! S W O O O S H¡ª!!! A strong surge of demonic energy exploded from Rowan''s body! "Ugh...?!" WHOOSH¡ª The impact sent Raye flying backward! Fwish- Tap- He landed gently on the ground after performing a backflip. But¡ª As soon as his both feet touched the ground¡ª BAM! Rowan immediately dashed toward him! S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. FWISH¡ª Rowan reached Raye in an instant! And with his red eyes locked onto Raye, with anger filling him up, with veins popping out of his head¡ª -DIEEEEE¡ª!!! FWOOSH¡ª Rowan lunged, his remaining claws slashing toward Raye''s throat¡ª SWISH-! Raye instinctively tilted his head, the sharp nails grazing his skin! But then, before he could recover his balance¡ª BAM! "UGHH?!!" Rowan''s knee smashed into his ribs, sending a shockwave of pain through his body! Then¡ª WHIP¡ª!!! BAM! Rowan''s wing snapped out, striking the side of Raye''s head like a steel bat! "GAH¡ª!!" Tap- Raye staggered, his vision spinning¡ª And before he could plant his feet¡ª B O O M¡ª! Rowan attacked again, and this time, his right foot slammed into Raye''s gut! "AHRGH!!!" FWOOSH¡ª Launching him violently backward! And yet¡ª TAP¡ª! Raye still landed on his feet! "Haa..aa...a" His breathing was ragged. And Rowan, well¡ª -... He wasn''t thinking of anything. He wasn''t calculating. And with an empty mind¡ª SWOOSH¡ª He dashed and attacked Raye again! SWISH¡ª And again! WHISH¡ª And again! BAM! Then when he got hit by Raye once more¡ª -GRAAHHHH!!! S W O O S H¡ª Rowan just ignored the pain and sent a counter! He was ignoring every attack now, he''s taking everything¡ª Except the kill! He''s fighting like a mindless beast... Just like RAYE!!! CLANG!! Rowan''s remaining claw met Raye''s sword once again. TANG!! They both pushed forward. SLASH!! Rowan''s claws cut into Raye''s arm. "urg..." Raye groaned, but he didn''t pay any attention on it. BAM!! Raye''s fist smashed into Rowan''s jaw. -keuk... Rowan groaned too, but he didn''t care about the damage he received. Tap- Tap- The two staggered back. They both bled. They both felt pain and exhaustion. But still¡ª "DIEEEE!!!" -GRAAAAAAHHHH!! Raye and Rowan kept moving! -HNGH!!! SWISH¡ª Rowan swung wildly. His claws aimed for Raye''s throat. But¡ª T I N G¡ª!!! "Ugh...!" Raye''s gauntlet blocked them! -SHIT¡ª!! Rowan''s eyes widened. And in that split second¡ª Raye countered. SLASH¡ª!!! A deep gash tore through Rowan''s torso. -KEUK¡ª!! But¡ª Even as blood sprayed from his body¡ª Even as the pain ripped through him¡ª Rowan grinned. -Heh... And then, widening his eyes at Raye¡ª BAM¡ª!!! Rowan headbutted Raye! "GUH¡ª!!" Crack¡ª Raye''s forehead split open. But¡ª Even as blood dripped down his face¡ª Even as his vision blurred¡ª Even as his body screamed in pain¡ª "RAAAAAAHHHHHH¡ª!!!" Raye didn''t stop. He couldn''t. Because his anger¡­ His pure, raw, unfiltered anger¡ª Was all he had left. WHOOSH¡ª!!! Raye extended his left arm forward! BAM!!! Then his gauntlet smashed into Rowan''s face! CRACK¡ª Rowan''s nose snapped to the side! -KUGH¡­!! But even as he coughed out blood¡ª "HAAAH¡ª!!!" Rowan swung his claws again! SLASH!! A deep cut tore through Raye''s shoulder! But this time¡ª "..." Raye didn''t flinch! He didn''t even feel it anymore! His bloodshot eyes remained on Rowan. Because pain didn''t matter to him at this point. To Raye¡ª ''I''LL FUCKING KILL YOU!!!'' Only killing Rowan is in his head at the moment! Swoosh¡ª -Huh? Rowan was surprised seeing Raye still rush at him even after being cut. And not missing that split second¡ª S W I S H¡ª Raye brought down his sword, trying to cut in half Rowan vertically! -Gurgh! FWISH¡ª Rowan moved seeing that¡ª But¡ª He was too slow. SLASH¡ª!!! So his right wing got severed. -GGAAAAAAHHH!!! Rowan let out a monstrous roar. But Raye¡ª He didn''t stop there. FWIP¡ª He grabbed Rowan by the shoulders. "...!" And gritting his teeth in anger¡ª BAM! -GUGH?!! He punched Rowan in the head! BAM! BAM! BAM! Raye kept punching. SWOOSH¡ª He kept swinging his left fist covered in gauntlet. BAM! -UGH...?!! He kept hitting Rowan in the head. And Rowan¡ª -STOP!!! Was getting wrecked. BAM! -KEUK¡­! His knees buckled. He felt it now. He was losing. Even though he was stronger. Even though he landed more hits. Even though he should be winning. He was¡ª Losing. To Raye. -GHHH¡­!!! Rowan clenched his remaining fist. His pride was shattered. He needed¡ª To kill. This bastard. Right now. And so¡ª FWOOOSH¡ª!!! Rowan''s body blurred, getting out of Raye''s grasp! And then¡ª Fwish- He went for one last attack, appearing behind Raye! His last chance. His last kill. F W O O S H¡ª His claws aimed straight for Raye''s heart from the back. -DIE¡­!!! He shouted with pure malice. But then¡ª S L A S H¡ª Rowan''s vision suddenly tilted. Then he saw¡ª -Huh...? His own body. Standing. But¡ª It had no head. -...Ah? Rowan muttered in confusion. THUD¡ª And then his severed head hit the ground. BAM- His body collapsed too. And Rowan¡ª He was now dead. And standing above his body¡ª "Haaaa...haaa...huuu..." Experience more content on My Virtual Library Empire Was Raye. Drip- drip- His black sword dripping with crimson red demon blood. And his body¡ª "Urgh..." It was all battered. Broken. Bleeding. But¡ª His red eyes still burned. Still raged. Still wanted more. And then¡ª -Haha¡­ Clap- clap- clap- A slow clap echoed throughout the area. Steady. Mocking. Unhurried. And turning toward it¡ª It was the noble demon Smiling. And with a twisted grin on his face¡ª -Heh¡­ That was beautiful. He stated that. His deep voice carried amusement, laced with something dark. Tap¡ª The noble demon took a step forward. Swoosh~ His eyes gleamed under the flickering firelight, filled with nothing but delight. -Now then¡­ His tongue slowly ran over his lips, savoring the moment. The brutality. The rage. The carnage before him. Like a connoisseur appreciating fine art. Like a predator relishing the thrill of the hunt. Fwish¡ª He rolled his shoulders, cracking his neck with a satisfied hum. And after that¡ª -Shall we begin? The noble demon asked. Smooth and confident. And without saying anything to him¡ª Fwip¡ª Raye just took a fighting stance, pointing his sword at the enemy. "..." The fire in his eyes hadn''t died yet. Raye... He was still thirsty for revenge. And seeing that¡ª -Haha, this will be entertaining. The noble demon mumbled with a stupid grin on his face. Chapter 1 - 1: 1 - Disowned "I will never forgive you..." Said a handsome young man. His cold, threatening voice, along with his dagger-like, glaring black eyes, gave me shivers. Chills ran down my spine. There are a few people in the area, watching the same scene as I am... I can hear murmurs everywhere. I don''t even know what is happening. I don''t know who this young man is. So I don''t understand... "...?" Why is he looking at me with such hatred? "What?" I asked him in confusion. "..." But I didn''t get a reply. He just kept glaring at me like an idiot. Then after a few moments... "You just wait... I''ll make you regret it in our next sparring session." The young man in front of me declared that with a tone that made it sound like he was ready to beat me up right then and there. ''???'' His words only made me more confused than I already was. Sparring session? Make me regret it? Me? ''What the fuck did I do?'' I seriously had no idea. As a matter of fact, I don''t even know why I''m here at this moment. So just to make the glaring young man in front of me leave... "Sure, whatever." I just said that and shrugged my shoulders. The whispering around intensified. The young man clicked his tongue in anger... And after that, he left. "..." I stared at his back for a few seconds. Then I turned my back at him and went the other way, Ignoring all the peering eyes on me... And as I walked away from the scene, unspoken questions lingered in my head. S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ''Where am I?'' I don''t know where I am. ''How did I get here?'' Nor do I know how I got here. It looks like I''m in a large facility, with an interior resembling that of an old mansion. The people around are wearing similar outfits, so it must be a uniform. And I don''t know how or why, but I''m also wearing the same thing as them. Anyway... ''What the fuck was that just now?'' I literally have no idea what just happened there. I''m still embarrassed and confused. ''I swear these weirdos are everywhere.'' I thought as I frown from annoyance and embarrassment. ***** ... After walking for a while and getting out of the facility... I searched for a place to sit on. I found a bench not far away. There aren''t a lot of people around. So I decided to settle there for now... I sat down. "Haaaa..." And let out a heavy sigh... Now... It''s time to arrange my thoughts. ''First, I need to recall what happened before I got here.'' That''s what I decided, so thinking back... "I was just playing a game called ''Brave Hearts'' like usual. I had a few beers... or maybe a lot..." "Anyway, I started feeling dizzy and ended up slamming my head into the monitor pretty hard..." And because of that, I blacked out. And the next thing I knew... "I was standing in front of that angry young man, who''s glaring at me like an idiot." "...?" Even after recalling what happened beforehand, I''m still confused. There''s still no explanation why I''m here and how I got here. "What the hell?" I grumbled. "Hmm?" But then, I remember a dream after passing out. It''s nothing unusual. Just the whole-ass intro of Brave Hearts when you''re starting a new save file. And after that dream... "Yeah..." I just opened my eyes and that young man is already in front of me... ''Now that I think about it, he looks kinda familiar too...'' I thought. But before I could even think of where I know him or finish arranging my thoughts... "Hmm?" Tap- tap- tap- I saw 3 formally dressed men approaching me, they look like butlers I see in historical manwhas. On the left chest area of their black jackets, I could see a griffin crest embroidered in golden thread. And not too long, they reached where I am... As I was sitting down, they stood in front of me and looked down on me. The man in the middle took out a rolled paper and opened it up. Then he read its content out loud... "Raye Alvah, second son of the Duke Gorgon Alvah..." Loud enough that the few people around us looked in our direction. Also, my name is not Raye Alvah. I don''t know why they''re looking at me like that. "For bringing multiple shame on the family name, and smearing its reputation..." ''Hmm? What family?'' I think they''re mistaking me for someone else. But nevertheless, the guy in the middle continued... "You are hereby being disowned by the family in the order of the patriarch, Duke Gorgon Alvah!" ''Huh?'' That name sounds similar. "At this very moment, you are removed from the family registry and shall no longer be considered a member of the Alvah Family." Finally, after saying that, the man in the middle stopped talking and handed me the paper. Then with contempt in his eyes. "These are the last considerations given to you by the patriarch, be grateful." He said those words as the two men with him handed me a bag each. "Then, we''ll take our leave." Then after that, they just left... Leaving me no say to the matter. "Did you hear that?" "Wow, this''ll be shocking news..." "I should tell this to everyone as soon as possible." Whispers around me started circulating. All eyes are looking at me. Feeling their gazes made me uncomfortable. So I stood up, and quickly left the area. Tap- tap- tap- I don''t know where I''m going... Tap- tap- tap- I just want to be alone. I need time to think! My encounter with those men... It gave me an idea about my situation right now. ''It''s very unlikely... I think it''s impossible¡­'' But there''s a chance... That I''m inside the game, Brave Hearts! And the worst thing of all is... "I''m the ruffian son of Duke Gorgon Alvah..." "A third-rate villain who just became a punching bag for the protagonist!" Chapter 2 - 2: 2 - The Exiled Scumbag Sitting alone in a meadow... I looked at the paper in my hand, the one handed to me by one of the butler-looking men earlier. The letter was filled with formal language... But basically, it said that I was being exiled from the family for the embarrassment I brought upon its name. After reading the letter, a frown formed on my face. Not because of what it said... But because it wasn''t written in English. I had never seen these characters before... But somehow, I could read and understand them perfectly. "Fuck." I cursed. This just made my speculation earlier to be more likely true. Wanting answer... I stood up and looked around, spotting a small pond not far away. I marched toward it, and when I reached it. I looked down at my reflection in the water... And what greeted me... Is a young man that has striking blue eyes, sharp and intense, standing out against his white hair that fell casually around his face. He was handsome, exuding an air of both arrogance and elegance... I recognized this face, it''s one of the early third-rate villains from the game Brave Hearts. The one who entangles the protagonist with the Alvah Family... Raye Alvah. And currently, for some unexplained reason... I''m in control of this body! "..." Now, I can be sure. "I''m really inside of the game..." The Brave Hearts. ... S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. *** The Brave Hearts, it''s an RPG that took place in a magic and swords medieval world, where you play as a genius commoner boy who gets into an academy called Zion Academy through a scholarship. You decide what course you will enter. Whether it''s a swordsmanship course, magic course, summoner course, or something else from multiple choices. And along with the other main characters, you are supposed to get stronger as the story progresses. And ultimately free the world from the terror of demons. ... "That''s the main objective in the game..." For the main protagonist that is. ''I''m no protagonist, I''m just a third-rate villain in the story. I hold very little significance in the game.'' I''m Raye Alvah. Leader of the delinquents in the academy, I do nothing but sabotage the main characters and cheat. And at the start of the 2nd semester of the 1st year, I will be beaten by the protagonist one-sidedly. Later on, I''ll be deemed a no-good scumbag and expelled from the academy. And after that, I will make no more appearances in the story. ''Oh...'' I was wrong, later in the game, Raye Alvah was briefly shown, being beat up in the slums for stealing a bread. And the main characters just ignored him... That scene was added to satisfy the players who got annoyed with him early in the game. ''I also got satisfaction from that cutscene, I even laughed a little.'' But now... "That''s my fate." No way in hell! "I won''t just let that be." That''s the fate of the scumbag Raye. ''But I''m not him!'' "I didn''t do anything wrong. I don''t deserve that." I won''t suffer because of that scumbag''s life choices. "I will survive and see this through to the end." I declared with resolute tone. ... *** I liked how Brave Hearts lets you choose your course at the beginning, so I cleared it multiple times, picking different courses each time I started a new file. I remembered the story progression really well. So if I play my cards right... "I can take advantage of it." After calming down and assessing the situation, I realized it wasn''t so bad that I possessed a third-rate villain''s body instead of one of the main or cheat characters. At least I have no obligation to clear the game''s events and scenarios. In short, I''m free to do whatever I want, as long as I don''t mess up the flow of the story. Sure, I got exiled from the family, but looking on the bright side, now I don''t have any obligations to them either! Besides, that family is bound to fall anyway, since they''re one of the protagonist''s enemies. And one more good thing is... "I''m currently a student at the famous Zion Academy!" It''s the most prestigious academy in the entire Rakon Empire! Anyone who graduates from it is guaranteed to live a prosperous life. So, I''ve decided, my goal from now on... "Is to graduate and have a more comfortable life than before." Though, my first problem is that tuition is ridiculously expensive! And now that I''m exiled from the Alvah Dukedom, no one''s gonna pay it for me! So the only way for me to continue studying at this academy is... "A scholarship." Yes, I need to somehow raise my grades and skills enough to secure one. And if that''s my only way... ''I need to see how far away I am from my goal.'' So with that in mind... "Status." I mumbled that word. And a bluish window, like something from a game, appeared in front of me... It''s not a special skill, this is a function of a ring artifact all students receive upon enrollment. It lets us keep track of our own progress. Anyway, that''s that. ''It''s time to check my stats...'' ===== Name: Raye Alvah Age: 18 Year Level: 1 Race: Human Stamina: 4 Intellect: 3 Mana: 2 Strength: 3 Speed: 4 Talent: 8 Luck: 7 Overall Grade: F- ===== "Oh..." My excitement quickly died down after seeing my stats. Why? Because they''re weaker than those of an average person! The protagonist starts with stats three times higher than these! And a farmer at least has 6 stamina points! I know my character is a lazy scumbag, but isn''t this way too low?! "The biggest number I see is my age..." I grumbled. But there''s nothing I can really do about it, is there? So knowing that... "Haaah..." I just sighed in resignation. ... After a few moments, I calmed down and fully accepted my situation. Also, after experimenting with the ring artifact, I learned that... The second semester will start soon. And I''m in my first year. In other words... "The protagonist will beat me up soon, and after that, I''ll be saying bye-bye to this academy." Just my luck... I laid down on the grass and closed my eyes, I''m pretty exhausted with all of this... I remembered when I find myself here. The young man in front of me when I opened my eyes earlier. A handsome young man with fierce black eyes and tousled dark hair, exuding intensity and strength... "He was the protagonist, huh." I whispered to myself. I thought, long and hard, all by myself. "..." And after a few moments... "I''ve decided." I opened my eyes and sat up. "I''ll take care of myself, nothing else." I said those words and resolute myself. ''I should do what I must to survive and attain my goal.'' I thought to myself. Then I turned to the two bags the butler-looking men had given me earlier... "What the hell are these, anyway?" I reached for one of them... "Hmm?" And noticed that the bag I grabbed had an engraved spatial magic on it! Meaning, it could store way more than it looked like it could, and without getting heavier too! ''I can sell this bag if money becomes really tight.'' I thought as I peeked inside of it. There, I found a bunch of clothes and personal items. "Must be Raye''s belongings." I then put the bag down and picked up the other one. "This one''s just a normal bag." I mumbled, feeling a bit disappointed. It was small, but pretty heavy. ''What the hell is inside?'' I wondered as I opened it up. And to my surprise... "Ohhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!" It was full of gold coins! "Ohhhhhhhhh!!!" Looks like I won''t start penniless after all. And just as I thought that... Swoosh¡ª "Huh?" A bluish window appeared in front of me. It wasn''t from the ring artifact, that much I was sure of... Curiously, I looked at it and read what was written on it. ===== Act I: The Exiled Scumbag (Complete) ===== "Huh?" This... This window appears on-screen after completing a game scenario. I didn''t expect to see this in this life too... Chapter 3 - 3: 3 - Unfair Situation Two weeks... In two weeks, the 2nd semester will start. There will be a class placement test for a week. Then after that, the sparring sessions will happen. In other words... ''I have three weeks left before I get beaten like a dog by the protagonist.'' "Not too long, but not that short either." I said to myself. If I can''t show any improvements in the sparring sessions, then getting a scholarship will just be a pipe dream. It''s a given that I would lose to the protagonist with my stats and shitty skills, but let''s at least try not to be beaten one-sidedly. So in three weeks, somehow, I need to improve my stats, even for a little. "Anyway, I''m tired... I already want to rest..." I''m currently on my way to the Amaya Dormitory. Where I''m supposed to be staying... I don''t know what time it is exactly, but it''s getting dark, so I should probably get going. ***** After a few minutes of walking, the Amaya Dormitory came into view. I didn''t get lost, as I had memorized the academy''s map after playing the game so many times before. Navigating my way here wasn''t actually that hard. Though, my low stamina points seem to be showing... S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Phew... What the hell..." I only walked for a few minutes, but I''m already tired... Also, on my way here, I got a lot of attention. No one approached me, but everyone''s eyes were on me. I could even hear them murmuring to each other. ''Looks like the news of me being disowned has already spread.'' Anyway, I just ignored them all and thought of plans for the future as I walked... "Hm?" But as I got closer to the dormitory, I saw a maid waiting at the entrance, carrying a bag. ''Uh-oh...'' I already had an idea why she was there. And it wasn''t anything good... Anyway, I walked toward her... And when I reached her... "You can''t enter here." She stopped me from going inside the facility. "Your father... I mean, Duke Gorgon Alvah, revoked your access payment to the Amaya Dormitory." She explained. "You must have know that the duke was paying for your special room. But earlier, he sent a letter instructing us to kick you out, as he will no longer be covering for your expenses here." "Also, because of your recent behavior, the academy will not be providing you a room, even in the normal dormitories, as punishment." Then she added. "This is all of your personal belongings." The maid handed me the bag she was carrying. I took it from her. "..." And just stood there for a few seconds, looking at the maid in front of me... After that, I nodded and turned my back to her. "Well then, excuse me." I left after saying that. I had predicted something like this. In fact, I had planned to leave the Amaya Dormitory anyway after collecting Raye''s stuff. I knew the cost of staying in a special room was crazy expensive, so I wouldn''t have been able to afford it on my own. But what I didn''t expect was that I wouldn''t even be given a free room in the normal dormitories... I didn''t make a fuss because that wouldn''t change anything. And I could see a few tenants watching me get evicted. I didn''t want to attract any more attention. I was already embarrassed enough. That''s why I simply left... So, where will I spend the night? Well, I already have a place in mind. "To the library it is..." The sky is already dark. So I should hurry. "What a hassle..." ... ***** "Haaa... Haaaa... Haaaaa..." I was already out of breath when I reached the library. It''s a bit far from the Amaya Dormitory, and I''m carrying a bag. It didn''t help that Zion Academy is as big as a city. And that the library is a building of its own, separate from the main facilities. "My back hurts..." The library is like a massive mansion with five floors. And right now, I''m on the 2nd floor. It''s pretty late, probably around 9 pm, if I had to guess. There''s no one around. I''m all alone in this dark, empty part of the library. The library is open to everyone all the time, but no one would be here this late... They would''ve just checked out the books they wanted and read them in their rooms. "..." Tap- tap- tap- Anyway, I went to a corner of the floor and found a study table meant for four people. I sat down and placed all my belongings under the table. I took a few books from nearby and placed them on the table to use as a pillow. Then I lay my head on the books. ''I''m so tired.'' I thought as I closed my eyes. Then everything that happened today rushed back into my mind... ... "It''s unfair." I mumbled. I remembered all those eyes on me, filled with hate and contempt. The whispers they exchanged about me... "It''s unfair." My voice cracked... I grew annoyed. I clenched my fists and bit my lips... I remembered everyone shooing me away. Even though I don''t know any of them... ''It''s so unfair...'' I didn''t want any of this. Why me? I didn''t do anything wrong... I was just playing alone in my room, having fun... I''m not Raye... I hate this. ''It''s so frustrating!'' It''s not like I want everyone to like me... But at least, I don''t want to be hated for something I didn''t even do. I acted like everything was fine earlier, but it wasn''t! It''s so fucking unfair! Bam! I slammed my fist on the table in anger. With my strength stat, it didn''t break. I was the one who got hurt, if anything... But I still did it anyway. Bam! The next strike came harder. Bam! The sound echoed in the empty library, but there''s no one around so I just went and vent my anger... Bam! My hand ached, but I hit again, to release my frustrations. Bam! Bam! Bam! ''I don''t even have a place to stay at!'' It was so absurd, my whole life changed in a single day... I''m surprised I managed to stay composed till now. But when I became alone and was able to relax even for a little... It all just came rushing to me. So damn intense that I started to cry... I know crying won''t change the situation I''m in, but I''m still just a normal human... Bam! "Fuck... Sniff... Fucking hell... It''s cold." ... ... That night... I cried myself to sleep. Chapter 4 - 4: 4 - Skewer Situation The next day, I woke up early in the morning. Not because I wanted to... "Brrrrr... Fuck..." But because it was freezing cold in the library. Grumble... Also, I was starving. ''I didn''t get to eat lunch or dinner...'' I had been so overwhelmed by everything yesterday that I forgot to eat. Maybe it was the adrenaline, but I didn''t feel hungry then. But now, it hit me all at once. I felt weak, and the cold air only made my hunger worse. "I need to eat..something..brrrrr..." "Sniff..." ''Ugh, now I''ve got a runny nose. Just great.'' Anyway, I couldn''t bear the hunger any longer. So, I hid the bag containing Raye''s personal belongings, which the maid had given me last night, under the table in the very corner... Then, I grabbed the spatial bag and the bag of gold coins. And after that... "Food..." I quickly left the library to find something to eat. ... ***** ... As Raye mentioned last night... The academy is as big as a city. That''s because Zion Academy is basically a city. There are shops, residents, inns, travellers, and many more inside the academy. Everything of it belongs to the academy, so it''s not an official city, but more like a giant campus. And now... "Fuck... Everything''s closed..." Raye is searching for an open shop in this hour at this huge place. It was about 3 AM, and almost every store was closed. Raye knew this, but he was desperate to eat. Normally, his meals were served by servants in the dormitory and he can just go and eat in the kitchen anytime he wants... But after being kicked out of the Alvah Dukedom and the Amaya dorm, food wasn''t free anymore. ''I feel like I''m dying...'' Raye thought. It was then... "Ah, that''s right..." He remembered something from the game. ''I forgot because of hunger, but there''s a shop that''s open all of the time near the training grounds!'' And as soon as he remembered that... Tap- tap- tap- He immediately headed toward that shop''s location. ... ***** (Raye''s POV) ... The hunger was so bad that I couldn''t run. Tap- tap- tap- But my hurried footsteps echoed down the empty street. Then soon... The food stall that I had been looking for came into view! Crackle... sizzle... Pop... Hisssss... The sizzling meat crackled over the fire, the fat popping and hissing as it dripped onto the hot coals. "Ah..." The aroma of roasting meat hit my nostrils, making my mouth water and my hunger worse. So without further ado... Tap- tap- tap- I rushed to the stall. And before the young man cooking could even notice me approaching... "Give me four servings of beef skewers, please!" I exclaimed that out loud. "?!" So loud that the young man flinched and almost dropped the meat he was grilling. ... ... ... Burp- With a burp... "Haaa..." A relieved sigh escaped my lips as I smiled in satisfaction. S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ''I''m full...'' I just ate a ridiculous amount of beef skewers. Enough for four people, and I ate it all by myself... "Wow, you must''ve been really hungry, huh..." The young man said as he continued to grill more meat. "I was dying, honestly. Your shop saved my life." Then I responded as I handed him 20 silver coins. "Oh? I''m glad that I helped, then." He said and smiled innocently. I had eaten like a madman earlier, not caring about manners, but he didn''t seem to mind. In fact, he looked happy watching me eat so much. It made me feel a little relieved... For the first time since coming to this world, I received a look that wasn''t filled with hostility. Then becoming curious, and to pass by time as I let the food in my stomach digest... "Why are you open, like... all of the time?" I asked the young man that question. "Hm?" In the game, this nameless skewer shop was like my stamina refilling station whenever I was grinding my character''s stats at the training grounds. It was the only store in the game that closed just before the end of the day and opened early in the morning. My character would be forced to sleep for six hours after a certain time of not sleeping in the game... But this man''s shop was always open before I passed out and still open after I woke up! He must''ve been getting even less sleep than me in the game, and he looked to be around Raye''s and the protagonist''s age, if not, younger! I didn''t care about the reasons before, but now that he was a real person I could talk to and not just buy meat skewers... I just became curious. "Umm..." At my question, the young man scratched his cheek with an awkward smile... "I need the money. Opening early, closing late. It''s the only way I can make enough." Then he answered. "Why do you need it? If you don''t mind me asking..." I followed another question. "Haha, it''s fine... Well, my mom''s sick, and I''ve got two younger brothers. I need to provide for them." He replied. He looked somewhat relieved to share even a bit of his story with someone. I thought our small talk was done after that... "Though lately, the price of meat has been rising, and so has the cost of my mom''s medicine..." ''Huh?'' But he kept on talking, and for some reason, his words seemed familiar. "Sooner or later, I''ll have to close the shop. I''ll prioritize my mom over the business, of course." He said that with a defeated smile. Hearing his story, I sympathized with him. We were both dealing with unfair situations in life. Me coming into this world, and him having no choice but to work extra hard... Because of that, it made me want to help him. And as soon as I thought about wanting to help the young man... Swoosh- ''Huh?'' A bluish window appeared before me again. And this time... ===== Sub Quest: Out of Cash, Out of Kebabs: We''re Skewered! Condition: Help the owner of the skewer shop. Rewards: +2 stat points, (???) ===== "Wha..." It''s giving me a quest to help the skewer shop owner. Chapter 5 - 5: 5 - Proposal ===== Sub Quest: Out of Cash, Out of Kebabs: We''re Skewered! Condition: Help the owner of the skewer shop. Rewards: +2 stat points, (???) ===== Staring at the quest window in front of me, my mouth hung slightly open. I couldn''t say anything. I don''t even know how to react... This quest... ''I''ve seen this before.'' Plenty of times, to be honest. It''s a sub quest given to the protagonist after they buy a bunch of times in this store. But I didn''t expect to see this window again... ''Heck, I didn''t even know I could receive a quest in this life just like in the game!'' Did my questions earlier that made the shop owner share his story trigger the sub quest? Then... "Wait..." I remembered something from the game. Once during my gameplay, I rejected this quest. Then later on, the shop closed. It reopened not long after though. I thought it was just a bug or something. But now that I know the shop owner''s story... ''It all makes sense now.'' ''He probably closed the shop when money became tight... then reopened it because his mother... probably died.'' "..." That''s just tragic. I want to help him somehow. ''But how...?'' In the game, I was tasked with hunting 10 wild animals and giving their meat to the owner. But this time... ''It''s just telling me to help the shop owner.'' Of course, I could clear it just like in the game, but I don''t have the ability to do that right now. This body can''t hunt shit. "Ah..." Then it hit me... A way to help the young shop owner. Immediately after figuring out a way... "Umm, I didn''t catch your name. Mind telling me?" I asked for his name. The young man just shook his head. And with a smile... "I''m Kyle... Kyle Larson." He introduced himself. "Nice to meet you, Kyle. I''m Raye Alvah." I introduced back. And he just smiled at me. He probably doesn''t even know my reputation in the academy. Which is perfect... "Nice to meet you too, and thanks to you, I won''t have to work late today, haha." Kyle said with a laugh. "Say, Kyle..." I called to him. "Hm? What is it?" And he responded casually. I looked at him with a smile, and the next thing that came out of my mouth... "What do you think of me being your silent business partner?" Was a business proposal. "Huh...?" ... ***** ... A silent business partner is basically just an investor, it doesn''t involve a management role in the business. But depending on the terms agreed on... ''I can earn money as long as the business runs with just a one-time investment.'' Which is what happened in the game... After completing his quest, Kyle would feel indebted to you. He will tell you to return next month, and after doing so... He would give you 15 gold coins! Saying that his business bloomed and it''s all thanks to you that he could continue working on it. After that, it will become a monthly thing! He''d give you gold coins, ranging from 15 to 30, every month you came to him! In the game, I always did his quest quite late, so that amount wasn''t really a big deal to me. But in real life... In this world... 18 gold coins is an average monthly income for a farmer! And you only need 35 gold coins monthly to live comfortably while renting a place! In other words... ''I at least wouldn''t have to worry about starving or freezing to death anymore later on!'' What''s more, this investment is 100% sure to succeed! That''s why there''s no reason not to invest in Kyle. I''ll be helping him, and it''ll benefit me in the future as well! Though, after telling Kyle about my intention... "Erm..." He just looked at me weirdly. "I get what you want. I just don''t know why you''re so willing to help me..." He said, and that''s a fair point. Well, I can''t just say it''s because of the quest and the benefits I''ll reap in the future... So I told him my other reason. "I just really want to help you out in your situation." "..." He just looked at me weirdly again. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. He wasn''t convinced at all! Even though it''s true! ''Im hurt!'' Anyway... "Also, I''m not doing it for free... You''ll need to give me 30% of your monthly profit from now on starting next month." I added that to remind him I''m not doing a charity work. "But what if my business fails?" Kyle asked. "Then that''s that, you don''t have to pay me anything." And I answered while shrugging my shoulders. Kyle was about to say something... "Though, I''m sure your meat skewers will sell like crazy." But I spoke first. "How can you be sure?" He asked while looking at me like I''m some crazy guy. Then with a smug smile on my face... "I know because I tasted them first-hand." I replied confidently. "..." Kyle became silent, he closed his mouth and thought for himself for a while. And after a few moments... ... "Fine, I''ll at least hear you out. I have nothing to lose anyway." He finally started to think positively of my proposal. ''Phew, I was starting to think he might decline...'' "Great, you wouldn''t regret it." I said as I shook his hand. As we shook hands... "How much do you plan to invest, anyway?" Kyle asked me that question. Quite frankly, I don''t know either... "Hmm, tell me the situation first." So I asked him about the flow of his money first. "Well, okay... I earn 40 gold coins a month and use 20 gold coins to buy the meat I cook, and 18 gold coins for our monthly expenses." Kyle explained. "I barely make enough for us, haha." Then he followed with a fake laugh. I can tell how tired he is of his situation from his expression... I took out my bag of gold coins. "Hmm, in that case..." Then I started counting. Placing the gold coins on the counter of his stall, I counted past 20 gold coins. Kyle just looked at me in surprise as I continued... I ignored him, his face is distracting me. ... Then, after a few moments... "Here." I pushed 50 gold coins in his direction. "Wha..." Kyle was bewildered, he was speechless. Well, I can''t blame him. With this much, he could triple his stock of meat skewers and expand his shop. And he wouldn''t have to worry about this month''s expenses... I''m giving him half of what I got from being kicked out of the Alvah Family, but it''s worth it. Given what I''ll be receiving in the future. ''It''s not even my money.'' Anyway... "Are you sure?!" Kyle still couldn''t believe that in front of him is 50 gold coins for him to use. His reaction was that of a child, fitting for his age. It made me smile... So without saying anything, I just nodded at him to answer his question. Seeing my response, Kyle teared up. And soon... "Sniff..." He started crying. "Thank you very much!" He exclaimed as he bowed his head. "I promise to work hard and repay you as soon as possible!" And then he added. "Yeah, do your best." I calmly told him. ''Well, now it''s sure that he agrees to be my business partner ... He''s even talking like we already agreed on the terms.'' And then... Swoosh- ===== Sub Quest: Out of Cash, Out of Kebabs: We''re Skewered! (Complete) ===== The message of the quest''s completion appeared in front of me. "Sweet." I mumbled as a smile crept up on my face. Chapter 6 - 6: 6 - Magic After agreeing to the terms, Kyle and I signed a written contract. He thanked me so much that my ears almost bled... I left as soon as we finished. Kyle said he''d close up for the day to focus on preparing the shop expansion. I told him to do whatever he wants since I''ll leave the management of the business to him since he knows more about it than I do. ''So all I need to do is just stay on the sidelines and earn money...'' Moving on... Tap- tap- tap¨C I''m currently on my way back to the library. And floating in front of me... ===== Sub Quest: Out of Cash, Out of Kebabs: We''re Skewered! (Complete) ===== Is the quest completion message. It hasn''t disappeared this whole time. It''s still there because I haven''t claimed the rewards yet. So with that... "Erm..." "Claim rewards...?" I awkwardly mumbled those words. Bing- ===== +2 stat points have been given to you. ===== ===== Kyle''s products will now have double effects on you. ===== Then two new bluish windows appeared, displaying my rewards. ''So it''s voice-activated, huh.'' Looking at the rewards, they''re not bad for a sub quest... From now on, anything I buy from Kyle will have double the effect on me. In short, I can replenish my stamina for less money. Then there''s the main reward... The +2 stat points. It''s nothing big in the game, but for Raye, for this body... It''s a blessing. "I''d probably need to train for weeks just to increase my stats once." I muttered. But now, I have 2 stat points I can allocate wherever I want. And I already know where I want to put them... "Put two stat points in speed." I said. Swoosh- And immediately after, I checked my stats... ===== Name: Raye Alvah Age: 18 Year Level: 1 Race: Human ----- Stamina: 4 Intellect: 3 Mana: 2 Strength: 3 Speed: 6 Talent: 8 Luck: 7 ----- Overall Grade: F- ===== My speed stat went from 4 to 6. "Sweet." I quietly said with a smile on my face. ''This is one step closer to not being beaten one-sidedly by the protagonist.'' I thought. Anyway ... "Quests..." Now I know that I can receive quests... I can get stronger using this method. But the thing is... ''Sub quests aren''t actually that common.'' Certain conditions have to be met for one to appear. Also, I need to be careful not to do any quests that will affect the protagonist''s growth or, worse, affect the story... In Kyle''s case, whether I did his quest or not, his shop would remain open. It doesn''t play a big role in the game. His shop is just a stamina refill station for the protagonist. The gold coins Kyle gives aren''t the protagonist''s main source of income either. The protagonist hunts monsters and animals, sells their parts to merchants, and earns money and experience from it. I already considered all of this before completing Kyle''s quest. So basically, sub quests can''t be my main way of getting stronger. In the end... "I need to train for real, huh." It sounds like a pain, but it''s better than messing up the story. If the story changes, the future I know will change too. If that happens, surviving in this world will become much harder... "Brrrr... sniff.. sniff..." It''s cold outside early in the morning. So I hurried my way back to the library. Tap- tap- tap- ... ***** ... After returning to the library, my drowsiness disappeared for some reason. It''s about 5 AM now, so going back to sleep isn''t really a good idea anyway. ''I''d just wake up with a bunch of people watching me and gossiping.'' So instead, I started planning my future moves. First... ''I can''t sleep in the library forever.'' I need to find a place to stay at. Then second... ''The 50 gold coins I have will disappear before I even know it...'' And after that happens, I''ll be starving to death... These are just the beginning. Being all alone comes with many problems, and unless I solve them... "Forget about graduating, I wouldn''t even survive." And so... I started racked my brain for solutions. I tried to remember every quest I did in the game and analyzed which ones I could do without affecting the main story. I know I said I shouldn''t rely on the quests, but this is all I know that can help me right now. Also, I''m just planning to do enough for me to survive... ... ... So after about half an hour of thinking... I finally found a few sub quests that could help me in my situation. ''Though temporarily, it''s way better than nothing.'' I thought. I also already made sure that they''re not relevant to the main story, and that it won''t be a problem clearing them. Thinking so hard was mentally exhausting, so I decided to rest for a bit... "..." Then my eyes landed on the books in front of me, the ones I used as a pillow last night. One of them was a magic theory book. Then it hit me... Raye is a student in the Magic Course. ''Can I use magic?'' I wondered as I looked down at my hands. "There''s only one way to find out..." So I closed my eyes... And I imagined a bright light. ''But where is it coming from...?'' I asked myself... Then I thought of a light bulb. ''Yeah, let''s imagine the bright light coming from a light bulb.'' After imagining it, I opened my eyes. "[Light]" I mumbled with intention to manifest it. Swoosh¡ª Then a bright light emerged from my right hand, lighting up the surroundings! "Whoa..." My heart raced as the light appeared in my hand. A smile crept up on my face. ''Magic... I really did it!'' I thought. Then after thinking of canceling the spell... Poof- The light disappeared. "..." I didn''t say anything, but I was grinning from ear to ear. What I used was just a basic spell from the game, but still, it didn''t change the fact that I could use magic! I stood up from my seat. Started searching for a book on basic magic. And after a bit of looking around... "I found one!" I returned to my seat and read through the spells. And then, I tried them out... "[Ignition]" A small flame appeared at the tip of my index finger as I imagined fire coming from a candle. ''Warm...'' After that is... "[Wind Blade]" I managed to summon a ball of wind about the size of a baseball. Though, it wasn''t strong enough to cut anything. At best, it was just a condensed gust of wind, blowing my hair back. Nevertheless, I''m still happy with the result. ... I tried a few more basic spells after that. I failed to manifest some, but it''s expected as I''m new to this magic stuff. So I continued to try some more... S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ''Alright, next is...'' Though, just as I was preparing to cast another spell... "Huh?" I suddenly felt dizzy. Swoosh- A bluish window then appeared in front of me. And after reading through it... ===== Mana Exhaustion: You have exhausted all of your mana reserves. Due to your low stamina, you will be forced to pass out. ===== "Shit..." A curse involuntary came out of my mouth. I was so excited about the fact that I can use magic... That I forgot that Raye''s mana stat is only 2! "Fucking... hell..." I weakly mumbled as my vision went black. And soon after... I passed out. ... ... ... ... ... "Ugh..." ''So bright.'' I thought. I squinted my eyes tightly as bright light filtered through my eyelids. I''m still sleepy. But it was then... "Oh, he''s awake." "Did he really sleep here?" "I heard he got kicked out of his dorm." "Karma finally caught up to him." I heard murmurs around me! It made me remember that I passed out in the library! My eyes then shot open. And after looking around... "..." I saw a lot of students staring in my direction, whispering to each other. "..." I didn''t say anything. Instead, I stayed calm, ignoring them... "It''s morning, huh." I casually said. After that, I got my bags, returned the books I used... Then I quietly left the library. Tap- tap- tap I calmly walked away, pretending to be unbothered by them all. "..." Though, in my mind... ''... fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck...'' I was cursing a lot because of embarrassment. Chapter 7 - 7: 7 - Caught in a Trap As soon as I stepped out of the library... "Haaa..." I let out a sigh. I''m still pretty exhausted. Then I looked around... Some students are still looking at me. And, of course, just like everyone else, they''re not looking at me positively. ''Not gonna lie, I''m starting to get used to this.'' I thought. It''s only my second day in this world, and I''m already tired of them. And that led me to ask myself... ''Why am I avoiding them?'' Because of Raye''s past actions? I didn''t do any of those. There''s no reason for me to shy away and be guilty. The one they hate is Raye, not me. Though, unfortunately, I''m in possession of his body. And from their perspective... I''m the bad guy. But I completely understand them, I really do. And even if it''s unfair for me, there''s nothing I can actually do about it. It''s not like I can just explain to everyone that I''m not the person they think I am. They''d think I''m crazy. So instead, I''ve decided... ''I''ll just accept it.'' And I''ll ignore them all. In the first place, I''m the adult here, they''re just teenagers. I''ll be the bigger person and understand their side. So think of me as Raye all you want... ''I''ll just focus on surviving from now on.'' That''s right, I don''t need anyone''s approval to survive in this damn world. So with all of that, I steeled myself... "..." I looked around at everyone staring at me. I didn''t back down from their gazes... ''If you''ve got something to say, say it to my face.'' I thought. And after a few seconds... They started avoiding eye contact. They also stopped gossiping. It became quiet. And peace, finally came... "..." ''This is so liberating.'' I thought. I should''ve done this from the start... I was too overwhelmed by everything yesterday. But after letting out my frustrations last night, I was finally able to think properly. And so, my goal became clearer... "Got anything to say?" I asked, scanning through the crowd. "..." But no one responded. "Hmm..." I quickly looked at all of them one more time... Then I nodded my head casually. And after that... "Excuse me, then." Tap- tap- tap... I quietly walked away, not sparing them another glance. I''m on my way to do my thing now. ----- After Raye disappeared from the entrance of the library... "His eyes were scary!" Students began whispering about him again. But this time... "I heard he was a spoiled brat, but he doesn''t look like one at all..." "Yeah, and they also said he''s a weak idiot who only passed by cheating and sabotaging others, but he doesn''t seem stupid or powerless at all!" They talked about how different Raye seemed from the rumors. Everyone expected him to throw a tantrum after being kicked out of his family. Exactly what the original Raye would have done. But instead... The Raye they saw exuded a mature aura. His eyes were confident and resolute, completely unfazed by their judgmental looks. And though intimidating, he didn''t come across as arrogant. "Maybe the rumors were just exaggerated...?" "Man, I don''t know..." This confused the students who only knew Raye from rumors... ''That doesn''t feel like him at all!'' ''That''s Raye? What the hell?'' But those who had witnessed the original Raye''s behavior were even more bewildered. And one of those people... ''What is he playing at?'' Was Leon Lightbringer¡ªthe protagonist of Brave Hearts! "Does he have no energy because of what happened to him yesterday?" Leon asked himself... He was just passing by when he saw Raye leaving the library from afar. Leon had already heard the news that Raye had been kicked out of his family. So just like the others, he was expecting him to lose it and get into a fight. In fact, he was ready to beat Raye down if that ever happened to break off the fight! But Raye simply walked away, and he looked completely unbothered as well... S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Leon sensed something was different about Raye, but he couldn''t quite pinpoint what it was. So, in the end... "Whatever." He just let it go and was just glad that nothing bad happened. And then, he continued with his day... ... ***** (Raye''s POV) "Ugh... fuck... my legs hurt." I grumbled. Right now, I''m on the far north-west side of the academy... In the middle of a dense forest! Why am I here? Obviously, for a sub quest! "Haaa..." Anyway... It''s been an hour or so since I left the library, and I''ve been walking the whole time. My arms are sore from carrying my bags, and I''m starving since I haven''t eaten lunch yet. It''s about 1 PM now... I''m hungry and tired. I feel like passing out again... "Fuck..." I''ve actually been at my destination for a while now. But I''m still waiting for something to happen. That''s why I''ve been circling this forest for the past few minutes... But there''s still no sign of it. "Am I that unlucky?" I mumbled. And as soon as I did... Thomp¡ª "Huh?" I stepped on something. Fwoop¡ª "WhaaaaaaAAAAaaaa!" And the next thing I knew, I was hanging upside down from a tree, with a rope around my right leg! I had been caught in a trap meant for animals! And it just didn''t end on that! With the violent swinging of the rope... BAM! "Ugh!" I hit my head hard on the tree trunk! My vision blurred. I got dizzy... And soon, I started losing consciousness. ''Really? I''m passing out again?'' I thought. I tried holding on for as long as I could... But hanging upside down... I only managed a few seconds before my vision started fading. But just before I blacked out... Rustle- rustle... I heard something approaching. "... ugh..." I let out a weak groan to alert them that there''s a human here. And upon hearing me, they rushed in my direction and showed themselves... "Huh...?" It was an old man with a bow and arrow. He looked surprised to see me in such condition. But I was so glad to see him... So glad that a weak smile spread across my face. "My... quest... giver..." I muttered weakly. "What are you talking about?" The old man asked, stepping closer. But I had no strength left to answer. So I just closed my eyes. "Wha¡ª! Hey! Don''t die on me!" The old man exclaimed, rushing over. With him here, I can now pass out in peace. That''s right, the condition to trigger this sub quest I had in mind... Was to get caught in this old man''s trap while weakened. Anyway... I passed out. Again. Chapter 8 - 8: 8 - Old Man As soon as I regained consciousness... "..." I opened my eyes. And what greeted me was an unfamiliar wooden ceiling. "Ugh... I passed out again, huh..." S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. I mumbled. That made it twice today. I sat up and touched my head. "Hmm..." There was a soft cloth bandaged around it. It looked like I''d been nursed. I glanced around to scan my surroundings... It appeared that I was in a room with nothing but a bed. The walls were made of wood, and there was a single window leading outside. Looking through that window... I realized it was already nighttime. Creak¡ª The door then opened. And upon looking in its direction, I saw the old man from before entering the room with a bowl in his hand. And soon enough... "Oh..." He saw me too. I saw a hint of relief on his face. But it only lasted for a second! His face immediately turned grumpy afterward! He walked toward me, and then... "Here, eat." He handed me the bowl he was holding with an annoyed expression on his face. "..." Taking the bowl from him, I smiled. "Thank you." I was so hungry from missing lunch again that I immediately started eating. In the bowl was a rabbit stew. A simple dish, but it tasted superb at that moment. I was really grateful. Sluuuurrp¡ª As I enjoyed the stew... "Slow down, I ain''t taking it away from you." The old man scolded me. It made me stop eating. "..." Not because of what he said, but because I remembered something from the game. I turned to the old man. "What?" He asked, looking annoyed. "How about you?" Then I asked him. "Bah! I''ve already eaten." The old man answered. "..." But I knew the truth¡ªhe hadn''t. This old man lived alone in this small cabin, hunting wild animals to feed himself. But I''d gotten caught in one of his traps earlier and passed out, so he had carried me all the way back here and nursed me. In other words, he hadn''t been able to hunt today. And even if he had, he couldn''t have brought it back with him because he was carrying me. So, what I was eating right now... ''Is probably the last provision he has.'' I bet he''s starving at the moment. Realizing this... ''Fuck.'' I cursed at myself for forgetting. In the game... I encountered this old man in one of my playthroughs. I was searching for wild herbs in the far northern part of the academy, the same forest I was in earlier, but deeper in. Then I got ganged up on by monsters in the area and almost died. I escaped toward the western part of the forest, which was safer. And while running... Boom! I got caught in a trap, the same trap that caught me today. And just like before, the old man saw me, brought me back to his cabin, nursed me... ''And cooked his last bit of meat to feed my character, the protagonist.'' I knew this because I was seeing the story from both of their perspectives. If I hadn''t, I wouldn''t have noticed, just like the protagonist didn''t. So looking at the old man again... "..." Guilt overwhelmed me. "The stew''s gonna get cold, you know." He said, urging me to eat. He looked annoyed, but I knew he was kind, just like in the game. He always acted grumpy, but deep down, he was a good guy. And knowing this, I smiled. "What are you smiling at? Did you hit your head that hard?" The old man asked, frowning. "Ah, no..." I shook my head. "Then what is it?" And with a smile on my face... "It''s just that... you don''t have to feel guilty." I told him that. In the game, it was revealed that the old man felt guilty because his trap hurt a student... The protagonist. That''s why he readily gave everything to make up for it, including his last meal. But this time, I''d orchestrated everything... I deliberately walked into his trap, hoping to trigger his sub quest. So, if anything... ''I should be the one feeling guilty.'' ... "Huh?" The old man looked taken aback by my words. And before he could even respond... "I''m at fault too. I wasn''t being careful in the forest." "In fact, I''m thankful to you for carrying me to safety and nursing me instead of leaving me behind." "And now you''re even feeding me." I pointed out everything he had done for me already. And finally... "Thank you very much." I thanked him sincerely. "Gugh..." The old man was flustered. He didn''t know how to react. "Whatever! Just finish your food!" He said, turning his back to me. "I''ve got something else to do. Rest and get well." He added before walking away. And before leaving the room... "Your bags are under the bed. I didn''t touch them." He told me that. Tomp¡ª Then he closed the door. "Hmm..." I reached under the bed and my bags are indeed there. So, I grabbed them. I knew nothing was missing. The old man wasn''t that kind of a guy. ''He probably didn''t even peek inside.'' I thought. Then looking at the bowl of rabbit stew on my lap... "I should finish this. He worked hard to give it to me." I continued eating. For some reason, it tasted even better than before... ... ***** After finishing the stew... "I''m good now." I felt better. So, now... "It''s time to pay the old man back." I have packed food in my bags. I bought it on my way to the forest since I didn''t want a repeat of what happened earlier in the morning. The reason I hadn''t eaten lunch was to satisfy the condition for meeting the old man. Anyway... I took out some smoked beef. Kyle had given it to me before we parted ways. It was tightly packed with special paper so it wouldn''t spoil during the day. I also took out a bottle of orange juice I''d bought earlier. And with that... "Old man, you there?" I called outside. "What do you want?" He answered immediately. His voice sounded weak and dry... It made me frown, so without further ado... "I''m still pretty hungry. Come join me for seconds." I invited him to eat with me. "What?" The old man genuinely sounded confused at my suggestion. Creak¡ª But when he entered the room and saw what I was holding... "...!" His eyes shot wide open in surprise. "Let''s heat up the smoked beef and eat together." I said with a smile. ... ***** The old man heated the smoked beef outside the cabin alone, saying I needed to rest. I told him I was fine, but he insisted, so I just let him... And it didn''t take long for him to return with the heated meat. And as soon as everything''s ready... "Don''t be embarrassed, old man. Eat your fill." "Shut up!" We started eating. We were sitting on the floor since the room had no furniture except the bed. And while we''re eating... "Why were you in the forest alone, anyway?" The old man asked me a question. This made me smile. ''Here comes the sub quest.'' I thought. "It''s a pretty long story." Then I answered. "Well, better start talking now, then." The old man followed, showing his willingness to listen to me. So with a small smile on my face, I started telling him everything. From the moment I got disowned... Till to why I was in the forest. I said I was thinking of camping in the forest for the night because I have nowhere to stay. I can''t just say I was looking for him. Of course, I left out unnecessary details, like Raye''s reputation and the fact that I wasn''t actually Raye. He doesn''t need to know such things. And so, we talked while we ate... ... ... "That''s all." I said after finishing my story. I was kinda relieved telling someone what had happened to me. We also just finished our meals too... "..." The old man is just looking at me, silent. But I could tell he''s pitying me. Then soon enough... "You can stay here." He told me that. And before I could respond... "I live alone. My room is on the other side of the cabin. No one uses this room, that''s why it''s empty." He continued. "If you''ve got nowhere to go, stay here." I knew this was part of the sub quest, but hearing his words... "Really...?" Made me tear up a little. "Can I really?" I asked again. And the old man just nodded his head in response. "Thank you." I thanked him. "Really..." "Thank you..." Again and again. Several times, just like Kyle had thanked me. Until the old man got really annoyed at me. ... After all of that... The old man and I cleaned up the dishes we used. Then he left for his own room. And with nothing else to do, I laid down on the bed and closed my eyes. ''Thank you.'' I thanked the old man one more time... "..." And then I fell asleep. ***** The next morning... "Hey, brat! Wake up!" I heard the old man shouting. "Ugh..." I immediately got up and fixed the bed. Then after that, I stepped outside the cabin. And as soon as I did, before I could say or do anything... "Chop some wood!" The old man shouted again. "If you''re gonna stay here, you''ve gotta do what I do!" "I don''t want to feed a parasite. So, get to work!" He added. And right after that... Swoosh¡ª ===== Indefinite Sub Quest: Want a Place to Stay? Do as I Say! Conditions: Do your chores! Rewards: EXP ===== The sub quest I had been waiting for finally appeared. Chapter 9 - 9: 9 - Chores and Companionship ===== Indefinite Sub Quest: Want a Place to Stay? Do as I Say! Conditions: Do your chores! Rewards: EXP ===== Looking at the sub-quest window in front of me, I smiled. "I''ve been waiting for this to appear." This specific sub-quest can be done more than once, which is why it says "indefinite." Anyway, this is how I encountered this quest in the game... Normally, the old man''s place is locked and can''t be accessed. However, after being caught in his trap, he brought me inside himself to nurse me. And once he''d tended to me, he told me to stay the night because I was wounded. So, I did. After waking up the next day, my character felt better, and the old man told me off. From then on, I was able to access the cabin anytime I wanted. Normally, this wouldn''t be a big deal... But the cabin is just right outside the northern forest, the hunting grounds! And upon entering the room where the old man let my character sleep, I realized I could still use it to sleep there. In short, if I slept in the cabin, I wouldn''t have to travel the next morning to hunt in the northern forest! That''s why I tried it as soon as I learned of it... But after waking up the next morning, the old man shouted at me and gave me the sub-quest, "Want a Place to Stay? Do as I Say!" And that''s when I found out that whenever I slept at the old man''s place... I needed to help him with chores the next morning to pay him back. That''s why I thought of this sub-quest when I was searching for a place I could stay, by just helping the old man, I would have a roof over my head! And not just that, by doing so, I gain EXP. Which helps in increasing my stats faster! ¡­ Anyway, moving on... "Don''t just stand there and smile! Chop some firewood!" The old man was getting impatient. "Got it!" So I immediately started doing my chore. ¡­ ***** ¡­ "Urgh¡­!" Thwack¡ª Thud! "Gurgh¡­!" Chop¡ª Crack! "Fuckkkk¡­!" Whack¡ª Thunk! My grunts filled the surroundings everytime I lift the axe and chop the logs. Sweat started pouring down my face, and my arms began to ache. It was only about 8 AM. "Haaa¡­" I was already exhausted. The day had barely started, and I was already out of energy. "Can I rest for a while?" I asked, looking at the old man sitting on a tree stump nearby. "Hmmm¡­" He looked at the firewood I''d cut. "Do one more, then you can rest." Then he responded. I thought I hadn''t cut enough firewood, but when I saw the old man smirking... I realized that he''s just trying to wear me out! I was pissed... I looked at the log in front of me, frowning. It would take me a few chops with the axe to split it. And I would be more tired than I''m already am. "..." So after thinking for a while... "Fuck it." I raised my right palm toward the log. Imagining a strong gust of wind with the sharpness of the axe I''d been using... "[Wind Blade]" I chanted those words. Swoosh! A strong gust of wind shot from my hand... Fwip¡ª Thud! And it sliced the log cleanly in half! I looked at the old man. "..." He was speechless, staring at the log with a dumbfounded expression. Then he looked at me. "Heh." I smirked. "Brat." He muttered, but I just ignored him and sat down to rest. "Fuuu¡­" ¡­ ***** After resting, I went back to cutting the logs... I only used magic occasionally since I didn''t have much mana, and I wouldn''t want to pass out again. It took me about an hour and a half to finish it all. And after I was done¡­ "I''m off to hunt." The old man announced that. He''s holding his bow in his hands and had a quiver of arrows slung over his back. sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. I looked at him. "Let me come, old man." Then I told him that. "Huh?" He frowned, totally against the idea. "I can protect myself, you saw me use magic." I complained. "Erm..." The old man seemed hesitant, thinking it over. "Hey... old man." I called, determined to convince him. "Old man¡­" "Old man." Again and again. Until... "Old man." "Ugh, shut up! My name''s Rey, not old man!" He snapped. "What? What a coincidence! My name''s Raye." I exclaimed. "R, A, Y, E." Then I added. "What''s with the extra letter? Mine''s just spelled R, E, Y." The old man followed. "Well, it makes my name look fancier on paper." I replied. And at my answer... "..." Old Man Rey didn''t say anything, he just looked at me weirdly. Moving on... "Anyway, can I come with you?" I asked again, getting us back on track. "Fine, whatever." Then Old Man Rey answered with a shrug. "Sweet." And with that, we left. ¡­ ***** After walking for a few minutes... Old man Rey and I reached the northwestern part of the forest where he''d set his traps. The same place where I got caught... Then with me following old man Rey from behind, we started checking the areas where he had left a trap. And at the third trap¡­ "Mreehh¡­!" We saw a small deer hanging upside down from a tree. And before I could even say anything about it... "I don''t want to waste an arrow. You kill it with your magic." Old man Rey said that, he was picking his nose. ''Yuck.'' I''m afraid he''ll stick his booger on me if I said no... "Ugh, fine." That''s why I complied. "[Wind Blade]." Whisst! I killed the deer quickly with a Wind Blade to the neck. Blood flowed from the wound, a sight I''d seen in the game but one that felt much more real now. "..." I didn''t look away. I need to get used to this... Because this is the life that I''ll be living from now on. "You carry it back to the cabin, my back hurts." "..." ... ***** After checking the last two traps and finding nothing, old man Rey and I headed back to the cabin. I was carrying the deer''s corpse, of course. And while we''re on our way, old man Rey caught three rabbits with his bow! "Heh, impressed?" He smirked at me, looking smug. His face is annoying. "Gugh..." But I can''t say I''m not impressed, he killed the rabbits with just one arrow each, after all. "Whatever." I said, brushing off his gloating and looking away from him. ... ... ... Around 11 AM, we got back to the cabin. And as soon as we did¡­ "Fuuu¡­" Old man Rey began preparing the meat. "I''m making lunch. Do whatever you want for now." He said. "Hmm, is there a nearby river?" I asked. "Just straight ahead." And he replied casually. "Thanks." I grabbed my clothes bag from inside the cabin. "About time I clean up¡­" It was my third day here, and finally, I could bathe. But just as I was about to leave... "Wait!" The old man stopped me. It seems like something urgent. "Huh? What is it?" I asked him. "Use magic and start a fire before you go." Then he answered with a grin. "..." I stared at him, dumbfounded... "[Ignition]." After that, I hurried off to the river. "That cheeky old man, I swear..." I muttered under my breath, shaking my head. ... ***** After washing in the river... I felt refreshed as fuck! I even recovered some of my energy and mana! And so with that, I happily returned to the cabin. ... ... "Just in time." Old Man Rey said as soon as I walked in. He was setting out our lunch. "Let me help." I helped him set the table. Then after that, we started eating... ... "Thanks for letting me stay." I muttered. "Why the thanks? You''re not staying here for free." Old man Rey responded, completely unfazed. "..." I smiled at his response... Then I continued eating. And after that... My third day in this world went peacefully. Chapter 10 - 10: 10 - Between Logs and Lessons The next morning... "Another day, another struggle." I woke up around 6 AM. I immediately stood up and fixed my bed. After that, I went outside, where Old Man Rey was waiting. "Eat up, then get to chopping, brat." He said, handing me a piece of bread with a faint smirk. "Thanks." I replied, taking it from him. And from then on, the day unfolded just like yesterday... I chopped logs to be used as firewood, then went with Old Man Rey to the forest to check the traps and hunt wild animals. Later, I washed myself in the river again, and had lunch together with the old man. After lunch... "I''ll be heading to the library." I informed the old man that I''ll be going to the library. "Okay, just don''t stay out too late." He said. "Got it." And with that... I made my way back to the main part of the academy, where all the facilities are. ... ***** "Phew..." It took me nearly an hour to reach the library from the cabin, and I was jogging most of the way! I was exhausted, but it was manageable. Then as I entered the library... A few students glanced my way. I ignored them. I have something important to do, after all. ''I need to increase my theoretical knowledge.'' If I wanted to stay in the academy''s magic course, I''ll need to study hard. So with that, I found a seat and settled down. Then I started reading books about magical theories. The fact that magic intrigued me kept me focused as I read, drowning out the noise around me. And before I even knew it... ... "Huh?" The library was empty. I was the last one left. ''It''s getting late.'' I thought as I stood up, returning the books to their shelves. And after that, I left the building. ***** Before heading back to the cabin, I went to check on Kyle... His shop was open, but he had people with him, working on the place. "I can''t just sit around while the stall is getting renovated. That''s wasted time and money." Kyle said. His words just confirmed that I did the right thing trusting him. ''I''m glad.'' Then we talked about his plans, which Kyle was eager to share. And around 8 PM... I headed back to the cabin. ... ... Entering the cabin... "Oh, you''re finally here." Old Man Rey greeted me. "Let''s eat." He said, he already prepared dinner. "..." He''s taking care of me like a family, and it made me really happy. "Thank you." I said, grateful. "Meh." Then Old Man Rey just shrugged, brushing off my thanks. And with that... We started eating dinner. ... ... After dinner... "I''m gonna sleep now." The old man went straight to bed. "Rest well." I said to him. Meanwhile, me, I still have some energy left. So I went outside the cabin, and there... "[Water Ball]!" I practiced the spells I learned from the library earlier. ... "[Wind Blade]!" "[Ignition]!" I also practiced the spells I already knew to increase my proficiency with them. And when my mana was nearly depleted... "Ugh, what a day." I headed back inside and slept. And so... My fourth day in this world ended smoothly. ... ***** The following morning... "Ugh..." Raye''s routine remained the same. Chopping wood, hunting with the old man, bathing, eating, studying at the library, checking on Kyle, practicing spells, and finally, sleeping. And not just today, this pattern of his continued for a week! He even began learning how to use the bow while hunting with Old Man Rey. Raye also learned how to fish as when their traps were empty and there was nothing to hunt, they fish in the river. And after nearly two weeks of this steady routine¡­ "This is getting easier." Raye was finally adapting to his new life. He started finishing his tasks faster, and at the end of the day, he''d still have energy to spare. And so... "I''m going to fix the cabin bit by bit." Raye decided to add that in his daily routine. Why did he think of that? Well, that''s because although the cabin was livable, it was far from comfortable... The roof leaked even in light rain, the walls had gaps and holes that let in the cold at night, and the wooden floor creaked underfoot. The list could go on. But above all reasons... Raye was concerned about Old Man Rey living like this at his age. So since he had enough money to buy the materials and tools he''d need for repairs... Raye thought it would be a good way to repay the old man for letting him stay. ''I''m going to surprise that grumpy old man.'' A smug smile spread across Raye''s face. Then after that... "[Gust]!" Raye continued on practicing the spells he had learned. SWOOSH¡ª He just summoned strong winds that knocked back everything around him. ''Not as strong as I''d hoped, but it''s getting there.'' Raye thought, seeing the result of his magic. It was already around 9 PM, but Raye still had energy left. His mana reserve also grew a little so he can still use magic. So he practiced until his mana was almost gone. And after exhausting himself... "Tired." Raye headed to bed. ... ***** (Raye''s POV) The next morning... I fixed my bed as soon as I woke up. Then after that, I ate some bread and started chopping logs. I was up early, even Old Man Rey was still sleeping! ... After a few minutes of chopping logs ... "Ugh¡­ Getting used to this, huh?" Old Man Rey stepped out of the cabin. "Yeah, it''s getting easier." I replied to him, smiling with confidence. "..." And he just frowned at me. ... After finishing with the firewood... "Let''s go to the forest." It''s time to go hunting with Old Man Rey. "Ugh... Brats and their youthful energy." The old man grumbled as he picked up his bow and quiver. Then after that, we headed to the forest... ... ***** After wrapping up my morning routine and eating with the old man... I washed myself and headed to the library. ... In the library, I still got the usual looks from the other students, but so far, nothing problematic has happened. So I just continued on ignoring them to do my own thing. That was my plan, at least... ... ... "What are you doing here?" An angelic voice asked, the question is directed at me. I ran into someone unexpected. "..." I just frowned and ignored them. "I asked you a question." They followed. "..." But I''m set to ignoring them... That''s because standing in front of me was none other than Lena Dravenhart. ''One of the last people I wanted to see!'' She was one of the main characters. And as if that wasn''t enough... sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. She''s also the second heroine of the protagonist, Leon Lightbringer! ''Fucking hell...'' I cursed in my head. I''m having a headache... I already know this won''t go well for me. Chapter 11 - 11: 11 - The Stubborn Watcher Lena Dravenhart. A young princess of a small kingdom under the Rakon Empire''s rule. She has sky-blue hair and eyes that shimmer with intelligence and resolve. Her fair skin and simple, elegant attire reflect her hardworking nature and quiet strength. In the game, Lena became a powerful mage and elevated her kingdom''s reputation. She was a key character who helped Leon from the sidelines and, ultimately, had a route where she became his romantic partner. And now... "Hey, I''m talking to you." Lena stands in front of me, glaring. ''What a way to meet her, huh.'' I thought. Then looking at her... I squirmed my face, not hiding my unwantedness to engage in conversation with her. And seeing my reaction... "Wha..." Lena stammers. "The nerve of this guy!" She exclaimed, her face turning red. "Blah blah blah¡ª!" Then she goes off, listing reasons why I shouldn''t be the one feeling annoyed here. "..." I''m not listening to a word she''s saying, though. "Duh duh duh duh duh¡ª!" ''Ugh, how did things turn out like this...?'' I was just on my way to the usual corner on the library''s second floor, where I could read in silence. When I ran into Lena... Naturally, I tried to avoid her, but she noticed me and immediately confronted me! Basically, she suspects that I''m here to do something shady and stupid... "Hey, are you listening?" Lena asked, realizing I''m not paying her any attention. And in her question, I just shook my head. "Tsk." She clicked her tongue, visually annoyed. "If you''re planning on something stupid, I''m warning you to stop right now." She threatened me. Lena stared at me, challenging me with her gaze. And for once, I looked at her seriously. "Haaah..." I sighed in resignation. ''Looks like ignoring her wouldn''t make her stop bothering me.'' I realized. So before she can start talking again... "I''m here to study." I answered her question to why I am here. And obviously... "Liar!" She didn''t believe me. Why would she? Lena is one of the many who hates Raye, after all. I mean, she has every reason to hate Raye... She works hard to succeed, while Raye just cheats and gets higher scores than her on exams. To her, Raye is just a scum cheater who tramples on people''s hard work¡ªa villain. Well, whatever... "I don''t care if you believe me or not. Just leave me alone." I said, frowning. "Wha..." Lena was speechless. And before she could say anything else... "Excuse me." I walked past her and sat on my usual spot, opening the book I brought along. "..." Lena just stared at me as I did those. She approached me again... "I''ll be keeping an eye on you." Then she declared, leaning forward, eyes narrowed with determination. "Sure, whatever." S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. I casually responded, without even looking up. "Hmph! I wasn''t asking for permission." She sat across from me, just watching me weirdly. "..." I ignored her, immersing myself in the book. ... ***** (Lena''s POV) Five hours... "..." I''ve been watching Raye for over five hours now... And he hasn''t done a single suspicious thing! He''s just sitting there, reading! He looks so absorbed in his book that he''s probably even forgotten I''m here! This scene... "..." It makes me frown in confusion. ''Is he seriously just here to study?'' But that''s impossible, this is Raye we''re talking about... A spoiled young master who only knows how to sabotage others and cheat, someone who relies solely on his family''s authority! But watching him now... "Gugh..." I can''t deny that he''s putting in a real effort to study. He seems genuinely interested in those magic theories he''s reading. So this led me to ask a question... I know for a fact that Raye cheated on the exams. ''But are the other rumors about him really true?'' Is there a chance that they''re exaggerated? Is there another side to Raye''s actions? ''Aren''t I just taking everyone else''s word without really knowing him?'' This is the first time I''ve been this close to Raye, the first time I''ve watched him this closely. And from what I''m seeing... ''He''s diligent.'' At least, in his studies. I was so bored watching him earlier that I went around and asked students about him. They told me Raye has been coming to the library every day for the past two weeks without missing a single day and stays until everyone else leaves. If that''s not diligence, I don''t know what is. ''I still hate him, though.'' He still cheated on the exams. Just then... "Hmm?" Raye stopped reading. "Oh, you''re still here." He said, looking at me. ''See, he forgot about me!'' I exclaimed in my head. "You don''t have to worry anymore. I''m about to leave." He stands up and starts returning his books to the shelves. Meanwhile, I just sat there, watching him do that. As he does... "I heard you got kicked out of your family." I brought up the news I heard about him. This news is widely spread among the students. "Yeah, sucks, right?" Raye immediately responded, totally unbothered. ''Basing from the rumors, he would''ve flipped out at me for bringing that up.'' But he doesn''t seem to care at all about being disowned. ''So maybe the rumor that he''s completely dependent on his family... is false?'' I thought. "I heard you even got kicked out of the Amaya Dormitory. How are you getting by?" I asked him another question. This time, Raye stopped and looked at me... "Well, I''m doing everything I can to survive, not like I have a choice." Then he answered... "..." I was speechless, I don''t know how to respond to his answer. Raye finished returning the books to their shelves. "Well, that''s done. I''m leaving." And he immediately left after saying that. And there, I was left alone. Questioning what type of person Raye actually is... ... ***** (Raye''s POV) "Phew, finally escaped from her." I muttered as soon as I stepped outside the library. Lena has a stubborn personality, once she sets her mind on something, she''s relentless. That''s why I decided to let her do as she pleased, answering her questions as long as she didn''t disrupt me too much. I didn''t converse with her that much, so hopefully, she already lost interest in me. Anyway... I left the library earlier today because I plan to buy everything I need to repair the cabin. But I don''t know where to find everything or how much it''ll cost, so I plan to ask Kyle for help. Since he hired people to fix his stall, he probably knows more about this than I do. So with that in mind, I headed to where Kyle is. ***** After meeting with Kyle, I explained my plan to renovate the cabin I was staying at. Thankfully, he knows a lot of things that can help me! He gave me tips on how to avoid getting swindled, where to find quality tools at fair prices, and even a suggestion for hiring construction workers if I ever need them! "Thanks, Kyle." "You''re welcome!" So after thanking him. I parted ways with him to buy everything I needed. ... ... A couple of hours later... I already got a saw, a hammer, and a bunch of nails. I also ordered wooden planks and other materials that I think I''ll need. The supplier told me they''ll deliver everything by carriage once I give them the location. For a fee, of course. But this is much better than me transporting everything by foot. So I gave them directions to the cabin, and after taking care of everything... "Time to go back, the old man is probably waiting." I headed back. ... After that, my night unfolded just like all the others. I ate dinner with the old man and practiced some spells. Then I went to bed when my mana was near exhaustion. And with that... My 13th day in this world ended peacefully(?). Chapter 12 - 12: 12 - Plans in Motion The next day, after returning from hunting with Old Man Rey... "Just sign here, sir." The materials I ordered had arrived, and a few people were already unloading them from the carriage. "What''s this all about?" The old man asked, looking at me in surprise. "I''ll tell you later." I replied, smirking at him. Moving on to the next task¡­ I signed the paperwork one of the workers handed to me, basically confirming that I received everything without any issues. Then I paid them 7 gold coins, the materials cost 5 gold coins, with 2 paid in advance. The delivery fee was an additional 4 gold coins. All in all, I spent around 10 gold coins, leaving me with 40 left. ''I should probably try to find a job, or else...'' I''d be penniless once those 40 gold coins ran out. Then after that... "We''re leaving." One of the workers called out as they finished unloading. They left as soon as their work was done. "So, what are you planning to do with all of this?" Old Man Rey asked, approaching me. "Hmm?" I looked at him, smiling, then pointed at the cabin. "I''m thinking of repairing the cabin. Is that okay?" I asked him that. "Wha..." The old man looked shocked. He opened and closed his mouth several times, but no words came out. Then finally... "Do whatever you want." He muttered that, turning his back on me. ''He''s probably hiding his face so I can''t see his expression.'' I thought, smiling in relief. I was glad that Old Man Rey seemed okay with the idea, in fact, he looks happy when I said it. "Anyway, I''m off to prepare our meal." Old Man Rey said as he walked away. "Okay, I''ll start working on the cabin!" I replied, loud enough for him to hear. "..." He didn''t respond after that and just waved his hand, signalling me to do whatever. So while he was preparing the meat, I got to work on my plan to fix up the cabin. ... ***** The cabin we''re staying in is fairly spacious. Enough for two people, at least. There are two small rooms, one for me and one for Old Man Rey, separated by a small hall that leads outside. The cabin also has a small porch, but it lacks a proper floor, so I''m planning to add one. In any case, I have a lot of plans for this cabin. ''I''m excited.'' So after roughly planning, I started on the immediate repairs inside the cabin. ... ... ''Working on the cabin brought back memories of my life before this world¡­'' Back before I came to this world, I lived alone. I grew up in an orphanage where my parents had abandoned me, and no one adopted me until I graduated from high school. After graduating, I completed my mandatory two years of military service. I also saved up money during that time, so when I got discharged, I bought a small apartment for myself. There, I would play a bunch of games in my free time as a hobby, including Brave Hearts. My life was nothing special, but at least I was getting by. Anyway, during my time in the military... I learned basic carpentry skills. S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. I''m skilled enough that, with enough materials and time, I could build my own cabin. That''s why I confidently brought up the idea of repairing the old man''s cabin. And right now... Thud- thud- thud¡ª I was hammering in new planks for the floor, replacing the creaky parts and the ones with big holes that could cause someone to trip. The cabin is more beat up than I thought... I''d already managed to replace some of the flooring when¡ª "Stop that for now, let''s eat!" Old Man Rey called out to me. ''Right on time. I was getting hungry.'' I thought, standing up and putting my tools aside. I went outside the cabin, where Old Man Rey was setting up a table topped with roasted wild boar meat. "Mmm... thanks for the meal." I said, taking a seat. Then we started eating lunch. And as we were doing so... "Thanks." Old Man Rey suddenly said, catching me by surprise. "..." I was a bit embarrassed. But putting on a smug face... "Meh." I responded, imitating Old Man Rey''s usual response when I thanked him. "You embarrassed, huh." And then I teased. "Shut up." He said, going back to his meal, ignoring my attempts to keep teasing him. And so, we enjoyed the rest of our meal in peace. ... ***** After lunch, I continued repairing the cabin floor, at least replacing the worst parts in Old Man Rey''s room... Then, I washed up in the river and jogged my way to the library. ''Can''t miss a day of studying.'' I thought as I ran. Especially today, I didn''t want to miss my study session. Why? Because tomorrow is the start of the class placement tests! And honestly speaking, I''m getting anxious... ''That''s why I''m planning to study more today to gain confidence for the upcoming tests.'' ... ***** Arriving at the library... I noticed that it was a lot busier than usual. ''Looks like everyone wants to review before the exams.'' The students were so focused that they didn''t even bother looking at me anymore. That''s nice. The class placement tests include written and theoretical sections, along with stat checks to see how much we''ve improved. And based on their results, we''ll be assigned to different classes, and the better the class, the more benefits we get in the academy. That''s why I''m aiming to get into a fairly high class, at least... ''Anything below S-Class, where the main characters are.'' So, a bit later than usual, I made my way to my usual study spot. And there... "Oh, I thought you wouldn''t come today." Lena was waiting. "..." I just stared at her in disbelief. "What are you doing here?" I asked. And with a smug expression on her face... "To study. It''s not like you own this place, do you?" She replied. "..." I frowned. "You''re right. I don''t." I sat across from her and started reading the books I had picked up along the way. ''It''s fine, I''ll just ignore her.'' I thought. Lena was probably just here to keep an eye on me, like yesterday. As long as she didn''t disrupt me, it was fine. But out of nowhere, unexpectedly... "Want to help each other review?" She suggested that. "Huh?" I looked at her, surprised. Then raising an eyebrow... "What are you up to?" I asked her that. "We''ll just exchange questions and answer them." "It''s a simple and effective way to review." Lena explained casually. "No, I mean, why are you doing this?" I followed another question. And with a shrug... "I just want to study." She answered. "..." A deep frown rested on my face. Looking at Lena, I wasn''t sure what her real motive was. But after thinking for a bit... "Fine." I agreed with her suggestion. Lena was one of the top students in Zion Academy, after all. Reviewing with her could be a big help. So with that in mind... We began our study session. Chapter 13 - 13: 13 - The Real Start "Is there a way to strengthen a healing spell without burning too much mana?" Lena asked. "Focus on the injury''s edges, not the center. Heal outward, bit by bit. It''ll take less mana, and the wound will knit faster as your spell surrounds it." Raye answered, not breaking a sweat. After that, it was Raye''s turn to ask a question. "How do you cast fire and water together without them canceling each other out?" He asked. "Keep them separate until the last second. Picture them as two streams twisting around each other, but don''t let them touch until you release the spell. That way, they amplify instead of clash." Lena answered casually. They''d been exchanging questions like this for about an hour now... Raye was asking questions he found difficult to answer himself, using Lena''s responses to expand his understanding. While Lena asked random questions on various topics, gauging Raye''s knowledge. And after a bit more of their exchanges¡­ "Your knowledge about basic spells and alchemy is quite impressive." Lena couldn''t help but compliment Raye. "Thanks, I''m pretty familiar with them." Raye replied. He had been reading up on basic spells since he arrived in this world. As for alchemy, he knew it well from the game. He once took the alchemy course and found a bunch of information on it in the Brave Hearts community forums. Then even after starting a new save, he''d leveled up his alchemy skills to make his own potions. Moving on... Raye and Lena resumed their exchange of questions. And in the midst of it¡­ "Are you going to cheat on the upcoming tests?" Lena suddenly asked Raye that question. "..." Raye was surprised, the question caught him off guard. But after seeing how serious Lena is... "I don''t know if you''ll believe me, but I won''t." Raye gave her an answer. S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ''If I cheat again, I''ll be kicked out of the academy.'' He thought. Lena nodded her head... "Why did you cheat before?" Then she asked another question. Raye wasn''t sure what to say to that, so he simply told her... "I don''t know¡­" Lena frowned at his response, watching him with suspicion. But after a few moments... "Okay." She let it go. And with that, they continued their study session. ... ***** ... (Raye''s POV) "Well, that was productive." I muttered, stepping out of the library. Studying with Lena helped me understand magic better. ''Learning solely from books has its limit, after all. This was a great opportunity.'' Now I understand magic theory much better. ''I struggled to grasp it on my own.'' I made more progress in a few hours with Lena than I had in days. Of course I had planned to stay away from the main characters to avoid messing up the story''s progression. That''s why I hesitated a lot before accepting her suggestion. But after weighing the risks and benefits, I decided that it''s worth the risk. Also, I wasn''t outside the game''s story just yet, so I figured a small interaction like this wouldn''t change much. Probably. ''Studying with a main character can''t be that big of a deal in the story.'' I convinced myself... Anyway, I headed back to the cabin right after. I didn''t visit Kyle today, I told him yesterday that I wouldn''t be coming. I planned to continue the repairs in the cabin, after all. And now¡­ "I can''t wait to practice magic later," I''m also excited to apply practically what I''d learned from Lena. ... ***** The next morning¡­ "Ugh¡­" I groaned, waking up early and fixing my bed. Then stepping outside the cabin¡­ "You''re up much earlier today." Old Man Rey greeted me. "Huh, I thought you''d still be asleep." I replied, surprised. "Well, I figured you''d be up early to chop logs." Old man said. "That''s right. Why?" I asked. Then with a frown on his already grumpy face... "Fool!" "Just eat, then wash up. You don''t need to chop logs today." Old Man Rey said that to me. "I know you''ve got something going on at the academy. Just get ready and go on your way. We''ve got enough firewood for a few days, so don''t worry." Then he added to reassure me. "..." I don''t know what to say. "Now, let''s go eat." Old Man Rey invited me. And looking over at the table on the porch, I saw a rabbit stew prepared for us. Seeing that, happiness filled me. A smile crept onto my face... "Thanks, old man." I thanked the old man. "Meh." And he just replied like the usual. ... ***** After breakfast, I cleaned up and put on my best uniform. "I''m off." "Good luck." Old Man Rey said. After our short exchange, I left for the academy... ... Jogging all the way from the cabin, I saw more and more students as I neared Xapham Hall, the academy''s main building. ''They look just as anxious as I feel.'' I thought, passing by them. Then finally... I arrived at Xapham Hall. Xapham Hall towers above, its polished stone facade gleaming in sunlight, adorned with intricate carvings. Grand double doors open beneath a soaring archway, while arched windows and tall columns lend an air of elegance. "Well, this is already nerve breaking." I said to myself as I walked into the building. ... ... Navigating to the examination hall, I found the room where the first test would take place. And upon entering... I saw it filled with students already seated, waiting for the test to start. "Whoa, he''s still here?" "I thought he''d leave the academy." "He looks fine despite being disowned." And as expected, my arrival sparked whispers. Most of them were not positive, or maybe all of them were not... Looking around, I spotted Lena. She didn''t say or do anything, just stared at me. Then not far from her... I saw Leon, the protagonist, glaring at me. ''Great, as if the test itself wasn''t nerve-racking enough.'' I thought. Then ignoring everyone... "..." I took a seat in the front row, far left. The main characters were all seated in the back, and I didn''t want to be near them. And a few moments after sitting down¡­ Swish- The door opened, and a man entered. Tap- tap- tap¡ª "..." The room fell silent. And when the man reached the podium in front¡­ "Starting now, the class placement tests begin." He announced the beginning of the placement tests. Chapter 14 - 14: 14 - A Test of Change "Everyone, be silent and get ready." The man on the podium said as he brought out the test papers. "I''ll be watching everyone to make sure no one cheats." He announced. ''Bruh¡­ I swear he just looked at me.'' Anyway... I know this man, He''s Professor Sariel Evadne, one of the important side characters who helps the main characters grow. He offers them tips and suggestions to get stronger. Personality-wise, Professor Sariel doesn''t care about bloodlines. He just helps those who are willing to learn... ''I bet he contributed to kicking Raye out of the academy in the game.'' I thought, remembering how he also despises nobles who abuse their authority. "Geez." ''Look at him giving me side glances...'' He must''ve really hate Raye. Me. Moving on... The professor began handing out the test papers. He''s using telekinesis to make them fly individually to each student. ''That''s cool.'' I thought. And once the test papers were all distributed. "Start." Professor Sariel announced the start of the test. As soon as he did... "..." The room went totally silent. No one was talking, everyone was focused on their test papers. And so am I. ''I should start with the easy questions and topics I know.'' I thought. So I started with basic spell knowledge, magic theories, and alchemy. ... ***** ''I read this from a book!'' ''I heard this from Lena yesterday!'' ''I experienced this first hand!'' Raye thought as he read through the questions. The fact that he knows the answers to them made Raye happy. He filled in answer after answer, writing quickly. And for the first time in his life... ''What''s the next question?'' Raye was excited to take an exam. He was smiling, he became so focused on the test. "..." So focused that he didn''t notice Professor Sariel standing beside him, watching him work! ''Hmm, he doesn''t seem to be cheating.'' The professor thought. He knows Raye''s cheating history, that''s why he''s keeping an eye on him, expecting to catch something suspicious. But as time passed... ... "..." He saw no sign of cheating. He even started to believe that Raye might actually be trying to do this on his own! ''Most of his answers are right too¡­'' This surprised Sariel. He had caught Raye cheating many times before. Seeing him working honestly was unexpected. Of course, he was aware of what happened to Raye a couple weeks ago. ''Did that become his wake up call?'' So he thought maybe that triggered the change in Raye. ''No, I can''t be deceived...'' But he immediately shook his head, suspecting Raye might just be tricking him. So, Sariel continued to watch him even as he checked on the other students. But even after watching Raye for a long time... ... Raye didn''t cheat, not even once. ''He didn''t even try.'' Sariel thought. In fact... Raye was so immersed in the test that he forgot the time and everyone around him! And before he knew it, time was up for the test... ... ***** "Time''s up. Pass me your papers." Professor Sariel said as he approached Raye. Raye, breaking out of his flow... "Oh¡­" Looked up and noticed that everyone else had already passed in their papers and left. He was the only one left. ''So they all finished before the time ran out, huh.'' Raye thought, disappointed, as he handed in his papers. And seeing this... "Did you answer all the questions?" Professor Sariel asked him. "No, I couldn''t go back to the questions I skipped." Raye replied with a defeated smile on his face. Even though he had studied a lot, Raye''s lack of foundational knowledge about magic left a gap between him and the students who grew up in this world. His prior knowledge only came from the game, after all. It''s so different in real life. But Raye felt that with just a bit more time, he could have answered everything... "Hmm..." Professor Sariel thought for a moment. And after a brief pause... "Here." He handed the questionnaire and answer sheet back to Raye. "Huh?" Raye was surprised. But before he could ask what this was all about... "There''s still half an hour before the stat checking starts." "I can wait.'' Sariel said that. Hearing his words made Raye''s eyes widened. "Thank you!" He immediately bowed his head and thanked Sariel. Then he quickly resumed answering the questions he missed. Raye was smiling ear to ear. ''He''s changing for the better. I should give him a hand.'' Professor Sariel thought, a small smile on his face as he watched Raye work excitedly. ... ***** (Raye''s POV) "Huff¡­ huff¡­ huff¡­ huff..." I ran toward Paschar Clinic, the main clinic in Xapham Hall, where the stat checking would be held. Thanks to Professor Sariel, I was able to answer every question in the written test. But it took me the whole extra half hour to do so! The Paschar Clinic isn''t really that close to the examination hall... "Huff... huff... gurgh...!" S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. That''s why I''m currently running full speed! Professor Sariel said he could give me an excuse letter and I can just take the stat checking later, but I didn''t want to cause him any more trouble. ''He''s already helped me enough. I''m grateful. '' I don''t know why he decided to help me, but I really appreciate it. I''ll repay him by doing better on the next exam. ''He''ll be happy with that.'' I thought. Then I increased my speed. ... ***** Soon, Raye reached the doors of Paschar Clinic... He knew he was late, so without further hesitation. CREAAKK¡ª He opened the door and stepped inside. As soon as he entered... "He''s late." "He must''ve goofed off somewhere." "The nerve¡­" He caught everyone''s attention. Whispers spread throughout the room, but Raye ignored them. "You''re late. Everyone is done." The nurse handling the stat checking said, clearly annoyed. "I''m sorry." Raye simply apologized. This surprised the students, even Leon, who was watching from the corner of the room. "Well, that''s a surprise." Leon muttered to himself. "Hmm, he''s really different from the rumors." Lena murmured on the other side of the room. "Whatever, just stand on the platform so we can check your stats and be done." The nurse grumbled impatiently. "Okay." Raye complied, walking toward the platform as whispers trailed behind him. "I bet he didn''t improve at all." "Last time, his stats were trash." "I bet that even my baby brother has better stats¡­" Raye ignored the comments and stepped onto the platform. "We''re going to look at your past stats from the records." The nurse announced... Swoosh- ===== Name: Raye Alvah Age: 18 Year Level: 1 Race: Human ----- Stamina: 4 Intellect: 3 Mana: 2 Strength: 3 Speed: 4 ----- Overall Grade: F- ===== Then he displayed Raye''s stats from the previous check in the air for everyone to see. "See, he''s weaker than my dog." "How did he even pass?" "Must''ve been his family¡­" The whispers intensified. "Quiet." But the nurse silenced them. ''Weaker than the snotty kid from my village.'' Leon thought when he saw Raye''s stat, he clicked his tongue. "He''s that weak, huh." Lena whispered to herself. "Now, let''s see how you''ve improved." The nurse muttered, then he activated the platform. And after that.. Swoosh¡ª Raye''s new stats were displayed. ===== Name: Raye Alvah Age: 18 Year Level: 1 Race: Human ----- Stamina: 13 Intellect: 12 Mana: 8 Strength: 10 Speed: 11 ----- Overall Grade: F- Growth Rate: S- ===== "..." And it silenced everyone who were talking trash about Raye. Chapter 15 - 15: 15 - The Measure of Progress ===== Name: Raye Alvah Age: 18 Year Level: 1 Race: Human ----- Stamina: 13 Intellect: 12 Mana: 8 Strength: 10 Speed: 11 ----- Overall Grade: F- Growth Rate: S- ===== "Wha¡­?" Everyone in the Paschar Clinic was stunned upon seeing Raye''s stats, especially his growth rate. "His growth rate is S- tier?!" "How¡­?" "There must be something wrong with the artifact!" The students exclaimed. They just couldn''t believe it... Raye, who they all knew as a ruffian, had grown incredibly! The last check had been at the end of the semester, only two weeks ago. In short... Raye had managed to at least triple his stats in that short time! While his stats were still shit low, his growth rate was phenomenal. "..." Even Leon was speechless. His own stats were higher than Raye''s, and his growth rate was S+ tier¡­ ''Maybe I''ve been underestimating him too much.'' He just didn''t expect someone like Raye to achieve something like this. "What the heck¡­" Lena was equally surprised. She had expected some improvement from Raye, seeing how he seemed different from the rumors, but she hadn''t anticipated this much growth. And as for Raye¡­ ''Just barely made it, huh.'' His reaction was rather lukewarm. Despite the massive improvement, he didn''t get complacent. Because for him... This was just the starting line. ***** (Raye''s POV) After all the physical labor, daily runs from the cabin to the library, and countless hours of studying¡­ ''I finally have stats close to Leon''s starting stats in the game.'' But I can''t afford to be satisfied. I may have increased my strength and stamina to that of an average man, but¡­ Leon trained and completed various quests throughout the first semester and during the break. ''And the quests he did were important ones.'' In other words¡­ ''I''m still no match for him.'' By the time I took my first step on the ladder, Leon was already on the next floor. ''Next week, he''ll still beat me like a punching bag.'' Of course I know I can''t win, nor do I have the intention to do so. ''I just want to show the academy that I''m not useless so they would keep me here.'' Thankfully, my second semester tuition was paid before I got disowned. So unless I do something stupid, I still have 4 months here at the academy. And during those months... ''I need to get a scholarship.'' --- "Alright. You can step down from the platform now." The nurse said, snapping me out of my thoughts. "..." I quietly complied, feeling everyone''s eyes on me. Tap, tap, tap. Ignoring the attention, I found a spot far away from everyone in the back of the clinic. And when everything was done¡­ "You are all done for the day." The nurse announced. And I immediately left the Paschar Clinic. ***** ''S- tier growth, huh.'' It''s given to someone who grew twice as much as they were before in a short amount of time. While the others were surprised that I got it, it''s nothing special for me. ''After all, when your stats are low, it''s easier to raise them.'' In short, Raye''s stats were so shit that when I got to raise it into average, it was considered a big achievement. Also, his stats were all tripled just to be considered average! "Which is embarrassing if you ask me." Anyway... The class placement test would take two days, and it''s done according to year levels. The results wouldn''t be published until the end of the week, after the seniors are done with theirs. The first day covered written exams and stat checks¡­ And on the second day¡­ ''It''ll be practical.'' I thought about this as I walked through the hallway of Xapham Hall, heading outside. ''Being an outcast isn''t so bad.'' Then I suddenly thought. No one was bothering me. Sure, everyone''s judgmental stares were hard to ignore, but once you get used to it¡­ ''It can really be peaceful.'' As I thought about this¡­ "Huh?" I noticed Kyle outside Xapham Hall. He saw me too, and as soon as he did¡­ "Raye!" He called out happily, waving his hand in the air. Ignoring the onlookers, I made my way over to him. ... "What are you doing here?" I asked once I reached Kyle. And instead of answering... "Here." Kyle handed me a small box. "Hmm?" Opening it, I found two servings of roasted beef meat. And before I could even ask... "I heard there was something going on at the academy. You helped my shop, so I wanted to support you somehow." Kyle explained. "¡­" I was speechless, a smile crept onto my face. Today had been a fantastic day. Old Man Rey made me breakfast and wished me luck this morning, and Professor Sariel extended the test time for me. Now, Kyle was showing his support too. "Haha¡­" A small laugh escaped me. For the first time... It felt like my hard work was paying off. "Thank you, Kyle." I muttered, genuinely smiling at him. "You''re welcome." Kyle replied proudly. "Want to join me?" I invited him. "Are you sure?" "There''s two servings, and I''m not that hungry." I said. "Well, if you say so." And Kyle finally accepted. ''Also, I''ll be joining the old man for dinner later, so I should save some room in my stomach.'' I thought as Kyle and I found a place to sit. ----- At the entrance to Xapham Hall¡­ "What the¡­?" "That''s Raye?" "Who''s that guy with him?" The students who saw Raye and Kyle''s interaction were visibly confused. They didn''t expect Raye to act like that with someone, especially to someone who seems like a commoner... "Also, isn''t he handsome when he smiles like that?" One female student commented. "..." Those who heard her just looked at her weirdly... ''Well, I can''t deny it.'' But somewhat, they agree with her. ***** (Raye''s POV) "I''m back." I called out as I stepped inside the cabin. And there, I saw Old Man Rey waiting for me with dinner already prepared. Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ''I knew it.'' I thought as a smile appeared on my face. "How was the thing in the academy?" The old man asked. And with a confident grin on me... "I nailed it." I answered proudly. "Really? Tell me about it while we eat." Old Man Rey suggested. Eager to share my day with him... "Okay." I quickly changed clothes and then joined the old man for dinner. And while eating, I started recounting what happened in the examination and stat checking... Old Man Rey listened intently the whole times, which made me even happier to share. And after I''m done with my story... "Sounds like you have a good teacher." Old Man Rey said that, pertaining to Professor Sariel. I told him how he helped me a lot by simply waiting for half an hour more. "Yeah, I''m grateful to him." I said. And after a brief pause... "Old Man." I called out for the old man. "Hmm, what is it?" And looking at him... "Thanks." I simply said that. I know I always end up thanking him, but thinking about it¡­ ''It''s thanks to him that I can live comfortably in this world.'' It''s thanks to him that I grew stronger, have a roof over my head, and don''t starve. ''And it''s thanks to him that I haven''t felt completely alone...'' Old Man Rey was just an extra NPC in the game, but for me, if my life were a story, he would surely be one of the most important characters in it. Moving on... "Meh." Old Man Rey replied in his usual gruff tone, making me chuckle. "If you''re really grateful, repay me by doing your best. Don''t half-ass things." But his next words took me by surprise. "..." I don''t know what to say, but in the end... "I''ll keep that in mind." I just said that and nodded my head. And after that, we continued our meal quietly. ... ... After eating, Old Man Rey went to bed. Knowing tomorrow was the practical part of the test, I decided to train my skills and spells until my mana and energy were depleted before heading to sleep. And with that¡­ My 15th day in this world ended. Chapter 16 - 16: 16 - Physical Test The second and last day of the class placement test... I''m currently in one of the indoor training grounds of Xapham Hall, waiting for the practical test to start. "..." As usual, I stood at the back of the crowd, not wanting to associate with anyone. But then... "Hey, if it isn''t Raye." Someone called and approached me. "Hmm?" Looking at them... I saw a blonde young man with the typical arrogant look in his eyes. It''s obvious that he''s a noble, and the scum kind. Actually, looking at him more carefully... ''He looks familiar.'' His annoying grin and his disgusting look... "Ah." Then I remembered. He''s one of Raye''s henchmen from the game, appearing in one of the panels in a cutscene. ''He''s even more irrelevant in the story than I am.'' So, considering that he''s nothing special in the game and supposedly Raye''s ally... "What is it?" I replied to him. Though, I didn''t expect what happened next... "What''s with the tone?" The young man asked. "Do you think I''m still your friend?" He added. I was confused. "..." But I didn''t say anything, just looked at him, unfazed. And soon enough... "There you are again, still acting all mighty," He started talking by himself. "But remember..." "You''re not part of the great Alvah Dukedom anymore." He pointed out. "I wouldn''t act as your friend if it wasn''t for your family. I always hated your guts, thinking I was one of your servants and all." "And honestly, I''m so glad you got disow¡ª" "Is that all?" I cut him off before he could keep on rambling. Listening to him was making my ears hurt. "Pfft..." The young noble laughed at my question, then with a sly smile and crescent-like eyes... "That''s not all, we''ll be seeing each other at the practical duel." He said that to me threateningly. That''s right, the practical test will be a duel. In the game, Raye and Leon didn''t meet here. I bet Raye used all the money he got when he was disowned to bribe the matchmaker into giving him a weaker opponent. Anyway... "I bribed the matchmaker. I''ll show you that you''re nothing without your family name." The young noble continued, explaining his plan to me. ''Pretty stupid to confess your crimes to me, isn''t it?'' I shook my head in disappointment while looking at him. ''Now I''ll tell the professor that will oversee the duels what he said.'' I thought. But what the young noble said next... "Oh, and I heard from my servants that you''re living with an old man near the northern forest." "Crazy people do flock together, huh. I can''t believe someone lives in that trash box." ...changed my mind. His insults about Raye didn''t affect me. But calling Old Man Rey crazy and the cabin a trash box... "..." Made something inside me snap. He insulted those who sheltered me when I was abandoned by everyone after coming to this world. Anger swelled up from me... "You know, Ray¡ª" "Fuck off." I cut him off before he could spew more garbage. Then looking at him straight in the eyes... "I''ll meet you at the practical duel. Now get lost before I beat you up right here." I told him that. "Wha..." He was taken aback by my sudden reaction. But after a moment... "Weirdo..." He finally left, eyeing me as he walked away. I''m still angry at him, but I shouldn''t cause trouble and risk getting kicked out. ''I''ll do this right.'' I''ll give him what he deserves, properly. So for now... "..." I just tightly clenched my fist in anger. ***** A few moments after that interaction with the young scum noble... CREAK¡ª The double doors of the indoor training grounds opened. Tap- tap- tap- Then a familiar person entered. It was Professor Sariel. "We''re tight on time, so let''s begin immediately." He said, getting everyone''s attention. "As you already know, the practical test will be a duel. The matches are pre-determined, so once your name is called, please step into the arena." The professor explained. Then, he soon started calling students, two at a time. ... ... "That''s enough. Good job both of you." Professor Sariel said to both of the students who just finished their duel. Clap- clap- clap- Then we applaud at their efforts. I watched all the duels from start to now, but nothing was useful for me nor they were entertaining. I was getting bored. But then... "Leon Lightbringer." The protagonist was called. This piqued my interest, and my attention quickly shifted to Leon. Tap- tap- tap¡ª He was walking confidently toward the arena. By now, Leon had already been labeled as a genius in the academy. "..." So the students were watching in silence, expecting something impressive from him in this test. And I was no different... ''I admire Leon''s personality. I''m a fan of his.'' I wanted to see him fight in real life. ''And while I''m at it... I''ll check how strong he is.'' When Leon reached the arena... He took a wooden sword. ''So by default, he''s in the swordsmanship course.'' I always wondered what course he was in. Now I know. "Jonas Danae." Then Leon''s opponent was called. It was Jonas from the S-Class of 1st year. I know him from the game, of course. In the game, Leon started in the A-Class when he got admitted in the academy. And his duel against Jonas... Is one of the deciding events where Leon could either get into S-Class, or stay in the A-Class! I already experienced both paths, and advancing to S-Class is definitely better. So for the peace of my mind... ''Please be strong enough and make it into S-Class, Leon.'' I closed my eyes and wished that. Meanwhile, upon climbing on the arena... Jonas also picked up a wooden sword. And soon... "Start." Their bout began! Bam! Leon dashed aggressively toward Jonas as soon as they started. Then holding his wooden sword with both hands... Whissh¡ª! Leon slashed horizontally to the right! Thwak! Jonas blocked it... "Gurh...!" But he slid backward from the force of Leon''s attack! Whap! Jonas then deflected Leon''s wooden sword away... Fwoosh¡ª! And responded with a heavy, fast thrust! Thwok! Leon blocked it as well... "Ugh...!" Swoosh- But he decided to jump back to keep his weapon from breaking! "Shit." Leon was overwhelmed by Jonas''s raw strength! But instead of getting discouraged by this... "HAAAA!!!" Leon smiled and rushed at Jonas again! Clack- Clack-! Whap! Twack! They exchanged attacks after attack, they parried and blocked. Thwuk- Swish- clack! It was such a high level exchange of techniques. Thwok! Clack! Whap! "..." The room fell silent, only the sound of their wooden sword clashing was heard. So far, this has been the most exciting duel throughout the test. It looks like their match could continue on forever. But soon enough... Thwok-! Crack- "...!" Leon''s weapon cracked! Swoosh- He was able to immediately retreat and avoid his weapon being completely broken. "Ugh..." Yet, it was undeniable that Leon had been outmatched in strength... "You''re strong." Jonas mumbled as he looked at Leon. "But not strong enough to face me." Then he added that as he lifted his wooden sword into the air with both hands. Looking at his weapon... Fwaa¡ª "Is that aura?!" A faint glow could be seen covering Jonas'' wooden sword. "I can''t believe it..." "Already?!" "At his age?!" The students were shocked. sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Even Professor Sariel was, looking at his expression. It usually takes years of practice and a lot of luck to manifest sword aura, but Jonas had already manifested a bit of it at a young age. In short, he''s gifted. That''s why everyone was surprised. I wasn''t, though. Jonas is known for his raw strength and aura sensitivity. And I''d already seen this scene many times while playing Brave Hearts. So instead of being surprised... I looked at Leon. I saw a small smile on his face. He was calm as ever. ''God, he''s so cool.'' I thought. Leon then held his wooden sword in front of him with both hands. "Come then." Then he provoked Jonas. And with an angry grin... "I was gonna do that without you telling me!" Bam! Jonas rushed at Leon! Whissh¡ª! He swung wide, aiming a forceful downward slash! THWACK! Leon raised his wooden sword horizontally and blocked it! "Grrgh...!" But his face tensed at the force of the attack. Crack¡ª His weapon started to splinter! But at that moment... Shiik¡ª Leon tilted his sword slightly to the left. Jonas''s sword slid off its edge... Boom! And it hit the ground, cracking the concrete floor! Leon successfully parried Jonas'' attack! "Fuck!" Jonas immediately looked up at Leon to launch another attack... Swish- Only to see Leon''s wooden sword aimed at his face. Thack! "Argh!" Crack¡ª After parrying, Leon immediately countered with a powerful downward swing! His weapon shattered on impact, but it didn''t matter. "..." Jonas was already out cold! And with that... "Huff..." Leon was left standing alone in the arena. "WOW!" "WOAH! HE DEFEATED SOMEONE FROM THE S-CLASS!" "LEON DID IT!" The students went wild, cheering and chanting his name like he was some kind of hero. Watching Leon''s performance filled them with excitement. "WHOOAAAAHH!!!" They were so loud... But I couldn''t blame them. "That was really cool, just what you''d expect from the protagonist." I muttered to myself. Also, I recognized Leon''s final attack. ''That was surely the 4th form of the Celestial Forge Style, Flowing Water.'' "Seeing it in person gave me chills." I murmured. Just then... "Hmm?" Leon looked around, searching for someone. And after a few moments... He pointed his broken wooden sword at someone. Everyone followed his gaze. And at the end of it was... "Me...?" In that moment, everyone''s attention shifted to me. "..." After trying my best to avoid attention, Leon ruined it for me. And for the first time in my life... ''Fuck you, Leon.'' I hated Leon for his action. Chapter 17 - 17: 17 - Tension Rising Leon got everyone''s attention with his performance in his duel. And he shifted it all to me when he pointed at me! ''Dick move, Leon!'' I exclaimed in my head. Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Why is he pointing at Raye?" Then someone in the crowd asked. "Idiot, they had a pretty big fight at the end of the semester." "Yeah, everybody knows that." Some idiots chimed in and answered them. "So, are they gonna fight now?" But when I heard that next question, my face tensed up! ''Oh god, I hope not.'' I thought. Then following that, conversations like that continued throughout the room. Looking at Leon... "..." He didn''t seem to care. He just focused on me. ''Fucker, what do you want?!'' The tension was rising, so to clear things up... "What?" I asked him that, looking up at the arena platform. ''Ugh...'' There was a bright light coming from his direction, making it look like I was frowning at Leon... "He''s glaring back at Leon!" "He''s brave, I''ll give him that." Which only stirred up the tension even more. Anyway, at my question... "Next week." Leon simply said that. But I knew exactly what he was talking about... It was our duel next week that I accidentally accepted when I came to this world! ''I know nothing back then! I thought Leon was just a weird kid, that''s why I said sure to make him go away!'' I grumbled in my head. But immediately accepting what''s done is done... I focused back on Leon who was waiting for my response. ''Ugh, fuck it!'' I cursed inside. It was meant to happen in the game anyway, and it''s not like I''m gonna die. So to make Leon stop with this stunt of his. I shrugged my shoulders, acting unfazed by his glare... "Sure, whatever." Then I answered the same way as I did back then! "Woah, it''s a match." "It''s gonna be a boring one. Leon is sure to win." "Yeah, I saw Leon''s stats, he''s a monster." "Meanwhile, Raye? He barely has average stats." I heard from the crowd as I responded to Leon. They''re right so I just ignored them. I waited for Leon''s reaction, and soon... "Hmph." He finally turned his attention away from me and walked down the arena. "Good job." Professor Sariel told him as he did. Jonas was carried by the standby healers in the corner of the room. Leon also needed healing after dislocating his left shoulder during his last exchange with Jonas, he had a few bruises from the fight too. And with that... "Haaaa..." The tension finally died down. "What was that?" Someone in the crowd asked. And believe me, I don''t know too. Moving on... "Let''s continue." Professor Sariel said, and the duels resumed. ... ... "Good work, both of you." "Thank you, Professor!" The two students responded in unison. After Leon and Jonas'' duel, the following matches became boring for us. "..." I wasn''t even watching anymore. "Lena Dravenhart." But when I heard that name, my ears perked up. "Hmm?" I looked toward the arena, and there, I saw Lena. She picked up a staff almost as tall as her. Her whole vibe and appearance is shouting that she''s one of the main characters. Then, looking at her opponent... ''Her opponent is a nobody.'' It was just a plain-looking guy. Obviously an extra who didn''t appear in the game. So, considering all that... "She''s gonna win this easily." I already knew the outcome of the match before it even started. ***** Raye''s prediction was right... "Start." Immediately after Professor Sariel started the match. "[Splash Shot]" Swish¡ª Lena immediately launched a spell! SPLAT! "KEUB!!!" It hit her opponent straight in the chest... Bam! Thud¡ª "..." Then he flew outside the arena and lost consciousness! It didn''t even last for 10 seconds! "Wha..." "The hell?" It ended so quickly that the students were dumbfounded. But soon... "WOAAAHHHH!!!" "SHE''S REALLY UNDEFEATED!" "LENA IS THE COOLEST!" They started cheering for Lena. All they knew was that Lena finished the fight as soon as it started. She completely dominated the fight, and that was more than enough for them to be riled up! Only a few knew what really happened there... "Her mana control is crazy, what a cheat." And one of them was Raye! He saw it. Immediately after Sariel started the match... ''Lena cast [Splash Shot], a fast water spell suited for knocking back opponents.'' It was just a simple water ball. It''s weaker but faster. But the kicker was... ''Lena concentrated more mana than needed. She sped up the spell even more.'' So when it hit her opponent''s chest, the speed made the impact stronger, robbing him of consciousness and sending him flying in the air! It might sound simple, but it''s not. ''This spell is so fast that controlling its trajectory is a difficult task. It''s rarely used because it often misses its target.'' But not only did Lena accurately hit her opponent''s chest, she did it with the faster version of the spell. That''s why Raye thought Lena''s mana control was a cheat! "Good job." Professor Sariel told Lena. Lena simply bowed her head and quietly walked down the arena. And as she did, the students admired her prowess and her appearance. "Lena''s really cool." "And strong." "And beautiful too!" Lena was like an idol for them. Anyway, moving on... "Garin Lothar." Professor Sariel called out another name. ''I don''t know him, an extra.'' Raye thought as he casually looked at who it was. But to his surprise... "...!" It was the young noble from earlier, slowly climbing up the arena with an arrogant smirk on his face. Upon seeing him, Raye clenched his hands tightly into fists... "..." Then he walked toward the arena. And soon enough... "Raye Alvah." His name was called. ***** (Lena''s POV) "Raye Alvah." I heard Professor Sariel call as I went down the arena. ''So it''s his turn, huh.'' I thought. I would be lying if I said I wasn''t curious about how he would fight. But seeing his stats, I didn''t really expect much. ''While his growth rate is impressive, his stats aren''t.'' So I shrugged it off. Then, making my way down the arena... "Hmm?" I noticed a weird tension from the crowd. "..." They were strangely quiet all of a sudden. Not just that, they started moving slightly as if they were avoiding something. Wait, no... ''They''re making a way for someone...?'' I watched curiously as the crowd split and a path appeared from the back all the way to the arena. At the end of it... Tap¡ªTap¡ªTap¡ª I saw Raye, quietly making his way toward my direction. Tap¡ª Tap¡ª Tap¡ª The sound of his footsteps got louder and louder. And soon enough, he reached me. "What are you playing at?" I asked him, raising an eyebrow. Tap¡ª "...!" But he just walked past me... As he did so, I noticed his face... ''It looks like he was about to explode.'' I''m pretty sure he didn''t even notice me. Looking up at the arena... There, I saw Raye standing. His opponent was already holding a wooden sword. So Raye walked toward the training weapons and picked his own weapon. "Huh?" But I think he picked the wrong one. "What''s with him?" "Erm... What?" "Is he nuts?" Not just me, the others were confused as well. Instead of taking a wand, Raye, a magic course student... "A bow...?" Picked up a bow as his weapon. Chapter 18 - 18: 18 - From Shadows to Spotlight (Lena''s POV) "A bow?" I asked, watching Raye pick his weapon. And not just me¡­ "Is he out of his mind?" "Probably." The other students questioned his choice as well. "Are you sure about your weapon selection?" Professor Sariel asked him. "Yeah." And Raye simply answered. The professor looked at Raye for a few moments¡­ "Alright." Then he just accepted it and nodded his head. "In that case, here." Professor Sariel handed Raye a quiver filled with wooden arrows. "Obviously, we can''t use real arrows." He said. "This quiver has exactly 20 wooden arrows, enchanted with a spell. If they hit your opponent, they''ll feel as if they''ve been struck by a real arrow. Though, it''ll bounce back because they''re blunt. We''ve also reduced the pain, as this is just a duel." Then he explained. "I got it." Raye responded as he took the quiver from the professor and slung it over his back. And with everything set¡­ "Begin." Professor Sariel started their duel. ''Ugh, just what is he thinking...?'' ... ***** "Are you crazy?" Garin, Raye''s opponent, asked. He''s confused at Raye''s action as well. Though... "..." Raye just ignored him. Instead... Fwip- Shiic- He drew an arrow from the quiver and loaded it in his bow. Ready to fire at any moment. Watching him do that¡­ "Hah!" Garin laughed mockingly. "I''m a swordsman trained to see and parry arrows. With you alone, arrows aren''t a threat to me!" He exclaimed. "..." And the students watching, silently agreed. ''He''s right¡­'' Even Lena couldn''t deny it. But when she looked at Raye, trying to see his reaction... "...?" She saw his expression, it was so calm and collected. "What are you planning¡­?" Lena wondered. Just then¡­ "You''re pretty talkative, huh." Raye finally spoke. "Why don''t you just shut up and come at me?" Then he added immediately. "..." His words successfully provoked Garin. A vein popped on his forehead as he grinned angrily. "If you say so!" Bam! Then he finally charged at Raye! Being a swordsman, Garin was fast, closing in quickly. The students watched Raye, expecting him to shoot. But as Garin got closer¡­ "..." Raye held his fire. "What the hell?!" "Is he an idiot?!" The students grumbled, annoyed that Raye wasted his range advantage. "Gugh..." Even Lena was struggling not to curse at him. And soon enough¡­ "Should''ve fired while you had the chance!" Raye was within Garin''s range! And with both hands on his sword¡­ SWOOSH¡ª Garin launched a heavy downward diagonal slash! But to everyone''s surprise, with just a slight sway to the left¡­ Fwoosh¡ª Raye narrowly avoided Garin''s strike! And now that Garin''s right side is exposed to him... "[Gust]" Raye cast a spell... Fwish¡ª And immediately released the bowstring to let the arrow fly! Thwack! The arrow struck Garin''s side. Crack¡ª "ARGH!" And it cracked a few of his ribs! Garin jumped back in panic. And looking at where he''d been hit¡­ "Wha¡­" He saw a dark bruise forming, swollen with pain. And before he could even make sense of it¡­ "[Gust]" He heard Raye say that. And when he looked up to check on him... Thwack! Pop- "GAAH!!!" An arrow struck his left shoulder and dislocated it! ''Are arrows meant to be this fast and strong?'' Garin asked in his head. He parried and dodged a lot of arrows before. ''The pointblank shot, I can understand why I was hit...'' ''But it doesn''t make sense that I wasn''t able to see the last arrow.'' Garin thought. ''And surely, blunt arrows aren''t supposed to be this strong.'' His mind was racing. ''Why? What was Raye doing?'' Garin thought hard, but before he could even think of a good idea. "[Gust]" He heard Raye''s voice again. And before he could even react... Thwack! An arrow struck him again! Pop- This time, hitting his right wrist, dislocating it as well. "GRAAAHH!!!" Thud- Garin dropped his weapon. "Ugh..." He tried his best to suppress his scream. "[Gust]" Thwack! But then an arrow hit his knee. "GAAAAAHHHH!!!" Garin felt an intense pain and was forced to take a knee. "Haaa... haaa... haaaa..." His breathing went rough with the injuries he received. In a few seconds, he was reduced to this state... ''What the fuck...?'' Fear crept up on him. Garin looked up, and there... "Hmm? You done already?" He saw Raye, aiming his bow at him again. ''That''s not Raye...'' Garin thought. He spent a lot of time with Raye, that''s why he knows just how useless he is without his family. But the one in front of him... ''That''s not Raye... That''s a monster!'' It''s not the Raye he knew. ''I can''t win against him.'' ''I need to give up!'' Garin decided to surrender in fear. "I give¡ª!" "[Gust]" THWACK! Crack- But he was struck by an arrow between the brows before he could finish speaking. "..." Garin lost consciousness. And with that... "That''s for calling the old man crazy and for calling our home a trash box." Raye and Garin''s match came to an end. This was the second fastest match, just next to Lena''s. ... ***** Looking closely at Garin... "..." ''Yep, he''s out'' Raye was able to make sure that he was out of cold. Garin passed out in a weird way. Like a flip phone, but you flipped it the other way around. Anyway... "I was sure he was about to give up." Professor Sariel said that after approaching Raye. "Oh, I didn''t hear." Raye casually replied. And he did hear him. Hearing his response... "Haaa..." The professor just sighed and shook his head. And after that... "Good job." He finally said the word. S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Thanks." Raye responded with a smile, then he walked down the arena. "Hmm?" Coming down, Raye felt everyone''s attention on him. "..." The students are just looking at him. They''re feeling awe and shock. They don''t know what or how to react. No one was even expecting Raye to win, but he beat his opponent one-sidedly! Not in a way they can imagine too! They can''t even figure out why Raye''s arrows were strong and fast! "Did he cheat again?" "Probably, that''s where he''s great at, after all." "Yeah, Garin is weak, but I can''t imagine him losing with Raye, comparing their stats." That''s why they started to doubt him again. ''Ugh, this again?'' Raye thought, tired of this shit. He was about to go on his way to ignore them... "You''re pretty proficient with the wind element, huh." When Lena suddenly approached him. "Casting the spell, [Gust], every time you shoot an arrow... You''re controlling the wind from it and applying it to your arrows to make them stronger and faster, right?" Lena asked. She asked loud enough for the others to hear. And upon hearing her words... "..." The students accusing Raye of cheating went silent. "There was no need, but thanks for the help." Raye commented. He realized what Lena was doing. "Duh, I just hate people who accuse others of cheating just because they can''t understand what they did." Lena shrugged. "Is that so?" Raye mumbled. "But you do deserve recognition for your efforts. I know it feels terrible when your hard work is mistaken for cheating." Lena''s next word surprised Raye. "..." He went silent for a few seconds, and after that... "Thanks." He thanked Lena. Then Raye walked away and blended through the crowd. After that, the next events unfolded quickly... Garin was dragged by the healers, he was one of the most injured in this test. Raye didn''t need healing because he was unscratched in the first place. And after a few more duels... "You''re dismissed." The practical test finished. Chapter 19 - 19: 19 - The Calm Before the Clash After the second day of the class placement test, my routine returned to normal. Chopping wood, hunting in the northern forest with the old man, and eating lunch. After that, I would take a bath in the nearby river, go to the library and study until dark, then meet up with Kyle to catch up on the shop''s progress. Then, I would head back to the cabin, eat dinner with the old man, train in magic, and finally¡­ sleep. It was so peaceful, I was able to fully adjust in my situation. And just like that¡­ Five days passed. ¡­ ¡­ "I''ll be on my way now." I announced after changing into my uniform. "Okay, take care." Old Man Rey replied as he cleaned the dishes. Looking at him¡­ "Are you sure you don''t need help?" I asked. "Just go on your way, this is nothing." He replied in a grumpy tone. "Hmm." I nodded, and after that¡­ "See you later." I left the cabin. ***** "Huff... huff... huff!" I''m currently jogging toward Xapham Hall¡ªnot the library. The results of the class placement test came out today, and they''re displayed at the entrance. ''I need to see which class I''m in.'' I really hope I''m not at the very bottom, the D-Class. It''s impossible for me to get into S-Class anyway, so I''m not worried about that. "Huff... I''m close... Haaaa..." Anyway, I can now see the big fountain in front of Xapham Hall. With my destination in sight¡­ Bam! Swoosh- I sped up and started dashing. ¡­ Upon reaching the fountain¡­ "Fuuuuuu..." I exhaled heavily, catching my breath. Looking around¡­ ''Ugh, it''s crowded.'' So many students had gathered in front of the announcement board. I didn''t want to force my way through that many people, so I decided to wait until they started leaving and only a few were left. "Waiting too?" Then I heard a familiar voice behind me. Looking back¡­ "Oh." I saw Lena. She walked over and stood beside me as if it were normal, looking at the crowd in front of us. ''I''m having way too many encounters with her.'' I thought. I''m starting to get scared this might cause a huge butterfly effect. ''I really hope not.'' Anyway¡­ "Why are you here?" I asked Lena. She''s already in S-Class, and I''m sure she performed well in the written exams, plus her overwhelming win in the practical test. It''s obvious that she''s in S-Class again, there''s no point in checking. At my question, Lena looked at me¡­ "Of course I already know I''m in the S-Class, duh " Then she said, almost as if she read my mind. "I''m here to see who''s in the same class as me." Lena explained. ''That''s fair.'' I thought and looked back at the crowd. Lena did the same. We just stood there, waiting for people to leave. After a while though, I don''t know if she was bored or what¡­ "Hey." But Lena called to me. "What?" I replied. Then, eyeing me from the side¡­ "How were you able to dodge Garin''s attack back in the practical match?" Lena asked. "His speed stat was several times higher than yours, and you were in an awkward position back then. Was it just luck?" She added. ''She''s really observant, huh.'' Then with a shrug¡­ "If I know his next move, I can respond in advance. Dodging and countering becomes easy." I answered casually. Lena frowned, finally turning her head to look at me properly. "What do you mean?" She asked. I just glanced at her. Then, looking back in front¡­ "The crowd is finally thinning out." I said, pointing at the announcement board. "Wha¡ª" And before Lena could say anything else¡­ Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Tap- tap- tap¡ª I started walking toward the announcement board, leaving her behind. "Hey, why didn''t you answer?" I heard her exclaim behind me, but I just ignored it. And so¡­ ''What''s my class?'' It was finally time to see what class I''m in. ***** "Ugh, is it that hard to answer?" Lena grumbled. She was standing beside me again. Ignoring her, I focused on the announcement board. "..." I scanned through the results of the Class Placement Test, searching for my name. And soon enough¡­ ''There.'' I found it. I checked my class, and it was¡­ "B-Class." I got into B-Class. "Oh, you went down from A-Class to B-Class, huh." I heard Lena say beside me. That''s right, Raye was originally in A-Class. Though, that was only because of his family and the bribes he made in the past. If not for those, the academy wouldn''t have even admitted him! Anyway, I thought that with my stats, the highest I could get into was C-Class, the average class. But I was placed in B-Class, meaning¡­ ''They saw potential in me.'' A smile crept up on my face. "You seem so happy despite being demoted." Lena said, looking at me weirdly. She didn''t know my reason for being happy, so I just continued on ignoring her. Instead, I looked back at the announcement board and searched for a name under the S-Class. And there, I found it. ''Phew, he made it.'' Leon''s name was written under the S-Class. I checked the other main characters too, and they were all in the classes they were supposed to be in. I was relieved. It was then¡­ "That''s right, I forgot to ask!" Lena spoke again, though I still planned on ignoring her. But what she said next¡­ "What do you plan to do during the sparring session? I heard you''re fighting Leon." "...!" Made me flinch. ''I forgot about that!'' I exclaimed in my head. It had been so peaceful for a long time that I''d forgotten. Two days from now, the sparring session would take place. And just like in the game¡­ ''Leon will be fighting me!'' The time had come. Soon, I''d be beaten by the protagonist. And after that, I''d have no more role in the story. The end. But if I do get beaten one-sidedly, I might be demoted from B-Class to a lower class¡ªor worse, I could get expelled! So my plan continues¡­ ''I just need to do well enough to show them I''m not hopeless, then lose to Leon.'' If I do that, everything will go as it did in the game, and I''ll still be able to stay in the academy! So with that in mind, I nodded in satisfaction. "What the hell are you doing?" Lena spoke again. This time, I looked at her¡­ "..." Tap- tap- tap¡ª Then I walked away. ''Too bothersome to explain.'' I''m going back to the cabin. I needed to train. "Hey, you dickhead!" I heard Lena cursing at me as I walked away. I ignored her. Chapter 20 - 20: 20 - Interrupted Solitude Going Back to the Cabin... "I''m back." "Hmm, you''re early." I caught the old man preparing lunch. "Let me help you." So, I helped him, and afterward, we started eating lunch. ... While eating... "Vacation''s over. The academy starts in a few days." I informed the old man. "So what?" He asked. "I won''t be able to help as much as before." I replied, embarrassed. Old Man Rey frowned at me, then shrugged. "It''s not like you''re causing trouble or doing nothing. Studying is a good thing, especially since you''re a student." He said reassuringly. I knew that he would understand, but hearing it directly from him was comforting. "Thanks." I thanked him and continued eating. ... After we finished eating, Old Man Rey went into the northern forest to set more traps and repair old ones. He''d be back before dinner. I decided to stay at the cabin and continue with its repairs. Today, I planned to fix the walls in the old man''s room to block the cold winds at night. "I better start hammering." I mumbled as I gathered the materials and tools needed. ***** A few hours later, as it was getting dark... Tak- tak- tak¡ª I was at the back of the cabin, still hammering from the outside. I had replaced and repaired several parts of the walls in the old man''s room, prioritizing the most damaged areas. So even if I didn''t finish today, he''d at least have a warmer night. ''He''s probably on his way back.'' I thought, feeling excited to see his reaction. Then thinking back to my second day in this world, when I first met the old man, a small smile appeared on my face. He''d given me, a stranger, a place to stay in his cabin, and the chores I did for him helped me increase my stats. I owed everything so far to him. That''s why I wanted to return the favor. ''I''ll make his life much more comfortable.'' Just then... Rustle- rustle¡ª I heard movements behind me. ''Oh, he''s back.'' I thought, turning around to greet him with a smile. "Old man, I fixed the walls to your ro¡ª" I froze mid-sentence, my smile fading. "..." It wasn''t Old Man Rey. "Erm..." It was a young woman with rich purple hair and captivating violet eyes¡ªa beauty both rare and unforgettable. I knew very well who it was. "Hello?" It was Jerusha Amethyst, another ally of Leon in the game. "Haaa..." I frowned, turned away, and went back to hammering. Tak- tak- tak¡ª ''Please, just go away.'' I silently prayed. But contrary to my wish... "Bit rude to ignore someone, isn''t it?" She stayed and struck up a conversation with me. ''Ugh...'' I groaned inwardly before turning back to face her. "What is it?" I asked. "Well, I got lost in the woods, so..." She shyly replied. And that''s some bullshit she got there! Jerusha is a spirit mage, able to use spirit powers by contracting with them. Spirits usually avoid people, living far from them like in forests. So there was no way a spirit mage like her could get lost here, the spirits can help her navigate through any forest! "That''s bullcrap." I said. "How can a spirit mage get lost in a forest?" I asked, calling out her lie. "You know about me?" Jerusha responded, shock evidence from her eyes. "Duh, you''re the most talented spirit mage in the second year, in fact, the whole academy. Everyone knows about you." I casually said. "So, why are you here?" At my question, Jerusha smiled awkwardly. Then, scratching the side of her head... "I just got curious because the spirits told me there''s a new human living nearby." She answered. "I didn''t expect it to be you. Raye Alvah, right?" "You know about me?" I was surprised. But her next words... "Well, you''re pretty well-known around the academy¡­ in a bad way, though." "Ah¡­" That made sense. ''So, she knows me from the rumors, huh.'' Let''s take advantage of that and make her leave already. "If you already know about me, leave. I''m busy." I hoped to make her go, but then¡­ "Oh, is that your friend?" Old Man Rey arrived. "Ah, hello." Jerusha greeted him politely. And before I could even say anything... "Hello! why don''t you join us for dinner?" The old man invited her to dinner with a smile. ''What the fuck?'' It happened way too fast. I immediately turned to Jerusha. She looked at me. I squinted my eyes, then I slightly shook my head, signaling her to decline. Seeing this, Jerusha nodded, agreeing to my suggestion. Or so I thought¡­ "I''d love to!" She fucking accepted enthusiastically! "Great! Let''s head to the front. Raye, start preparing dinner." Old Man Rey said, smiling as he walked off. "Yay." Jerusha followed behind him. And as she passed, she looked back at me, smirking. ''That¡­!'' She deliberately accepted to annoy me! ''Well, it''s fucking working!'' Frowning in annoyance, I followed them. ***** Currently, Old Man Rey and Jerusha were setting the table inside the cabin. Meanwhile, I''m cooking outside. I was scheduled to cook dinner today. Anyway, I wasn''t making anything grand, just roasted wild boar meat and rabbit stew, enough for three people. After finishing here... "Old man, they''re done!" I called for the old man to help me bring the food inside. But it was Jerusha who came out. "Hello again." She said. "Ugh, what now?" I asked. "Nothing. I just wanted to help." She replied, smiling playfully. "Fine, help me bring these inside." I said, pointing at the food. I had half given up on avoiding her, the damage was already done. ''She doesn''t play a major role in the story anyway, just a support character that helps the protagonist occasionally when the game scenario is too hard for their current stats.'' So I figured my interactions with her wouldn''t pose a threat and cause a major change in the game story. Moving on, we brought the food inside, and with that, we started dinner. ***** "How do you know this brat?" The old man asked Jerusha as we ate. "Keuk!" I nearly choked hearing his question. I glanced at Jerusha, who looked back at me. Then awkwardly... "Well¡­ he''s kinda famous in the academy" She replied. "Really? This brat?" Old Man Rey looked at me, surprised. I just shrugged and kept eating. Not telling him that I''m famous for being a bitch. I''ll let him think I''m famous for good reasons. "How about you, mister? How do you know Raye?" This time, it was Jerusha who asked that.. The old man looked at me, and I shook my head at him. But with a playful smirk¡­ "So here''s what happened¡ª" He began telling her everything. Literally everything! ''Fuck me.'' I thought as my face cringed. ... ... "...Now he tells me he wants to repay me, so he''s been fixing the cabin, spending his money on it too!" Old Man Rey finished proudly, like a dad bragging about his son. It was embarrassing, but it made me feel happy, too. "Wow, so even this table we''re using was made by him?" Jerusha looked at me, wide-eyed. I just frowned at her. "Yeah, he said the old one was too small and low, so he made a new one. Isn''t he great?" The old man added. They continued chatting about me while we ate. I was embarrassed as hell. Then finally, after we finished eating... Old Man Rey excused himself, saying he needed to head to bed early! But before he left... "Raye." He called out to me. "What?" I approached him. "Thanks for fixing my room." He said, making me smile. But then¡­ "You''ve got yourself a beautiful girlfriend, huh." He ruined it by whispering that to me. "She''s no¡ª" "I''ll get going now." sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Goodnight, mister!" The old man left before I could correct him. "..." Defeated, I looked at Jerusha... "I''ll just clean up the table." I told her and began gathering dishes. "I''ll help!" She offered eagerly. I just let her. ***** After cleaning up, I went outside to practice magic. "[Gust]" Casting this spell, I tried to lengthen its duration and strengthen the wind. That way, I can use it as a shield. "You''re really different from the rumors, huh." And yeah, Jerusha hadn''t left yet for some reason! "They say you''re a ruffian, but you have such a good relationship with the old man." "And they say you''re lazy and a cheater, but you don''t seem like it." She commented. "Don''t you need to get going?" I asked, hoping she''d leave. It was getting dark, and I know her dorm had a curfew. "Eh, I can just sneak in later." She responded with a carefree expression on her face. "Ugh..." I groaned and decided to just ignore her and continued with my training. Then, out of nowhere... "Are you interested in spirit magic?" Jerusha asked me. "I don''t have talent for that." I replied flatly. Raye is untalented in most things, especially in magic. At most, he''ll only be mediocre in anything he tries. So as tempting as it might be, spirit magic would be hard for me. "In the first place, the spirits probably wouldn''t want a contract with someone like me who has a small mana pool." I mumbled. But Jerusha seemed surprised. "What are you talking about?" She asked, genuinely puzzled. I glanced at her, raising a brow. Then, pointing around me... "There are so many spirits hovering around you." "They''re interested in having a contract with you." Jerusha said that. Chapter 21 - 21: 21 - In the Presence of Spirits "There are so many spirits hovering around you." "They''re interested in having a contract with you." Hearing that from Jerusha¡­ "What?" Shock and confusion overwhelmed me. "Can''t you see them?" She asked. "No, I have a small mana pool and low spirit sensitivity." And I replied immediately. "Oh." Jerusha looked at me and nodded. "Hmmm..." Then, after a brief pause¡­ "Then here, look." She said. "What do you mean, look?" I asked. But instead of answering, Jerusha closed her eyes. Swoosh¡ª The air around her changed. "?!" I can''t see it, but I can feel a lot of mana gathering around her! ''That''s a crazy amount of mana...'' Feeling the thickening mana in my surroundings sent shivers down my spine, and drops of sweat started pouring down my face. But still, I stayed quiet and let Jerusha do her thing. "..." Then, after a while¡­ "..." Jerusha opened her eyes. SWAAHHH¡ª Just by doing so, a strong gust of wind was produced! I felt it... The mana she was gathering exploded and scattered through the surroundings. Even I, with low mana sensitivity, could feel it, which tells how crazy the amount of mana here is right now! "Ugh..." Dirt and debris went flying along with the wind, and I raised my arm to shield my eyes. "..." When everything calmed down, I opened my eyes again... "Huh?" And the sight that greeted me was truly magical. "See? There are a lot of them." Jerusha said, but I ignored her. Instead, I looked around. -Hello there! -Ohhh, you can finally see us. -Hi Raye! There were a lot of weird-ass animals around me, circling me as if they''d seen something interesting. There was a flaming sparrow flying above me, a bluish hamster climbing up my pants¡­ ''They''re cute.'' I thought. And there are some that didn''t even take the form of animals. I could see a gray slime hopping around with a small mud golem beside it. ''That''s cute too.'' They looked like monstermons from a game that I played before. Anyway, I know what these are¡­ ''They''re spirits.'' I was in awe. I never thought I''d see them in person. "I amplified the mana around us so the spirits could materialize for you to see," Jerusha said. This time, I looked at her. "Though, only the low-rank spirits were able to manifest." She explained, but my attention wasn''t on her anymore¡­ Around her, I could see orbs of different colors and sizes. I instinctively knew they were mid-rank spirits. But that wasn''t what caught my attention. Behind Jerusha... ''Holy fuck...'' There was a tiny white orb, but despite its size, it was radiating an immense aura! "Oh, so you noticed Phobos behind me," Jerusha said, noticing where I was looking. "Who''s that?" I asked. "He''s the one who told me about you, saying there''s someone new hunting animals in the northern forest." Hearing the last part, my body flinched. "Ah, don''t worry, hunting is natural in nature. They don''t hate you for that." Once Jerusha explained, I was able to breathe properly. "Anyway, it''s draining my mana too much, so I''ll end it now." After saying that, the spirits started talking quickly. -Bye! -See you later, Raye! -Just remember, we''re everywhere. The last one sounded like a threat. Then, after that¡­ Fwooop¡ª The concentrated mana around us dispersed, and the spirits disappeared. "Well then, I''ll get going now. It''s getting late, and I''m already sleepy." Jerusha said, finally leaving. She stood up from the tree stump she was sitting on, yawning. Tap- tap- tap¡ª She started walking away. "Gugh..." But I was still curious about the spirits, they might be a big help for me to survive in this world. ''No.'' I knew they would be! So, realizing that, I stopped hesitating. I knew this would be a big gamble, but I''d probably regret it if I didn''t do it. S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Wait!" I exclaimed. "Hmm? What?" Jerusha stopped in her tracks and looked back at me. With a slight frown on my face¡­ "I want to learn about spirit magic. Can you teach me?" I asked her. Looking at Jerusha''s face, a smile appeared on it. And proudly¡­ "I can teach you!" She declared. "...!" I was relieved too. I thought she would refuse because of my reputation. But before I could thank her¡­ "But not tomorrow. I have to prepare for the upcoming sparring sessions, after all." She added. "Ah..." I was reminded that my fight with Leon was approaching. I froze in place. And as I stood there¡­ "Well then, see you later!" Jerusha left, flying away. Must be a wind spirit''s power. Anyway, moving on¡­ "Ugh, I should get ready too." I continued my training. Now, knowing that the spirits are watching me, I don''t want to mess up. ''I don''t know why, but they''re interested in me. I don''t want that to disappear by showing them a pathetic sight.'' I thought. And so, I proceeded with much concentration. ... ***** The next day, after finishing my normal routine¡­ I immediately started planning for the duel that was about to happen tomorrow. ''I can''t get injured too much. The old man would be worried, and I wouldn''t be able to help him.'' I thought. I already had a vague plan on how to achieve that. So I racked my brain and tried my best to expand on that plan¡­ ... It took me almost three hours, but now I have a pretty solid plan for tomorrow. I still had a lot of time, and because I was nervous as hell¡­ "[Wind Blast]!" I started training, even though it was only early afternoon. I especially trained in attack spells from elements I''m proficient with. ... ... I trained all the way until late at night, around 10 P.M. And when I was exhausted, I went to bed and slept. Just like that, the day came to an end. ****** It''s the day of the sparring sessions¡­ I''m currently in front of Xapham Hall, readying myself for what''s coming. "He''s here." "I thought he would hide and run away." "So he''s really gonna fight Leon, huh." "Is he insane?" Students passing by looked at me and gossiped with each other. I wanted to run away too, but I couldn''t. My fight with Leon¡­ ''It''ll be the end of the filler act, and the main story will finally begin.'' That''s right, the main story hasn''t started yet! This whole thing with Leon and Raye is just an early stage scenario to help players get used to the controls and stuff! Anyway, moving on¡­ I stepped inside the building. I received a lot of attention, but I just continued walking. Navigating my way to the indoor training grounds where the practical test took place. That will be the location of the sparring sessions this time as well¡­ ... Before long, I arrived at the room, standing outside, looking at its doors. "Fuuu..." I took a deep breath. And with that¡­ CREAK¡ª I opened the double doors and entered. Chapter 22 - 22: 22 - Breaking Expectations "He''s here." "Raye showed up, pay up!" "Gah! I thought he would actually run away!" As soon as I entered the room, attention shifted to me, especially from the first-year students. And then... "..." My eyes met Leon''s. He was on the other side of the room, glaring at me. I could tell he was determined to beat me up today. Tap- tap- tap¡ª I ignored everyone and went to the back of the crowd, as usual. And soon enough... CREAK¡ª The doors opened once again. This time, it was Professor Sariel who entered. But not just him, several professors followed, and at the end of their group stood the headmaster of the academy, Bryan Blackwood. "..." The room went silent. The headmaster stood tall, his gray-streaked hair swept back, accentuating sharp, discerning eyes that missed nothing. His presence commanded respect, refined yet powerful, dressed in robes traced with silver. Even the boldest students felt his quiet strength, aware they were in the presence of one of the empire''s most formidable figures. And when he reached the front of the room... "I''m here to witness your growth. Anyone can step forward and challenge a fellow student, regardless of class or year level. Challenges can be refused, but in the end, everyone will have to fight." He announced that with a smile on his face. "Oh, and you won''t be judged on whether you win or lose. Instead, you''ll be evaluated on your performance, opponent, and stats. So don''t worry, challenge stronger students." He added, addressing the students'' fear of losing. After that, he stepped back and took a seat alongside the other professors. Following that... "Hello again." Professor Sariel stood up and spoke. He would manage this event once again. "You heard everything you need to know from the headmaster. So, without further ado, step forward if you want to challenge someone." The professor exclaimed. And as soon as he finished... Tap¡ª A footstep echoed throughout the room. Tap- tap- tap¡ª It continued, with no hesitation in the steps. Looking toward the source... ''Ugh... already?'' I saw Leon confidently marching toward the arena. Everyone was looking at him. The students, the professors, even the headmaster! "It''s finally gonna happen..." "Ugh, I know Raye is gonna lose, but I''m still excited to see the fight." "I bet my allowance Raye won''t last five moves." The first-years started whispering. Meanwhile... Thump- thump- thump- thump¡ª My heart was racing like crazy. Soon enough... Tap¡ª Leon stepped into the arena. ''Really? No one else stepped up except him?!'' I grumbled in my head. I could feel everyone''s eyes on me, so I put on my poker face, pretending to be unfazed by the whole thing. "Well, if it isn''t Leon." Professor Sariel muttered, approaching Leon. "Who do you want to challenge?" He asked him. And without missing a beat... "Raye Alvah." Leon responded, pointing at me. ''Fuuuuuuckkkkk...'' ***** Tap- tap- tap¡ª Raye slowly made his way toward the arena. He could hear the students murmuring as he did. He ignored them, and soon enough... Tap¡ª He stepped into the arena. "Pick your weapons." Professor Sariel said. Leon went and picked a wooden sword, as usual. ''Is it a bow again?'' He wondered, looking at Raye. The other students were thinking the same. Though, contrary to Leon''s and everyone else''s expectations... sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Huh?" Raye picked up a wooden dagger and casually made his way back to the middle of the arena. Leon followed after him. "Why didn''t you use the bow?" Leon asked Raye when they met in the middle. Raye looked at him, shrugged, and replied... "I''m better with daggers." Leon frowned, but before he could say anything else... "Get ready." Professor Sariel spoke. Immediately after, Raye walked to the end of the arena. "..." Leon then went to the opposite end. After briefly looking at both of them to ensure they were ready... "Start." Professor Sariel announced the match! Bam! Leon dashed forward as soon as the fight started! ''I''ll finish this quickly!'' He thought. Then holding the wooden sword above him with both hands... ''Celestial Forge Style, Meteor Crush!'' SWOOSH¡ª! Leon unleashed a heavy vertical slash! It was so fast that the students missed it. ''It''s over!'' They all thought in unison. BAM! CRACK¡ª Then Leon''s attack hit the ground. "Wha..." That''s right. Despite his speed, Raye managed to avoid his strike! The next thing Leon knew... Fwiish¡ª A wooden dagger was near his face! "Ugh...!" Bam! He jumped backward to avoid it. But while in midair... "[Wind Blast]" Leon heard Raye''s voice. Instinctively, he placed his wooden sword in front of his body... Thwack! And he blocked Raye''s spell! Tap¡ª Leon landed on the ground, looking at Raye. He saw Raye looking back at him, calm as ever. ''How...'' Leon asked himself. He''d focused on the speed and accuracy of that strike. His stats were several times higher than Raye''s. So he was confused... ''How was he able to dodge it...?'' Leon couldn''t find an answer. ''Probably just a fluke...'' He thought Raye was just lucky. With that, he gripped his wooden sword tighter... Bam! And rushed at Raye again! ''Celestial Forge Style, Tempest Breaker!'' This time, he used a technique with five consecutive attacks! Nearing Raye... Swiish¡ª Leon slashed horizontally. Fwip¡ª And Raye avoided it by squatting down! ''?!'' By now, Leon was sure that Raye could somehow see through his attacks! ''So what?!'' But he continued his attack nevertheless. Swoosh¡ª Leon followed with a diagonal attack, aiming at the top of Raye''s head, his blind spot! But as if he could see it... Swoosh¡ª Raye swung the dagger in his right hand up. Thwack! And it collided with Leon''s wooden sword, blocking the attack! "!" Leon was surprised. He was sure there was no way Raye could''ve seen that coming. But as he was thinking... "[Gust]" SWOOOSH¡ª "Urgh...!" Raye cast a spell, sending Leon flying back! Tap¡ª Leon landed safely. The strong wind merely pushed him away, causing no damage. But his mind was in shambles. His technique, with five consecutive attacks from blind spots... Was stopped on the second move by Raye, of all people! ''It''s not like he''s seeing my attacks. It''s more like he knows my next move and reacts in advance. But that''s impossible...'' Leon thought, looking at Raye with newfound vigilance. Meanwhile, Raye... ''That was Celestial Forge Style, Tempest Breaker. Cool.'' ...was literally doing what Leon thought was impossible! ''So, what''s the next move gonna be?'' Raye thought as his lips arched into a small smile. And well... "..." The students were silenced, they all thought the match would end as soon as it started. They didn''t expect Raye to be able to dodge and even block Leon''s attack! So in unison... ''Wait... is he actually a decent fighter?'' They all thought that maybe, Raye is actually stronger than what he appears to be. Gulp- And this just added excitement to the students who were watching. Chapter 23 - 23: 23 - Against All Odds Raye knew that he wouldn''t be able to fight Leon normally. He would easily be overwhelmed and defeated because of the gap in their stats and technique. So he thought long and hard, searching for a way not to be defeated by Leon immediately. And then he found it... ''If I know what move he will make and respond in advance, wouldn''t I be able to fight for a while?'' A way to fight against Leon. As absurd as it sounds, Raye had played as Leon multiple times. He had gone through the swordsmanship course many times as well, trying out all the endings. In doing so, he became familiar with Leon''s Celestial Forge Style. He memorized the initial moves taken for certain forms along with the attack patterns of that technique. That''s why Raye was confident he could guess what Leon''s next move would be based on his stance and gestures! He had actually tried it before, with Garis! His opponent in the practical test before! Raye knew Garis used the Fundamental Blade Arts, which were taught by Zion Academy to first-year swordsmanship course students. And he was quite familiar with it too! Anyway, using the method he thought of to fight Leon, Raye was able to defeat Garis easily. That''s why he went with this plan of his. And now, getting back to the fight... ----- ''Ugh, I think my right wrist is swollen. This was probably when I blocked the second move of Leon''s technique.'' Raye thought. And despite the pain he was feeling, he didn''t show it on his face. ''This is a bit exciting.'' A small smile crept up on his face. Raye had been anxious at first, but now that his plan was working, he started having fun. Though he still didn''t get the proper timing of Leon''s attacks. One off move, and he''s done. Raye had been pretty lucky until now. Meanwhile, Leon had a glare on his face. He looked tense and more vigilant than before. He didn''t expect all of this from Raye. Leon wouldn''t have guessed that Raye could read his moves in advance either. So, thinking that Raye was actually stronger than he looked... ''I need to take this seriously.'' Leon locked on. Fwip¡ª He went into a drawing stance. He shut his mind off and just concentrated on Raye, determined to finish it already with this attack. And seeing this... ''Oh, Celestial Forge Style, Nebula Slash.'' Raye was able to guess what the next attack would be. He prepared himself. The distance between him and Leon was pretty far, so Raye became confident that he could dodge this time as well. ''Come, Leon.'' But suddenly... Swoosh¡ª "Huh?" A large amount of mana covered Leon''s legs. And before Raye could even process what was happening. Bam¡ª Leon kicked off on the ground and disappeared from everyone''s sight! Fwoosh¡ª And he reappeared literally in front of Raye! Then with all of his might... SWOOSH¡ª Leon unleashed a heavy, sharp horizontal slash! ''...!'' Raye instinctively brought the dagger in front of him, guarding his chest. Then he raised his left arm to guard his head! And after that... BOOM! Leon''s attack connected. ... ... ***** (Lena''s POV) BOOM! A deafening explosion occurred. Fwoosh¡ª Boom! Then I saw Raye''s body fly and slam into a wall! Debris went flying. "Urgh...!" I shielded my eyes with my left arm. And when things finally calmed down... "Huh..." "What happened?" People started asking questions about the situation. I was confused as well. I just saw Leon making a stance, and the next thing I knew, he was in front of Raye! "Ah...!" I remembered seeing Raye fly earlier. I immediately looked in the direction where I saw him flying, and there, I saw the wall with a pretty big hole in it. A dust cloud covered it. I couldn''t see Raye''s condition. "..." So I just waited for it to disappear. The others did the same. Soon enough, the dust cloud dispersed. And there... "..." We saw Raye lying with his head down, not moving. "Is he okay?" "Nah, he''s probably dead..." "That gotta hurt for sure." I heard the students mumble when they saw Raye''s condition. I was also thinking the same. But then... "Ugh..." Raye groaned. "Fuck..." Then he stood up and walked out of the hole in the wall! He raised both of his hands, then with a frown on his face... "I lost." He surrendered. "Winner, Leon Lightbringer!" I heard Professor Sariel announce. And the duel officially ended. "..." The end was anticlimactic. I really thought Raye might have a chance to win after seeing him dodge and counter Leon''s attack. ''Well, he still did great.'' I thought. Although the duel ended quickly, it didn''t end immediately as everyone had thought. Then, looking back at the arena, I saw Leon still glaring at Raye. ''Why is he still so mad at him?'' I asked in my head. "Hmm?" But then I noticed. "Oh." Leon wasn''t looking at Raye with anger, but more like in shock. I wondered why. And that''s when I saw it... "...!" Leon''s uniform was destroyed in the front, and there was a cut on his chest! On his wound, I could feel a bit of Raye''s mana. And then I identified the magic that caused the wound on Leon''s chest. ''It was [Wind Blade].'' A basic attack spell... My head snapped back at Raye''s direction. He was getting treated by the healers now, calmly sitting down on a chair. "Wha... Raye wounded Leon..." "He was able to hold his ground pretty well despite the stats difference..." "What the hell did he do...?" The students who noticed the same thing as me mumbled to themselves. ''What happened in that split second?'' I asked in my head, looking back and forth at Leon and Raye. Just then... "Now, let us see both of their stats so we can grade their performance." The headmaster spoke. And immediately after that... Swoosh¡ª Raye''s and Leon''s stats were displayed in the air for everyone to see. ===== Name: Raye Alvah Age: 18 Year Level: 1 Race: Human ----- Stamina: 13 Intellect: 13 Mana: 9 Strength: 11 Speed: 13 ----- Overall Grade: F- Growth Rate: S- ===== S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ===== Name: Leon Lightbringer Age: 18 Year Level: 1 Race: Human ----- Stamina: 29 Intellect: 20 Mana: 20 Strength: 33 Speed: 32 ----- Overall Grade: E- Growth Rate: S+ ===== And seeing the difference in their stats... "..." It just made us even more impressed that Raye was able to fight Leon like that. "Raye only lasted four moves. I won the bet!" I heard someone from the crowd. I ignored it. "..." Everyone did. Against All Odds, Raye decided to still fight and was able to perform impressively. And somewhat, I kinda respect him for that. Chapter 24 - 24: 24 - After the Duel (Leon''s POV) Looking at the difference in our stats... ''Fuck...'' I cursed in my head. A complicated expression lay on my face as I turned toward Raye. While I did win the fight, it still felt like I lost. If somehow, Raye were even a bit stronger... ''I feel like I would''ve lost.'' I looked down at the cut on my chest, touched it, and remembered our last exchange. Even after using my full speed to catch Raye off guard, he was still able to respond. Before my sword could reach him, he managed to place his dagger in front of him. There was even a spell covering the dagger. ''Was it [Gust]?'' S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Anyway, because of that, his dagger held on and didn''t break, allowing him to block my attack. Though, with the strength behind my strike, Raye was still sent flying. But when he realized that... ''He launched a basic spell called [Wind Blade] at me!'' It was so sudden that I couldn''t respond to it! And so, it hit and wounded me. Remembering all that... "Tsk." I clicked my tongue in annoyance, a bitter expression on my face. Tap- tap- tap¡ª I climbed down from the arena. "As expected of Leon!" "It was obvious you''d win!" "Raye had no chance against you!" I heard people cheering for me, but I ignored them. They didn''t know what they were saying. "This whole fight..." I wasn''t able to land a clean hit on Raye. Instead, he wounded me. ''This is my loss.'' From that point on, I decided to push my training even harder. ''Next time, things will be different.'' I resolved myself. ***** (Raye''s POV) ''Ugh... my whole body hurts.'' I thought as I was getting healed by the healers. I felt like passing out, but I was trying not to show it on my face. ''The headmaster and professors are still watching.'' I need to show them that I can take a hit. ''But damn...'' Was Leon trying to kill me? I was lucky I managed to block that. If I hadn''t, I''d be lying in bed for days, even with the healers'' help! I cast [Wind Blade] in a panic back then, trying to deflect the attack away from me. ''But I was too slow, and it hit Leon instead.'' I was really caught off guard by his speed. When my plan started working, I got complacent and relaxed. ''And now I''m in this state. I shouldn''t have lost focus.'' I grumbled in my head. But there''s no use crying over spilled milk now. ''Let''s just hope I did well enough not to get demoted from B-Class.'' Just then... "Good work out there." I heard a familiar voice beside me. Looking toward the source... "Oh, thanks." I saw Jerusha walking toward me, smiling like a child. "Your condition''s pretty bad. You okay?" She asked. "Hmm." I simply nodded in response. Then I pointed at the two healers working on me. "They''re good." I added. "Is that so...?" Jerusha mumbled, placing her index finger on her chin. Then after a moment... "Let me help!" "[Spirit''s Grace]!" She cast a spell on me. It''s a spirit magic that restores stamina and heals small wounds. "Ohh..." I immediately felt a lot better. I looked at Jerusha, wanting to thank her. But before I could even try to... "It''s my turn to fight now, bye!" She left immediately. "¡­" I just silently watched her go. She arrived in the arena quickly, her opponent was a nobody who challenged her. And at the start of their match... "Start." "[Firestorm]" SWAASHHH! "GAAAHHH!!!" Jerusha won immediately. ''Ugh, I hate named characters. It''s unfair, I''m telling you.'' I thought. I feel bad for her opponent, we''re basically both stepping stones for the important characters to shine. "Hmm?" I saw Jerusha looking at me from the arena, she has this smug smile on her face as if telling, "See how great spirit magic is?" I was pretty tired, so I just closed my eyes. But then... "I didn''t know you were close to Senior Jerusha." I heard another familiar voice. I already knew who it was without looking. So, with my eyes still closed... "We''re not close, she''s just super friendly to everyone. Even to someone like me." I replied to Lena. "Hmm, well... She wouldn''t approach you first even so." Lena rebutted. I casually waved my hand, signaling her that it was nothing. "She''s just curious about something, for sure." I stated. I know Jerusha''s personality. She probably got curious about me after seeing I was different from the rumors and that the spirits were interested in me. ''That''s all there is to it.'' She''s just that kind of person. "Well, if you say so." Lena responded. "Oh, how''s your condition?" Then she asked. "I''ll live." I replied. "Hmm, good then." Lena said. "I''ll go back to watching the duels. See you later." Then she left. ''What do you mean, see you later...? Leave me alone.'' I thought, but I had no energy to voice it out. So instead, with my eyes still closed, I tried to rest... "Urgh...?" But I could feel some pricking gazes on me. It was uncomfortable. Not being able to bear it, I opened my eyes and looked around... "...?" Then I saw a lot of male students glaring at me. ''What the fuck did I do?'' I asked in my head. I seriously had no idea. ***** After my fight with Leon, everything went as it did in the game. The main characters fought normally and performed amazingly. Lena won immediately as soon as her match started. And after making sure nothing from the game''s story was changed... ''Finally escaped from that room.'' I left Xapham Hall early. I had been given permission because I''m done with my match anyway and I''m exhausted. While my injuries were healed, I was tired as hell because it used up my stamina. ''My whole body feels heavy as fuck.'' Anyway, after leaving the facility, I immediately went back to the cabin... ***** Arriving at the cabin... "You look awful." Old man Rey greeted me. "Well, something happened at the academy." I responded awkwardly. "How did it go?" He asked. "I don''t know." I replied, scratching the side of my head. I really don''t know if I did well or not. But then... "If you did your best, then I''m sure you did good." The old man said that reassuringly. Hearing that put a smile on my face. Then proudly... "Yeah, I bet I broke through their expectations!" I exclaimed. "Hah! Getting cocky already, huh." The old man laughed. "Anyway, I prepared our meals. Let''s eat." Then he invited me for lunch. I didn''t even tell him I''d be coming home early, but he still prepared a portion for me. Knowing that widened my smile... "Oof, I''m starving." And with that, we started eating lunch. ... ... After eating, I slept through the rest of the day. Chapter 25 - 25: 25 - The Path Beyond the Game Scenarios "Ugh..." Waking up the next morning, I feel hungry as fuck. ''I can''t believe I slept for more than fourteen hours.'' Maybe it''s because I''ve been stressing out about what to do for the duel with Leon. That once it was done, I was able to fully relax. Anyway... ''It''s done.'' My role in the game story finished yesterday. "Haahhhh..." I can finally rest. Just then... Swoosh- ===== Act II: The Fallen''s Struggle (Complete) ===== A system window appeared in front of me, informing me of the completion of a game scenario. Looking at it, I raised a brow... "Why do I have different game scenarios?" I asked. This title scenario isn''t from the game. Right now, "Act Zero: The Fall of the Arrogant" should''ve just ended when Leon defeated me. Then, thinking about it for a while... "Must be that..." I came to the conclusion that these Acts being displayed to me are focused on Raye''s life and the scenarios around him, not on the game progression. And for some reason, I don''t like that... Swoosh- ===== Reward: Full access to the status system has been granted. ===== But when this new window appeared in front of me, I forgot about it. And reading through its content, I became curious... "Status." I mumbled. Swoosh- Then my status window opened up. ===== Name: Raye Alvah Age: 18 Year Level: 1 Race: Human ----- Stamina: 13 Intellect: 13 Mana: 9 Strength: 11 Speed: 13 Talent: 14 Luck: 15 ----- Wind Element: Level 10 (22%) Fire Element: Level 9 (89%) Bow: Level 6 (69%) Dagger: Level 8 (45%) Cooking: Level 8 (98%) ... ... ----- Overall Grade: F- Growth Rate: S- ===== I immediately noticed a new section. And upon reading its content, I immediately realized it''s for the skills I had learned and my proficiency with them. "That''s cool." I mumbled with a satisfied nod. "Anyway..." Then I closed it and went to do my own thing. ''I need to prepare.'' After all, today is the first day of school. ... ***** After preparing breakfast and eating with the old man, I took a bath and wore my uniform. "I''m going, Old Man!" "Okay, take care." And with that, I left for the academy. ... ... "Hmm, I''m too eye-catching." I mumbled to myself as I walked across Xapham Hall. Everywhere I go, someone''s looking at me. And not just because of my reputation. ''It''s because of the uniform.'' Zion''s uniform for male students is a white tailcoat with a black vest inside, and the bottom is plain white pants. Combine this with my white hair, it''s no wonder people are looking. I look like a fucking snowman! (A handsome one...) ''Washing this would be hell.'' I thought as I walked toward my classroom. ... Soon, I reached my destination. "B-Class, 1st year." After reading that on the door... Creak¡ª I immediately opened it and entered the room. "..." The room went silent as I entered. "Hm?" But for some reason, they''re not whispering about me anymore. They''re just looking intently. "Got anything to say?" I asked, looking back at the students. "Erm..." Then they just started mumbling something and avoiding my eyes. "Weirdos." I said before finding myself a seat. I settled on the middle row on the far right. Completely blending into the crowd. "You stand out like a sore thumb." Though, someone approached me and said that. Looking at them, I saw a young man wearing the same uniform as me. He has black hair and eyes, pretty masculine too for a magician. "Hi, my name''s Devin Dustin from the magic course." He introduced himself. I don''t know him from the game, definitely an extra. "Raye Alvah, magic course." So I concluded that interacting with him wouldn''t have any effect on the story. "Yeah, well, everyone knows about you. Not in a good way though, haha." He replied with a laugh. ''This kid is either bold or stupid.'' I thought. If I was the real Raye, I would''ve flipped out on him. Even the students around us are getting nervous because of him. Anyway, I shrugged my shoulders... "Then why did you talk to me if you knew about the rumors?" I asked. And almost immediately... "Well, we''ll be seatmates from now on. I want to get to know you." Devin replied, he sat beside me. "Don''t you already know what kind of a person I am?" I asked another question. And with a pretty innocent smile on his face... "I mean, you don''t really act like the others say. Isn''t it stupid to just say you know someone because you''ve heard rumors about them?" Devin declared that. "..." I was speechless. ''This guy is really stupid.'' I thought. "Whatever, do what you want." Then I told him, casually waving my hand. And soon after that... Creak¡ª "Let''s immediately begin the class." The professor assigned to our class arrived. ... ***** "..." After a brief introduction from the professor. He handed us all a form. "There are two blank sections there, fill them out with the classes you want to focus on." He said. Courses have various branches, especially the magic course. That''s why if we have other classes we want to take or especially excel at, we are to write them here on this form. We could even take classes outside of our course if we want. "What did you pick?" Devin asked, looking at my paper. "Alchemy and Magic Engineering." I simply replied. "What?! I thought someone like you would take combat classes!" He exclaimed. It made the professor and even the other students look at us. "Pipe down there, mister." The professor told Devin. Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ''Fucking embarrassing...'' I cursed in my head, slightly annoyed at Devin. Anyway, looking at him... "What do you mean someone like me?" I asked, raising a brow. "Well, you''re good at fighting, I saw it twice already." He answered. Well, I thank him for the compliment. "Nah." But I shrugged off the idea of taking combat classes. "Alchemy and Magic Engineering make tons of money, idiot." I stated. "Ohhh, so you''re just in it for money?" Devin frowned. "I mean, I''m studying now to earn money in the future, right?" And I responded. At my words... "..." Devin opened his mouth, trying to find something to say. But in the end... "Ugh..." He wasn''t able to find a word to rebut and just closed his mouth. ''Ahhh, silence.'' I smiled, and with that... I passed my form, finalizing my choice to take Alchemy and Magic Engineering. "Also, I''ll be handing out your report cards from the class placement test. Your rank is included with it." The professor then announced. "Hmm, I wonder what I got." I''m interested to know how well I did. Chapter 26 - 26: 26 - Hard to Wash The professor made his way down the aisle, collecting the forms and handing out the report cards one by one. The air in the room was thick with anticipation, but the moment Devin received his... "Ugh..." He groaned He then turned to his right, where Raye was sitting, frustration was evident in his face. "What are your scores?" Devin asked. Raye looked at him with a frown, then, after that... "Here." He handed him his card. "That frown screams low scores. Don''t worry, buddy, you''re not alone." Devin said as he patted Raye on the shoulder. He took his report card, and looking at his grades... ===== Magic Theory: A Alchemy: A Magic Understanding: B+ Combat: A- Runes and Ancient Symbols: B- ----- Ranking: 113/3000 ===== "..." Devin became silent. He looked at Raye. "What the fuck?" Then he cursed. "They said you were stupid!" He even added. "So much for not basing on rumors, huh," Raye replied sarcastically. "Wait, why were you acting unsatisfied earlier?" Devin asked. "Unsatisfied? I was frowning because you were so loud." And Raye answered with a shrug. And feeling defeated... "Gugh... My bad." Devin just grumbled. ***** (Raye''s POV) ''A few more...'' I thought as I looked at my grades. If I had gotten into the top 100, I could''ve ended up in A-Class. That''s a shame. ''Or maybe a good thing... Some important characters are still in that class. If I did get there, I''d be risking messing up the game''s progression every day.'' Meanwhile, B-Class didn''t actually appear in the game, they''re just there to fill up the class rankings. ''Even the C-Class and D-Class got more of a role than B-Class.'' In short, this was the best place for me to be if I wanted to avoid messing with the game''s storyline. ''Let''s just be happy that I wouldn''t get demoted.'' Anyway, after the report cards were handed out... "Now, line up outside of the room." Our professor exclaimed that. And we all followed his instructions. ... Soon, we found ourselves standing in one of the outdoor training grounds behind Xapham Hall. B-Class gathered among the other classes, A-Class and C-Class. "What do you think will happen?" sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Devin asked, looking at me. "A joint training session." I simply replied. "Ehh, we''re gonna fight again?" Devin followed up. "Idiot, fighting is not everything in training. But if you want to, ask any of them for a duel." I responded. Thankfully, before Devin could blab any more... "Attention." The professors of A-Class, B-Class, and C-Class came to the front and demanded our attention. "..." Everyone went silent. And after making sure we were all listening... "We''re going to have a joint training session now." Professor Sariel announced that. He''s in charge of A-Class. ***** "Nothing''s going on, everyone''s doing their own thing. It''s like we''re just sharing the place." Devin said after looking around and seeing that the classes were grouping on their own. "Don''t worry, duels are bound to happen when you pile up classes like this." I replied to him. "What do you mean?" He asked. Then, with a shrug... "Some students from the lower classes hate the A-Class. They don''t like how well they''re treated despite being both students of the academy." I answered. "That''s just stupid. They worked hard to get into the A-Class." Devin rebutted. Then, looking at him and pointing at myself... "Some didn''t." I said that. "..." Realization struck Devin. Even if the academy says that your family background doesn''t matter here, that''s far from the truth. Some undeserving people get into higher classes using their family name. ''Like Raye, for example.'' C-Class and D-Class consist of low-rank nobles and commoners. They have nothing but hard work. So, seeing those noble scum get into A-Class pisses them off. "Then, don''t you think you''ll get asked for a duel too?" Devin asked me. And with a carefree expression on my face... "Nah." I responded. "I''m not in A-Class anymore." I added. And just as I said that... "Yeah, you''re not anymore." I heard someone talk behind me. I looked at the source of it, and Devin followed suit. There, I saw three stupid-looking young men. I could tell they were nobles just based on their showy appearance. Anyway... "You really fell low, huh? Conversing with a commoner and all, along with getting demoted into the lower class." The young man in the middle said. He has black hair and eyes. He looks annoying too. ''He''s the leader, huh.'' I already know why they''re here. They must''ve been really quiet and obedient to Raye when he was still part of the Alvah Dukedom. But now that I''ve been disowned, they want to assert dominance. ''I''ll just ignore them. I''m not obligated to respond to them.'' I thought. "Get lost, Erick." Though, Devin spoke up. ''Oh, he knows them.'' That''s a surprise. "Ohh, if it isn''t Devin. I thought Raye was talking to a commoner, turns out it was you." The young man in the middle, who I presume was the one called Erick, said sarcastically. "Ah wait! Aren''t you basically a commoner after your dad killed himself and your vassals stole all your family''s assets?" Then he immediately added. "HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!" His two lackeys laughed with him, they looked like hyenas. "..." I was stunned. I didn''t expect to learn Devin''s past like this. And it angered me how he and his lackeys could make fun of something like that. "You bastard!" Devin exclaimed, catching the attention of many around us, even the professors. "Your family is the one who pushed my father to death! And you all orchestrated the stealing of our wealth too!" He added. I could see him really angry. I wouldn''t be surprised if he threw a punch now. "Go cry about it." The Erick guy replied, his tone and what he said pissed me off. No, everything about him annoyed me. ''I need to calm down.'' But unnecessary fights should be avoided. "Calm down, Devin." I stepped up to break off the fight between them. "Tsk... okay." And though reluctant, Devin complied. He doesn''t want to cause a scene too and get kicked out. ''Like me, he probably has a goal too.'' But then, annoyed that his provocation didn''t work... Fwip- The Erick guy grabbed me by the collar of my uniform. "Why don''t you stop intervening? Don''t forget that you don''t have the Alvah Dukedom behind you anymore, so you better stop acting up." He said, looking at me, annoyed. My eyes widened, not because of what he did or said. "My uniform..." But because he wrinkled my uniform. There''s dirt on his hands too from training, and it smeared all over my white uniform. ''This is the best set I have...'' I thought. I got pissed. The Erick guy keeps throwing insults at me. Then... "What, cat got your tongue¡ªkeuk!?" Before he could finish talking, I grabbed him back by the collar. Looking at him in the eye... "[Gust]" I cast a magic. SWOOSH¡ª "GAAAHHH!!!" Bam! "Keuk!" And sent him flying to one of the outdoor arenas, falling butt-first. Tap¡ª I immediately followed and stepped onto the arena as well. And with a frown on my face... "I request a duel." I declared that for everyone to hear. ''You better prepare, I''ll make you pay, you bastard.'' Chapter 27 - 27: 27- Evil versus Evil "I request a duel." "..." The whole area went silent. They were all looking at me, shocked. Even Erick was looking at me like that. "Are you nuts?!" He exclaimed. Then, looking down at him... "Why? After all that barking, you can''t bite?" I asked. "Yeah... he was kind of a loudmouth." "He grabbed Raye first, too." "And he bothered him first." "I hate to admit it, but Raye is in the good side this time." And it sparked whispers among the students. After hearing them, I could see Erick''s face turning red. So to finish it off... "You''re in the A-Class, aren''t you? I''m from the B-Class, one of the ''lower classes'' you''re talking about... Don''t tell me you''re scared?" I added, provoking him even further. "Hah! Acting superior just because he''s from the A-Class. Everyone knows you''re there because of your family!" "You know you''re shit, that''s why you rely on your family''s name!" What I said angered the students from the C-Class. S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Even their professor were kind of frowning, looking at Erick. And finally... "Ggghhh... SHUT UP!!!" Erick snapped. And with bloodshot eyes... "I accept the duel, you bitch." He accepted the duel. Hearing his answer, I smirked and looked over at Professor Sariel. Then, looking back at me... "Haaaa..." He sighed and walked over to us. "Aren''t you getting tired of fighting?" The professor asked as soon as he got near me. Raising a brow and looking at Erick... "Fighting?" I said that in a questioning tone. Then, with a smirk... "I''m just here to give that spoiled bitch a spanking." I added. "Gurgh..." I said it loud enough for everyone to hear. This only made Erick angrier. "Language." Professor Sariel said, shaking his head in defeat. "My bad." I apologized. "Never mind that... Just get ready, both of you." And with that, Erick and I prepared for our fight. ***** "Erick Hutchins from the swordsmanship course, first year, A-Class. I''m ready." Erick said as he came back up onto the arena, holding a wooden sword. "Raye Alvah from the magic course, first year, B-Class. I''m ready." This time, it was Raye who came back up and declared that. "Huh?" Sariel looked at Raye, head to toe. He was frowning. "What is he doing?" "Another one of his antics?" The students watching did the same. And that''s because... "You''re gonna fight empty-handed?" Raye didn''t have a training weapon with him. At Sariel''s question... "Yep." Raye simply replied, nodding his head. "Okayyy..." Sariel responded, still confused by Raye''s motive. "Get ready, both of you." But he decided to move on. He gave up on understanding Raye''s mind. "Are you stupid?" Erick asked, seeing Raye unarmed. On the other hand... "..." Raye just looked at Erick with a bored expression, not speaking. "Hah! Still playing the arrogant card, huh." Erick laughed. "I''ll show you who''s superior now." Then he added as he placed his wooden sword in front of him. And after that... "Start." Sariel began their bout! "HAAAAAA!!!" Tap- tap -tap- tap¡ª Erick ran, rushing at Raye. And watching him do that... ''So fucking slow.'' Raye frowned as he thought of that. Erick was nothing like Leon. Soon, Erick reached Raye, and with all of his might... "HYAAAA!!!" Swoosh¡ª Erick unleashed a vertical slash! "Ugh, so noisy." Raye said. Then he slightly stepped back. Fwish¡ª And avoided Erick''s attack by a hair''s breadth! Bam! Erick''s weapon made contact with the ground... Tap¡ª And Raye immediately stepped on it to lock Erick in position! And after that... "Why don''t you shut up." BAM! "Gaah...!" Raye punched him in the mouth, making Erick stumble back. "Ugh..." Erick''s lips tore and bled. He looked at Raye, now much angrier. "I''LL KILL YOU!!! HAAAAA!!!" Tap- tap- tap¡ª Then he ran toward him again. Swish¡ª Erick slashed horizontally. Fwish¡ª But Raye easily dodged it. "GRAAAAH!!!" Fwoosh¡ª Erick followed with a fast thrust. "..." Fwip¡ª But Raye just slightly moved to the side and avoided it with ease. "You''re much weaker than I expected." Raye said, clearly unimpressed. And after that... "[Wind Blast]" He cast a spell. FWISH-! Erick didn''t see it coming, and at point-blank range... BAM! "Keub...?!" He was hit immediately. "Kuff... coff... ugh" Erick was knocked to the ground, coughing. Then, looking back up at Raye... He saw him staring at him with a blank expression on his face. "Talking all high and mighty with this set of skills?" Raye asked in contempt. "Even the basics of your Fundamental Blade Arts suck." Then he added. "FUCK YOU!!!" Erick raged, cursing at Raye. And as a response... "No..." "[Gust]" Raye cast a spell. He focused it on his legs, and after that... Bam! Swoosh¡ª He kicked onto the ground and used the strong wind of his magic to propel himself toward Erick! "...!" Erick was stunned and couldn''t react. So Raye, with his right hand tightly clenched in a fist... "Fuck you!" BAM¡ª! He punched out and hit Erick''s nose with the force of his rush! CRACK¡ª "GRAAAAAAAAHHHH!!!" A loud cracking noise was heard, followed by Erick''s deafening scream. And to shut him up... "Shut up." BAM! Raye punched him in the temple of his head. "..." It was hard enough to make Erick pass out. After that... "..." Raye quietly stood up and shook his hand to remove the blood on it. And with a shocked expression on his face... "Raye Alvah won." Sariel announced that. And with that... Tap- tap- tap¡ª Raye stepped down from the arena. Erick''s unconscious body was left on the ground. He was unsightly, with a lot of blood dripping from his nose, and a few of his teeth were either missing or cracked. "WOAAAHHHH!" "THAT WAS INSANE!" "WAAAAAHHHH!!!" Raye''s performance wowed the crowd, and despite being hated... "YOU SERVED HIM RIGHT!" "A FIGHT BETWEEN VILLAINS, AND THE MORE EVIL WON!" The students cheered for Raye. ***** (Raye''s POV) Climbing down the arena... "Wow... You told me to calm down, but you went and started a fight." Devin greeted me. He''s saying that, but there''s a wide smile on his face. "Thanks." He followed. "I didn''t do it for you." I said to him. Though, a part of me did it for him. "Still, thanks." Devin insisted. Looking at him, I just shrugged my shoulders and walked past him. Devin followed and walked beside me. "I told you, you should be in a combat class." "Shut up." "But¡ª" "Shut up." "Fine..." And after that, the joint training session continued. Chapter 28 - 28: 28 - The First Day With Raye defeating someone from the A-Class, and a noble jerk at that... "He''s changed for good." "I''m seeing him in a new light now." He gained some respect from the C-Class and D-Class students. And his duel... "I''m gonna show those A-Class scum nobles, too, that they''re nothing without their family." ...sparked a movement among the lower classes. They started challenging nobles from the A-Class to duels. And with that, it turned into a competition between the A-Class and the lower classes. ***** (Raye''s POV) "Hmm, everything''s unfolding like it did in the game." I mumbled as I watched the duels happening. Most of the nobles who got into the A-Class using their family connections lost to students from the lower classes. Only the main characters from the A-Class won overwhelmingly against them. This was a scenario in the game that revealed the unjust practices of the nobles. Soon... ''This will lead to the revolt of the lower classes.'' And that''ll be the start of Act II. "Wow, you did all of this." Devin said as he stood beside me, watching the ongoing matches. "It''s bound to happen anyway. I just started it early." I replied with a shrug. What I''m saying is true, I didn''t do anything outside of the game story. In the game, just an extra from the D-Class started this whole event by challenging an annoying noble from the A-Class to a duel¡ªand won. So I didn''t really do anything significant this time. Anyway... "You''re good at fighting too, huh?" I said, referring to Devin. I had just watched him obliterate the two lackeys of Erick in a duel earlier, fighting them in succession with no rest. "I''m nothing compared to you." Devin responded as he patted my back. "If there''s dirt on my uniform, I''ll kill you." I said. "Oops!" Then he quickly removed his hand from me. Devin fights weirdly, he''s a magician but fights at close range. He can only use low-level spells, so instead of launching them at his opponent... ''He covers his fists and feet with them and fights hand-to-hand.'' That''s interesting. ''I should try and learn that, too.'' I thought as I continued to watch the scenario in front of me unfold. ... ... I didn''t get into any more fights after my first one, which is good because I''m actually tired. And after two whole hours... "You are all dismissed. Except those who are still injured¡ªstay and get treated." The joint training session finished. And because it''s the first day, where we just decide the classes we want to take, there were no more classes. And so, my first day at school came to an end. ***** "See you tomorrow!" Devin exclaimed as we parted ways at the entrance of Xapham Hall. "..." I just waved silently back at him. And with that, I ran my way back to the cabin. "I''m hungry." ... ... ... Around 1 P.M. "I''m back." I arrived in front of the cabin. Old Man Rey was outside, waiting for me. "Welcome back. How was your first day?" He greeted me and asked. "It was tiring." I responded. "And annoying." And I added, looking at the dirt on my uniform. "You must be hungry. I saved some roasted deer meat from earlier. Change your clothes while I heat it up." The old man said. "Thanks." I thanked him and went inside to change clothes. ... ... Burp¡ª "Haaaaa..." After filling up my stomach, a satisfied smile appeared on my face. "That was good, old man. Thanks!" I exclaimed as I relaxed. "Meh." Old Man Rey responded as usual. We talked back and forth, with him asking me about my day, and me asking about his. It was relaxing and fun. But after resting for a bit... "Chores." I started cutting logs outside so we could store more firewood. Meanwhile, the old man started crafting more traps to lay in the forest tomorrow. Anyway, after chopping woods for two hours... "Repair." I stopped and continued repairing the walls of the old man''s room. I say repair, but I''m replacing almost all of the parts because of how old they were. And around 5 P.M. ... "Hello!" I heard a familiar voice behind me. Looking back... "Oh, it''s you." I saw Jerusha, smiling ear to ear. "What''s with that reaction?!" "I''m here to teach you, don''t you remember?!" She exclaimed, offended. "Ah, that''s right." I did forget at some point, but now that I remember... "I''ll just finish this part, then we''ll start." I''m excited to learn spirit magic. "Okay, I''ll just stay here and watch you." Jerusha replied. Tak- tak- tak¡ª And I continued my work... ... After about half an hour, I finished the part that I was repairing. "..." Jerusha really just watched me the whole time, not saying anything. ''She''s really weird.'' I thought as I turned to her. "Didn''t you get bored?" I asked, frowning. "Nope! Watching you work is somewhat intriguing!" She exclaimed. Hearing her answer, I shrugged my shoulders and opened my mouth... "Anyway, shall we start?" I said suggestively. "Okay!" And Jerusha excitedly replied. ***** After finding a quiet spot in the northern forest not too far from the cabin... "I''m starting the first lesson." Jerusha began. "We entered the forest because this is the natural habitat of the spirits. In fact, as I''m talking right now, there are a lot of them around us." She stated. I, sitting on top of a big rock, looked around at her words. "I can''t see them." I mumbled. "That''s right!" Jerusha exclaimed. "Why do you think so?" Then she asked. "Because I have a low mana stat?" I answered, questioning. And hearing that... "Buzz... wrong!" Jerusha said. "People often think that having a large mana pool is the key to seeing spirits, but that''s wrong!" She proudly declared. "Spirits materialize themselves using the mana in their surroundings, not your mana. And their body is mostly made of mana." "In other words, what''s really important is having high mana sensitivity!" Jerusha explained, acting like a real professor. "Even when I was four years old and had the same mana stat as you, I could already see them, so don''t worry!" She even added. Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ''Okay, that was unnecessary. She indirectly told me my mana stat is equal to that of a child.'' I thought, a small frown appeared on my face. I know she''s encouraging me by saying that, but it''s still a low blow. Anyway... "How can I increase my mana sensitivity, then?" I moved on and asked her. Then with a smug smile on her face... "Meditation." Jerusha answered, pointing her fingers upward. ''She''s really enjoying herself, huh.'' "You just need to meditate and feel the mana around you, focusing on it until you get used to it." She added. Then, pondering for a while... "Isn''t it better to meditate while my mana pool is empty?" I asked. "In that case, I''ll be more sensitive to the surrounding mana because my body is absorbing more mana to refill my mana pool." Then I followed with an explanation. "Ah! You''re right!" Jerusha exclaimed excitedly. Then with a bright smile on her face... "You''re smart!" She added. "..." Her compliment made me feel good, to be honest. "I didn''t think of that because I have a big mana pool¡ªI haven''t experienced mana exhaustion in my lifetime!" But her next words immediately erased the smile on my face. Chapter 29 - 29: 29 - Caught in the Flow Continuing the lesson... "You should try draining your mana now." Jerusha said that to me. We''re going to try the method I thought of earlier. At her words... "[Windwhirl]" SWAAAAH¡ª SWOOOOOSH¡ª I immediately used an intermediate-level magic that drains my mana with a single use. "Ohhh, what strong wind." Jerusha seems used to this level of magic. I just summoned a windwhirl. Rustle, rustle¡ª It was strong enough to sway the trees surrounding us violently. I''d always wanted to try this spell, but I knew I could only use it once, and it''d be weaker because of my low mana stat. But given the opportunity, I didn''t hesitate to try it. Anyway, not even a minute after manifesting a windwhirl... Poof¡ª Swaaa¡ª I was out of mana, and the spell canceled on its own. "Huff... haaaa¡­" I was exhausted too. "That was fast. Now start meditating!" Giving me no time to rest, Jerusha said that. "..." I silently complied, sitting on top of the big rock in a lotus position. After that... "..." I closed my eyes. "Relax your whole body." I heard Jerusha''s voice. I tried to relax myself as much as I could. "Fuuuu¡­" I fixed my breathing, in and out. I erased my thoughts. Then I tried sensing the mana around me... ''Oh...'' I could feel it, the swirling mana in the surroundings. It was everywhere, waiting to be absorbed. This part of the forest is especially packed with mana. ''Did Jerusha pick this place for my training?'' She''s really considerate. I could feel the mana entering my body, and my mana pool getting refilled. And though faint... "I can feel them." The spirits around us. "That''s good. Continue what you''re doing." Jerusha said when she heard my words. "..." And I followed her instruction. I was so fascinated by this new sensation. And soon... "..." Just focusing on the mana around me... I entered a stupor state. ... ... ... ... ... I don''t know how long I was in that suspended state. But after regaining my consciousness, I opened my eyes... "Huh?" And to my shock¡ª "It''s morning?!" It was bright as hell now! I looked around, finding Jerusha... But instead of her, I saw a note in front of me. I immediately read it... ===== Wow, you''re so talented in meditating, your concentration is on another level! I can''t even do it for that long! Anyway, I watched you for more than 3 hours, but I had to go back to the dorm, or else the head maid would scold me. I thought it''d be a shame to disrupt you, since this''ll be a big jump in your goal of learning spirit magic, after all. So instead, I left some spirits to guard you and left you this note! I also informed Mister about your absence and the reason why. He told me to tell you good luck and that dinner will be stored for you, so don''t worry! Anyway, that''s that. See you tomorrow! ¡ªYour master, Jerusha. ===== A frown appeared on my face. "..." I was trying to find something to say... Grumble¡ª But my stomach made a sound first. I''m hungry. So with that, I stood up and walked back to the cabin. ***** "Where have you been? You didn''t come back the whole night." Old Man Rey said as soon as he saw me approaching. There''s a hint of worry in his voice, which made me feel guilty. "I''m sorry, I was caught up in something." I responded, bowing my head in shame. "Well, I know that. The girl told me last night. But she just said you''d be gone for a few more hours." The old man stated. "I don''t know what happened either." I said, and I was being completely honest about it. I didn''t expect it to be that long either. "..." The old man just looked at me. But after a brief pause... "Argh! Never mind that. You must be hungry. Eat up now, I made breakfast already." "I was actually on my way to find you." He said that, pointing at the table with a rabbit stew. ''How nostalgic.'' He always makes me rabbit stew whenever he''s reminded of our meeting. And it''s my favorite dish now. Just then... "What are you staring at? School''s about to start." Old Man Rey said that, snapping me out of my thoughts. "What?" I asked, confused. "Yesterday, you were already long gone to school by this hour." The old man answered casually. "Shit." I cursed softly. "I''m gonna be late!" Then I exclaimed as I got ready. I ate breakfast, then washed up immediately afterward. I wore a new set of uniforms, and within just a few minutes... "I''m off!" "Good luck." I left the cabin. ... ... "Huff... haaa... huff!" I was running at full speed. I didn''t see any students on my way. ''Shit, I''m actually late.'' Soon, I reached the entrance of Xapham Hall... I immediately scanned through the schedules displayed outside to find my first class... "Alchemy!" And after finding it... Bam! S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. I dashed through the hallway. I know it''s against the rules, but who actually cares? ... ... After a short while... I arrived in front of the alchemy room. "Is everyone here?" I heard a voice coming from the room. Out of panic... Creak¡ª I immediately opened the door! And as soon as I stepped inside... "Now, everyone is." I blurted that out. It came out wrong from what was in my head. Now I sound like a jerk. "..." The whole room went silent. They all looked at me. ''I wanna die.'' I thought in embarrassment, I didn''t want to be here right now. Though, I kept my calm facade. "Hmm, interesting." Then, the woman in front of the room spoke. I recognized her. She''s Professor Jacqueline Orchid. She''s in her early 30s, has discerning brown eyes and chestnut hair neatly styled in a low bun. Strict and composed, she wears earth-toned, professional attire, exuding both authority and subtle warmth. And in the game, she was in charge of all the 1st Year Alchemy Classes throughout the academy! "You''re late, Mister Raye." Professor Jacqueline said. "And I apologize for that." I responded. Hearing my words, Professor Jacqueline eyed me from head to toe... "I know you from the other professors." She then said, slowly approaching me. "I know all the things you did in the first semester... If you registered for this class because you think it''s easy to cheat in, then you''re making a grave mistake." She added, squinting her eyes at me. "I didn''t think of that. I''m serious about learning alchemy." I replied, looking straight back at her. "Is that so? Then wouldn''t you have basic alchemy knowledge if that were true?" Professor Jacqueline asked. "Be my guest." I said. And at my response... "Which is better to stabilize a volatile mixture. Earthroot Powder or Skyroot Essence?" The professor asked me that question. And with confidence... "Earthroot Powder, as earth elements provide stability." I immediately answered. "..." "..." This silenced Professor Jacqueline and the students expecting me not to answer that question. "May I take a seat now, so you could start the class?" I asked. And with a bit of reluctance... "Go ahead." The professor let me go. And with that, I found myself a seat. Chapter 30 - 30: 30 - Earlier and More Except for the start of the class, the alchemy session went on peacefully with nothing big happening. I just sat in the corner, listening to the lesson. Professor Jacqueline kept eyeing me throughout the class, checking if I was doing something shady. But I just let her, I can''t blame her or stop her anyway. And after two whole hours¡­ "That''s all for today, class dismissed." The class came to an end. "What''s my next class again?" I asked myself as I stood up from my seat. I hadn''t looked at my full schedule, so I planned to check it again later. ''There''s an hour of free time, what should I do?'' I initially thought of going back to the cabin, but that''d be too tiring and time-consuming. So instead¡­ "I should visit Kyle." I decided on that. It''s been a long time since I checked on him. ''I wonder how he''s doing.'' With that, I left the classroom and immediately headed to Kyle''s store. ***** Tap- tap- tap¡ª On my way to Kyle''s store¡­ "Where are we headed again?" Devin asked as he walked beside me. "Ugh..." I groaned in annoyance. I didn''t invite him, he just saw me leaving Xapham Hall and decided to come with me. "¡­" I''ve been ignoring him since earlier. "Ah! I heard you made a flashy entrance on your first day in Alchemy Class." But when Devin said that¡­ Tap¡ª My steps halted, and I turned to him. "What?" I asked him. And with a carefree expression on his face¡­ "There''s a rumor that you made a flashy entrance by attending the class late and getting into a fight with the professor." He explained that to me. A frown appeared on my face. ''I can''t believe it, there are already rumors about it?'' I thought they would lose interest in me after being silent for a month, but it seems they hate Raye more than I thought. "Haaa¡­" I sighed in resignation, shaking my head. "It''s nothing big." I said. Then I started telling Devin what actually happened to make him shut up. ... ¡­ "Well, that''s a pretty flashy entrance if you ask me." Devin said after hearing my story. "Whatever. What I''m saying is that it wasn''t intentional." I responded. I didn''t tell him the reason I was late, I just think there''s no need to. Then, as we were walking¡­ "Catch him!" "Stop right there!" Bam! Tap- tap- tap¡ª I heard a commotion nearby. Looking in its direction¡­ "Oh?" I saw Leon running after a guy. Not far behind him, there was a beautiful young woman with silky-long black hair and obsidian-like eyes, she''s holding a big staff as she follows after Leon. I immediately recognized the young woman, it was Aria Themis¡ªthe main heroine in the game. She''s from the same village as Leon and the protagonist''s childhood friend. Anyway, looking at them¡­ ''The game story is proceeding on time, that''s good.'' I thought about that. Act I: The Creepy Stalker. That''s probably ongoing right now, seeing Leon angrily chasing someone. In this part of the game, Aria keeps receiving death threats and feels like she''s being watched. After Leon learned of this, he became angry and took charge of solving the matter. ''Soon, they''ll find out the person behind this is just an obsessed noble from the second-year magic course.'' He was so in love with Aria that he tried to scare her, hoping that she would rely on him. But when Leon entered the scene, he became furious and really tried to do shady stuff. Anyway¡­ ''That''s that, I''ll leave it to them.'' I don''t plan to involve myself in that. So, I went on my way and started walking toward Kyle''s store again. "That Leon guy is always doing crazy things ever since he got admitted. It''s like he''s some protagonist of a story or something." Devin said as he followed me, he seems excited talking about it too. ''This guy is sharp even though he''s stupid.'' I thought. ''I don''t want him getting involved in the game story because of curiosity and messing it up.'' After all, this isn''t like a game, everyone in this world has their own consciousness and will. They have their own life. It''s not just me that can be an unexpected variable. Anyone can. ''This is reality now.'' The people here aren''t just NPCs who say the same thing over and over and just stay in their place. I need to keep that in mind. So to shift Devin''s attention away from Leon... "Don''t mind him, let''s just go. I''ll treat you to some smoked beef." I said that. "Really? Thanks!" Which worked like a charm. ***** A few minutes later, Devin and I reached Kyle''s store. "Ah, Brother Raye!" Kyle greeted me. He started calling me brother after we ate together on the first day of the class placement test. "How''re things going here?" I asked as soon as Kyle approached us. "Never been this good before!" He exclaimed excitedly. "After advertising like you said, customers kept coming like floods. I don''t actually need to stay super late now!" He added with a bright smile on his face. "Ah, by the way, this is Devin, a classmate of mine." Then I introduced Devin to him. "Hello." Devin said. "Hello, I''m Kyle Larson." Kyle introduced himself. They shook hands, and after that¡­ "Can you make us something, Kyle?" I asked him. S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "I''ll pay." I added. And at my words¡­ "Ah, wait!" Kyle''s eyes widened as if he just remembered something. Then, with a grin on his face¡­ "Tadah!" He handed me a small cloth bag. "...?" I was confused at first. "Huh?" But when I felt the bag''s texture, I immediately realized what was inside. Looking at Kyle, surprised¡­ "It''s early." I mumbled. Kyle shook his head at my words. Then, smiling at me¡­ "I wanted to surprise you, so I decided to give it earlier than we promised!" He declared. "Huh, what''s happening?" Devin asked, looking back and forth between us. I ignored him and focused on the bag in my hand. Opening it up¡­ "¡­" It was full of gold coins, approximately 20 of them. ''It''s more than in the game.'' I thought. Looking up at Kyle¡­ I felt kinda proud, I knew he would succeed, but still seeing it now fills me up with happiness. "I told you, my money isn''t wasted on you." I said to Kyle, smiling softly him. "Thanks." Flustered, Kyle thanked me. And with that¡­ "We should all eat together, my treat!" I declared. And even though he had no idea what was happening¡­ "WHOOAAAAHH!!!" Devin was excited when he heard my words. "Free food!" He exclaimed. ''I can''t believe he''s a noble.'' Chapter 31 - 31: 31 - A Glimpse of Red "Thanks for the treat!" Devin said as we parted ways. We were back in Xapham Hall and on our way to our next class. "You''re welcome." I simply replied, then went on my way. ... ... My next class was Magic Engineering, one of the classes I put on my form. I hadn''t actually tried this course before when I was playing Brave Hearts, so I''m very new to this. As to why I wanted to take this class, it''s because I want to learn how to make artifacts. I don''t have that much mana, so they''ll be a big help in surviving in this world. ''Also, they sell for a lot of money.'' For someone like me, this is the perfect class to excel at. Anyway, arriving in front of the room where the class would be held... Creak¡ª I opened the door and entered. The professor hadn''t arrived yet, so I went and took a seat in the far corner of the room. Waiting for the class to start, I thought to myself... ''I''m all over the place again.'' After my match with Leon, I felt lost. I don''t know what I should do next, I''m doing everything aimlessly. ''I know I want to graduate, but that''s my final goal.'' I need short-term goals that will help me achieve that, slowly building my way up there. As I was thinking of that... Creak¡ª "Hello everyone, please take a seat so we can start." The professor assigned to our class appeared. So I decided to think about this later, after school. ***** My second class went on peacefully, I learned the fundamentals needed for magic engineering, and I''m really interested in it. The same for my last class, Runes and Ancient Symbols. It''s a class that''s nowhere in the game, but the topic discussed was actually fascinating. The class was about constructing spells by using the mana in the surroundings. It takes longer than using your own mana and it''s much weaker, so it wasn''t popular in the magic course... ''But for someone like me with low mana, this could be very helpful.'' So I made sure to listen properly. Anyway... I''m currently on my way back to the cabin. It''s around 6 P.M. now. I''m holding a bag of fruits and vegetables, they''re gifts for the old man. I initially thought of roasted beef skewers, but we''ve been eating meat a lot these days, so I decided on these. ''I even bought him new hunting clothes.'' With all this, I spent about 5 gold coins. Which leaves me roughly 15 gold coins from what I received from Kyle, and currently... "I have about 55 gold coins." I''m saving them in case of an emergency. Moving on... The cabin came into sight. So, excitedly... Bam! I ran toward it. ... ... "Oh, you''re back." Old Man Rey greeted me as usual. "..." But I couldn''t reply immediately. Because beside him... "Hello!" ...was Jerusha. "What are you doing here?" I asked. "For your next lesson!" She replied immediately. "You''re way too early." I told her. "Who cares? She could eat with us before you two go on your way." The old man then intervened. "Really? Thanks!" And Jerusha responded. "Wha..." I looked at the old man in shock, he wasn''t this kind when we first met! ''Why is he like this?'' I asked in my head, confused. But then... ''Huh?'' I saw him wink at me. Then it hit me... ''He thinks we''re a thing.'' That''s why he''s doing this¡ªto supposedly help me with her. I tried to explain to the old man that he''s misunderstanding things... "She''s not my¡ª" "Shush." But he didn''t let me. "Make dinner, we''re gonna prepare the table." He said. Then he approached me... "Don''t worry, I got you." And whispered that. "Let''s go inside, Jerusha. You could rest in Raye''s room." "Ah no, I''ll help!" Then they both went inside. Meanwhile... "..." I just shut my mouth. ''He''s gone crazy.'' I thought as I prepared the ingredients. ***** It didn''t take me long to cook dinner, and after I was done... "Here." I placed a hot pot in the middle of the table. Then, opening its lid... Swaa~ "Wowwww!" "Ohhh, what''s that, kid?" A salivating aroma hit our noses. S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "It''s vegetable beef soup." I said. "We have vegetables?" The old man asked. And with a grin on my face... "I bought some on the way." I replied, bragging. "Also, I have this." Then I went and handed him a bag. Looking inside it... "Oh, fruits." The old man was excited to see that. But upon closer look... "Hmm?" He noticed something different. Reaching out and taking it out... "What..." Old Man Rey was surprised by a new set of hunting clothes. "Wear this when we go to the forest. This will protect you from bugs and itchy plants, and it''ll also keep you warm." I said with a smug smile. But my smugness quickly disappeared... "Thank you." The old man thanked me, his voice quivering. "..." I just smiled at him softly. But that faded too... "...!" I saw Jerusha looking at me with a shocked expression. ''I forgot about her.'' Now I''m a bit embarrassed. So, to move on... "That''s that, let''s eat!" I suggested, and we all started eating after that. As we eat, the old man keeps giving weird hints to Jerusha about me. I just let him because he look so happy, though. ... ... After eating, the old man went to bed as usual. On the other hand, Jerusha and I returned to the northern forest where we held the lesson yesterday. "You''re really so different from the rumors." Jerusha said as I sat on top of the big rock. "..." I just remained silent, not saying anything about it. I''m still embarrassed from earlier. But then... "Oh, I heard you meditated till morning from the spirits." Jerusha mentioned that. "Ah!" That made me immediately turn my head to her. "Yeah, what''s the deal with that?" I asked. "I don''t know." But Jerusha just shrugged. "I can''t meditate for that long, you''re really something else." She added. "..." I became silent, looking at my hands and frowning. Though, suddenly... "After meditating for that long, I wouldn''t be surprised if you could see spirits now," Jerusha stated that. "Huh?" I looked back up at her, excited. And seeing me like that... "Why don''t you try?" Jerusha suggested. "Okay, what should I do?" I immediately asked her. And casually... "Just concentrate on the mana around us, try to see them." Jerusha instructed. "...?" I didn''t get what she meant. But I tried, nevertheless... I closed my eyes and focused on the mana in the air. And after a while... "Fuuu..." I exhaled heavily and slowly opened my eyes. And upon doing so... "Huh?" I was greeted by nothing but Jerusha, looking at me expectantly. "How did it go?" She asked. Disappointed, I shook my head. "Ohh..." She was pretty disappointed too, I could tell. I wasn''t really expecting it to be that easy, but it''s still frustrating. "..." I just clenched my hands into fist in silence. But then... -Meep! I heard a strange noise. "Huh?" -Meep! I heard it again. I looked around, searching for where it was coming from. "What are you doing?" Jerusha asked, but I ignored her. -Meep! And the third time I heard it... I finally saw where it was coming from. "..." -Meep! Meep! There was a small, red-looking slime on the ground, near the foot of the rock I was sitting on. "A spirit." It was a spirit. "I can see a spirit!" I exclaimed in excitement. Chapter 32 - 32: 32 - The Spark of Partnership "I can see a spirit!" Although not as magical as when Jerusha showed them to me, I was still happy. "What?!" Jerusha exclaimed after hearing my words. "What spirit can you see?" She asked, looking around. ''She''s probably looking at the spirits around us, wondering who I am seeing.'' Slowly, I pointed at the small red slime jumping up and down on the ground. -Meep! It was cute as fuck. Following my gaze, Jerusha saw where I was pointing. And there, she saw the same thing I was seeing... "Awwwww, how cute." Jerusha squealed. "..." I ignored her. Then I placed my hand palm-up near the slime. And as a response... -Meep! The slime jumped onto it. It was really small, it fit my palm perfectly. I pulled my hand back and looked at the spirit closer... -Meep! Meep! It started jumping excitedly. It made me smile. Looking at Jerusha... "What is this?" I asked her. The slime looked at Jerusha too. Then, excitedly... "That''s a newly formed spirit! A baby, you might say." "That one is an element slime, and based on the color, it''s a fire type!" She explained. I looked back at the spirit on my palm. It was so innocent-looking and cute. "It''s the only one you can see right now with your mana sensitivity. Actually, I think that slime used a bit of its own mana to show itself to you." Jerusha mumbled. "But with just a little more meditation, you could see the low-class spirits. And after that, you could form your first contract with them!" Then she declared, she was really excited for me. I was happy to hear that too, but with a slight frown on my face... "How about this one?" I asked Jerusha, referring to the red slime. "Huh?" She was confused. So, to clarify things... "Can''t I just form my first contract with this little one?" I rephrased my question. "..." Jerusha was speechless upon hearing my words. She opened her mouth, but no words came out. The slime and I just looked at her in silence. Then, after a brief moment... "You can." Jerusha said. It made me glad. Though... "But just so you know, with your current mana, you can only have one contract with a lower-class spirit. And that slime in front of you is the lowest in the lower-class." She added. "Do you still want to continue?" Jerusha asked, waiting for my response. ''The lowest of the low, huh...'' I thought, looking at the slime in my hand. ''Aren''t we peas in the same pod?'' And with a smile on my face... "Yeah, I want to." I answered Jerusha. ***** "You just need to feed it with your mana." Jerusha instructed. We were starting the contract-making. "First, both parties must be willing, the spirit mustn''t reject your mana." "Second, your mana must be high enough to provide some to the spirit daily." "And lastly, the compatibility rate between you two... This is the most important part. Without this, everything else will be hard, or worse, the contract could fail." She explained, making sure to tell me everything I needed to know. And after all that... "You can start now." Jerusha stated. "Okay." I replied as I nodded. -Meep! The slime did the same while on top of my palm. ''Cute.'' I thought. Anyway, I closed my eyes. And carefully... Swaaaaah~ I started pouring mana into the slime spirit. "That''s good, continue it." I heard Jerusha, and I followed her words. I continued. "..." A second passed, two, three... "...?" But nothing happened. Jerusha said I might feel a bit of resistance, so I prepared myself. But it didn''t come. Nevertheless, I moved on and continued what I was doing. ... And after about half an hour... "Haaah..." I was out of mana. "Ugh..." I''m exhausted and sleepy. Slowly, I opened my eyes. "..." And Jerusha''s face greeted me. ''Too close.'' I thought as I backed away slightly. "How did it go?" I asked. Then silently, while smiling ear to ear... "Look." Jerusha pointed at my palm. And there... -Meep! I saw the slime, much redder than before! And unconsciously, I felt a strong connection between us! "I succeeded!" I exclaimed in excitement. "You did it! Well done!" Jerusha said, acting like a proud teacher. I just let her be, she helped me with all this, after all. "Thanks." I said to her. "You''re welcome!" She replied happily. "Ah!" Then she seemed to remember something... "Did you know you both have a very high compatibility rate?" Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. She suddenly said. "What?" "I was surprised as well. I didn''t even have that high compatibility with my first spirit." Jerusha rambled. "This means that you both can get stronger fast!" She exclaimed. Hearing her words... "I''m glad to hear that." -Meep! I replied as I patted the slime in my hand. "What are you naming it?" Jerusha then asked me. "It doesn''t have one?" I asked back, surprised. Then, shaking her head... "It''s a newly born spirit, it doesn''t have a name yet. So, you can give it one." Jerusha said that. "Is that so...?" I looked at the slime. -Meep! After that... "Hmm..." I thought long and hard. Upon entering a contract with the slime spirit, I came to know that it''s a boy and only a few months old. And because I don''t like to complicate things... "Why not Pyro?" I gave it a simple name. -Meep! The slime responded positively. I could feel his feelings now. "That''s a cute name." Jerusha responded, waving hi to Pyro. "With that done, I''ll give you both an assignment." Then she suddenly said that to the both of us. "Huh?" -Meep? Pyro and I were both confused by her words. Seeing us like that, Jerusha laughed a little. "It''s nothing big. I just want you both to create a special skill." She added. "What?" I still didn''t get it. So, to fix that... "Strengthen your bond with Pyro and make a skill between you two." Jerusha simplified her words. "Like this." Then she opened her right hand. And then... SWAAAAAHHH¡ª An enormous trident made of water appeared in the air. "!" My eyes widened at the sight of it. I could feel the surging mana from it. It made me sweat like bullets! And just a few moments after that appeared... Poof¡ª It simply vanished in thin air. "I didn''t fire it because I don''t want to cause a mess in the forest." I heard Jerusha said. "..." I was still speechless. And while I was like that, Jerusha casually stood up and patted her clothes clean. "I''ll leave now, it''s getting late." She said, walking away. "Ah!" But she stopped in her tracks and looked back. And with a sweet smile... "Congrats on your first contract with a spirit." She said that softly. Chapter 33 - 33: 33 - A Day with Pyro After Jerusha left, I immediately headed back to the cabin. Pyro came home with me. And as soon as I lay on the bed... "..." I immediately fell asleep. I was already exhausted, after all. ***** The next morning... "Haaa..." I woke up feeling kind of refreshed. -Meep! Pyro greeted me. "Good morning to you too." I replied, smiling at him. After that, I fixed my bed and headed outside. I was going to make breakfast for the old man and myself. And as I was in the middle of doing so... "Early again, huh." The old man appeared, clearly just waking up. "Good morning." I greeted him. "Hmm." The old man nodded sleepily as a response. But then... "Huh?" He suddenly became sober. "What''s that?" He asked, pointing at my shoulder... To be exact, he''s pointing at Pyro. ''Oh, I remember Jerusha saying spirits would be visible to most people upon making a contract with someone.'' Though if they wanted to, spirits could hide themselves and would only be visible to those with high mana sensitivity. Anyway... "A spirit." I answered the old man''s question casually. "..." He was speechless, rubbing his eyes as if to check whether he was hallucinating. Soon, though... "Argh! Whatever!" He gave up trying to understand and moved on. "His name is Pyro, by the way." I said to the old man. And after that... "Breakfast is ready." We ate breakfast together. -Meep! Pyro joined us, feeding off my mana. ***** After eating, I immediately washed myself in the nearby river. I then put on my uniform and went on my way to the academy. -Meep! Pyro was with me, of course. "Hide yourself." I said to Pyro as I ran through the halls of Xapham Hall. -Meep! He replied, complying. Fwiif~ After that, his presence immediately became hard to detect. "That''s good." I mumbled with a slight smile. And with that, I attended my first class. ''Alchemy'' ... ... Unlike yesterday, the Alchemy class started peacefully. Professor Jacqueline discussed the effects of herbs and how to prepare them properly. It was something I already knew from the game, so it was relatively easy. I listened well to the lectures and answered questions. I actively participated in the class to show that I''m serious about learning, and soon enough... "Good job, Raye." Professor Jacqueline started warming up to me! ''Let''s keep this up.'' I thought to myself as I continued listening to the lesson. And after a few hours... "That''s all for today, you are all dismissed." The class came to an end peacefully as well. ***** "That''s cute." Devin said, pointing at Pyro, who was resting on my shoulder. "You can see him?" I asked, frowning at him. "It was hard, but I could feel something on your shoulder. So I concentrated really hard, then I saw that." Devin explained. "Why? Am I not supposed to?" And then he asked. "..." I was speechless. He did something I struggled to do in a matter of minutes! ''This guy is something else.'' I thought. Moving on, I shook my head... "No, I was just surprised." S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Then I answered his question. "This guy''s name is Pyro, a spirit I''m contracted with." I added, kind of bragging. Then, with a smile on his face... "Hi, Pyro." Devin said, waving at Pyro on my shoulders. -Meep! Pyro greeted him back. "Wow, you''re contracted with a spirit now. That''s so cool!" Devin exclaimed, turning his attention back to me. He genuinely looks surprised and impressed. "Meh." I just shrugged my shoulders at his words. I didn''t do something noteworthy, there''s a lot of spirit mages in this academy, after all. And all of them are stronger than me... ''I''m nothing special.'' Anyway... Devin and I were on our way to Kyle. It was lunchtime again, and we planned to eat there. It''s not fun being alone, so I just let Devin come with me whenever. His company isn''t too bad once you get used to how loud he is. ***** After lunch, Devin and I went back to Xapham Hall to take our remaining classes. I listened well to the lessons¡ªthey were as interesting as yesterday''s. I thought I''d be bored having to go to school again at my age, but the academy''s subjects really fascinate me. Anyway, after school... I immediately headed to the library. And right now, I''m reading books about spirit magic, hoping they could help me with the assignment Jerusha left for Pyro and me. ''She gave me until Sunday to create a skill with Pyro.'' Jerusha said she had something to do for a while and wouldn''t be able to meet me. ''Though, I know she''s helping the main character solve the first act, given that she''s in the same year as the mastermind.'' Moving on... "..." I continued reading. -Meep! I let Pyro jump around the study table. Just then... "A spirit, huh." I heard a familiar voice. It was Lena. "Got contracted with that little guy recently?" She asked. "How did you know?" -Meep? I asked back, as did Pyro. Then with a smirk on her face... "The books you''re reading make it obvious." Lena answered. ''Really observant.'' I thought, nodding at her. "You''re right." -Meep! I replied to her, as did Pyro. "Of course, I''m always right." Lena declared. "..." I just looked at her for a few seconds, staring in disbelief. Fwip- Then I went back to reading. "Hey, stop ignoring me!" Lena exclaimed, but I focused on the book in front of me. ***** After spending a few hours in the library, I headed back to the cabin. There... "Right on time, dinner''s ready." The old man said as I caught him preparing the table. "Let me help." I said, giving him a hand. -Meep! Pyro just accompanied me the whole time. After that, we ate dinner¡ªthe three of us, with Pyro feeding off my mana again. ... ... The old man and I talked about what happened at school while we ate. Today was just a normal day, so there wasn''t much to talk about. And after having dinner... "I''ll be on my way." He headed to bed. "Rest well." I said to him before leaving the cabin and entering the northern forest. ***** At the forest... "Let''s start, Pyro." -Meep! Pyro and I practiced and experimented on a lot of things, trying to create a special skill. But after about an hour... Poof- "..." -... We didn''t make any progress. "This is hard." I mumbled. -Meep... Pyro agreed, looking as dejected as me while perched on my right shoulder. Nevertheless... "Let''s try again." -Meep! We didn''t stop. We continued, again and again! Until my mana pool was drained and I was exhausted. ... Around 11 P.M. "Ugh, sleepy." I mumbled as I returned back to the cabin. -Meep... Pyro was tired as well. I immediately went to bed, and within seconds of closing my eyes... "..." I fell asleep. ... .... This new routine with Pyro continued for days. Before I knew it... Sunday arrived. Chapter 34 - 34: 34 - With a Bang! Sunday morning... "Haaaah..." Raye woke up with a yawn, then he started fixing his bed. As he was doing so... -Meep... Pyro hopped on his shoulder, still looking sleepy. Then they went outside the cabin and started preparing breakfast. "Morning." The Old Man, Rey, came out of the cabin not long after them. "Good morning." -Meep! Raye and Pyro greeted him. And after brewing two coffees and slicing up some bread... "Let''s eat." "Hmm, okay." -Meep! The three of them ate breakfast together. ***** After that, Raye''s day proceeded like how it was during the sembreak... He chopped logs for an hour to store firewood, then he went to the northern forest with the old man to check on the traps. They also hunted small animals on their way back to the cabin... And back in the cabin, the old man processed the meat from their hunt¡ªthey got two deer and three rabbits. Meanwhile, Raye started making lunch in the meantime... After finishing all of that, the two of them had lunch together. -Meep! With Pyro, of course. Then, Raye washed himself up in the nearby river. And after that... He went to the library and studied Alchemy and Magic Engineering for hours. And around 5 P.M. Raye came back to the cabin with the intention to continue with the repairs. His day was moving naturally¡ªit was obvious that he was used to this. Raye''s schedule was so systematic that he fully utilized his time properly, making him so productive. (I wish I could be like that too...) Moving on, after preparing the tools and materials needed for the repairs... Tak- tak- tak... Raye started without wasting any second. ... ***** Around 8 P.M. Tak- tak- tak¡ª As Raye was fixing his walls from the outside of the cabin... "Hello!" He heard a voice behind him. He was familiar with it now that he didn''t need to look back to identify who it was. It was Jerusha. -Meep! Pyro greeted her. Raye turned back to face Jerusha and greeted her too. "Hello." And out of the blue... "Oh, it''s been a while!" The Old Man, Rey, suddenly appeared and said that. "Hello, mister!" Jerusha then greeted him. And just as usual... "Care to join us for dinner?" She was invited to eat dinner with them by the old man. "Oh, I''d love to!" Jerusha accepted immediately. And at the sideline... "..." Raye was just watching the situation unfold in silence. He was used to it by now. He slightly shook his head with a frown on his face... "I''m gonna make dinner now." Then he said that as he stored back the tools and materials he was just using earlier. sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Great, I''ll prepare the table." The old man said. "Jerusha, can you help that brat?" Then he requested that to Jerusha. "Sure, no problem!" Jerusha readily answered. "..." Raye just remained silent. By now, he already knew that he wouldn''t have any say in the matter anyway. And just like that, the three of them had dinner... -Meep! With Pyro, of course. ... ***** After having dinner... "It''s been a while, huh." Raye and Jerusha left together, headed to the northern forest where they held their lessons before. -Meep! Pyro replied to Jerusha instead of Raye. As they were walking, Raye looked at Jerusha... "How was the thing you were doing?" Then he asked that. And smiling ear to ear... "Oh, it went well. Everything was taken care of!" Jerusha answered. Hearing her words... ''That''s good.'' Raye thought of that. He was relieved. This meant that everything went as it was in the game. Leon and Aria caught the mastermind behind the stalking incidents, and [Act I] finished without a problem. So, moving on... The two of them continued having small talks, catching up to what happened to each other in the past few days. And not long after... "We''re finally here." -Meep! "..." They finally reached their destination. ***** (Jerusha''s POV) Arriving at the part of the northern forest where Raye meditated before... "Are you ready?" I asked him that. Then, with a confident smirk on his face... "You, are you ready?" Raye asked me the same question. -Meep! Pyro even jumped on and responded too, wearing the same smirk as Raye. ''That''s cute.'' I thought, seeing how close they had gotten in the past few days. Anyway... "That smirk... I can assume that you two succeeded in the assignment I gave you, right?" I said that. And this time... "Mhm." -Meep! Pyro and Raye answered in unison, both nodding their heads. So without further ado... "Let me see then." I asked them that. Raye looked at me, all smug. And without responding to me... "..." He raised his right hand in front of him, pointing at a tree not far away from us. (Raye was doing a finger gun.) ''Hmm, what is he doing?'' I looked at his raised hand. And after that... Swoosh- I felt a small amount of mana being condensed on the tip of his index finger. And it''s not just condensing... ''It''s rotating really fast.'' "..." I remained silent, watching the scene in curiosity. Pyro had his eyes closed, focusing too. ''He''s really cute.'' And not long after... Shhhh¡ª A small ball of fire lit on the tip of Raye''s index finger. ''Oh?'' And not just that¡ªthe front of that ball of fire changed and became pointy. It''s also still rotating fast. ''I wonder what he will do.'' I asked in my head. And just as I thought of that... "[Bang]" I heard Raye''s voice. Fwiish- Then the ball of fire on the tip of his finger disappeared. "..." "Huh?" I was confused. ''Did he fail?'' I asked, waiting for Raye to try again. But when I looked at the tree where Raye was pointing... "...!" I was surprised. "Wha..." There was now a small burnt hole in its trunk. The hole also went all the way through the tree¡ªand the tree behind it! "..." I was baffled. I didn''t know what just happened. My head snapped in Raye''s direction, and there, I saw him looking back at me, smirking. I could tell he was pleased to see my reaction. "Gugh..." And although his face annoyed me... "What was that?" I still asked him that¡ªI was really curious. Hearing my question, Raye shrugged his shoulders. And with a carefree expression on his face... "A gun." He answered. -Meep! Pyro was also looking smug¡ªhe''s cute though. Anyway... "A gun...?" What''s that? I''ve never heard of that. Chapter 35 - 35: 35 - One more (Jerusha''s POV) "A gun?" I asked. I didn''t know what Raye was talking about. "Erm... That was the name of the skill I made with Pyro." Raye then answered, sounding a bit awkward. -Meep! Pyro then followed proudly. I still have a lot of questions about this gun thing... "Can you do it again?" But I put them all aside for now and asked Raye to show this gun skill to me one more time. I wanted to see what just happened. At my request... "Sure." Raye replied without hesitation. "Thank you!" I was super glad to hear his response. Raye then raised his right hand again and pointed at the same tree before. And immediately after... Fwoosh¡ª The same small ball of fire appeared on the tip of his index finger. Its front was pointy, and it was rotating really fast. Just then... "[Bang]" I heard Raye''s voice. And this time, I didn''t miss it. Swiiish¡ª The ball of fire flew out. Thud¡ª Then it hit the tree Raye was pointing at! Thud¡ª It also pierced through and hit the tree behind as well! "..." I was speechless. ''What the heck...'' Even with me focusing, it was still fast. ''It will be hard to dodge that.'' I thought. And that''s not all. The mana used for it was so small, but its damage was comparable to mid-class spells! ''It was all thanks to the rotational force applied to it.'' I was able to identify what made Raye''s attack so special. But even knowing that, I couldn''t fully replicate what he just did. ''The best thing I can do is imitate it.'' I didn''t know the principle behind his imagery, after all. I really wondered where he referenced this skill of his. Anyway, moving on... "That was an amazing skill. I''m really impressed." I complimented Raye. I didn''t expect him to make such an absurd skill, I was really shocked. "Hmm." Hearing my words, Raye just stood there, nodding and looking all smug. -Meep! Pyro was doing the same while perched on his shoulder. ''I''ll let them be like that because they really did a good job.'' I thought as a small smile appeared on my face. But what Raye said next... "Want to see the next one?" ...made my lips twitch. ''Did I hear him right?'' I asked in my head. And to make sure... "You made another one?" I asked Raye, still smiling. "Yeah." -Meep! Raye and Pyro answered, nodding their heads. "We were able to make two." -Meep! They added. "..." I couldn''t believe it. With how exceptional the skill Raye had just shown me, I thought he poured all his time into making it. ''But you''re saying he was able to make two special skills in less than a week?'' Even I wasn''t able to do that during my first spirit contract! "So, want to see it or not?" Snapping me out of my thoughts, Raye asked me that. And immediately... "Ah, I want to!" I nodded my head and replied. Seeing me like that... "Then, look." Raye said. Clap¡ª Then he clapped his hands in front of him, both arms stretched out. Swoosh¡ª Mana started gathering from his hands. And this time, the mana being used by Raye was fairly large. "[Lit up]" Raye mumbled. Swaaaaa¡ª "...!" Then a huge fire covered his hands! Fwip¡ª Raye then started pulling back his right hand, leaving the left in front. And as he was doing so... The fire started taking a form! "..." I watched in silence, anticipation slowly building up. And a few moments later... I saw it. The fire... ''A bow and arrow?!'' ...took the shape of a bow and an arrow! And when Raye''s hand was fully stretched back... "..." His stance was that of an archer, ready to fire an arrow! As I was watching him in awe... "[Shoot]" Raye said that. Swoosh¡ª Then the fire arrow flew out! Boom¡ª! And it hit the tree! Fwoosh¡ª Dust clouds rose from the impact, and dirt flew everywhere. "Ugh..." I shielded my eyes with my right arm. And when things finally calmed down... "..." I lowered my arm and looked at where the arrow hit. And there... "..." I saw the lower part of the tree burning. Its trunk was blown off, and the upper half lay on the ground, burning as well. "Wow..." I was amazed. My head turned to Raye... "Huff... haaaaa..." I saw him catching his breath. He was already out of mana. ''What a shame.'' I thought as a frown appeared on my face. ''If Raye had a bigger mana pool, he''d be able to make something even greater than this.'' I was sure of it. "What do you think?" "Hmm?" Raye''s question brought my attention back to him. He was looking at me now, waiting for my response. I smiled... "You''re really talented at this." Then I told him that. Hearing my words... "Fuuuu..." Raye sighed in relief, then closed his eyes. -Meeeep... Pyro did the same. He looked like a deflated balloon. ''Cute.'' And after resting for a bit... "Anyway, I''m gonna meditate now." Raye said that. "I''m all out of mana anyway." He added, then he sat on top of a big rock in a lotus position and closed his eyes. Just like that, he started meditating. Looking at Raye... ''I still can''t believe it.'' The skills he showcased¡ªthe gun and the fire bow and arrow... It was unreal how he came up with them in less than a week. Also, he''s contracted to a newborn low-class spirit. ''If this isn''t talent, I don''t know what is.'' -Meep! "Hm?" As I was deep in thought, Pyro jumped off Raye''s shoulder and came toward me. -Meep! Meep! I didn''t know what he was saying, but he was cute. I picked him up from the ground... "I''ll play with you until Raye is done meditating." Then I told him. -Meep! Pyro looked so happy, it seemed like he understood my words. And to make him even happier, I called for a few spirits to play with us. -Meep! ... ... ***** (Raye''s POV) Monday morning... "Haaaaa..." I yawned as I walked through Xapham Hall. I was still sleepy after exhausting my mana last night when I demonstrated the skills I came up with in front of Jerusha. But remembering her reactions and words... "Hah, worth it." A smile appeared on my face as I said that. -Meep! Pyro agreed with me. Because our bond had grown stronger, I could now understand him much more clearly. Anyway, I created my special skills by following Jerusha''s water trident. Since her special skills were based on a weapon, I based mine on them too. Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. I even tried using a modern weapon as my imagery¡ªthe gun¡ªand I succeeded! ''I got stronger.'' I thought. A small smile rested on my face as I felt satisfied with my progress. And at that moment... "Stronger, huh." I decided on my short-term goals. ''I''ll raise my grades.'' ''I''ll get stronger too.'' And finally... "I''ll go from a third-rate villain to a support character." I declared. Chapter 36 - 36: 36 - Outdoor Activity [1] With the Brave Hearts being my reality now, my survival greatly depends on the main characters. ''Especially on the protagonist¡ªLeon.'' So to survive... ''I should go and side with them and make sure the story progresses properly.'' That''s why I decided it would be better to be a support character working behind the scenes. I''ve thought long and hard about this before. If I want a scholarship from the academy, then I ought to do something amazing... ''Something that will make the academy think I''m worthy of such support.'' Either I get stronger or invent something incredible... But the thing is, if I do that, my presence and name will become much more significant in the academy. And so will my role in the game''s story... ''There will be a possibility that I''ll regain a role and be forced to participate in the game scenarios again.'' So if that''s going to happen anyway... "I should be on the main characters'' side, at least." I don''t want to be a third-rate villain anymore. ''I don''t want to fight the main characters!'' And while I''m on the good side, I plan to take care of any unexpected variables that might alter the game scenarios. But to be able to do that... "I need to be stronger first." -Meep! Pyro agreed with me, showing his full support. He was resting on top of my right shoulder. "Thanks." I said, patting his head. And after that... Tap- tap- tap¡ª I headed to my first class. ***** "Today, we''ll be having an activity outside." Professor Jacqueline announced as soon as the class started. "Line up in front of the room." She instructed. "..." And we all silently complied. We didn''t want to get nagged at, after all. We lined up outside the classroom, and once that was all done... We left the Xapham Hall with Professor Jacqueline guiding us. ... ... After a few minutes of walking, we reached the deeper part of the northern forest. ''It''s my first time in this part,'' I thought, looking around. The trees were bigger and the grass around were taller. This part of the forest was much denser than where the old man and I usually hunt. As I was curiously looking around... "Today, you are tasked to collect ingredients used for alchemy." Professor Jacqueline announced the goal of our activity today. "In this part of the forest, monsters can appear, so be careful." She then added a warning. "Oh no..." "Is this safe...?" "I hope so..." Her words sparked up worried mumblings from the students, they''re scared about their safety. Hearing their concerns... "I''ll be grouping you into pairs. It''ll be much safer that way." Professor Jacqueline said that. "Phew..." "Then I guess it''s fine." The danger is still there, but the idea of not roaming alone in this forest calmed the students down. "Anyway, you''ll be graded by the rarity and quality of the ingredients you collect." Professor Jacqueline then explained. And after that... "I''ll start grouping you now." Our outdoor activity started. ***** My name is Sofia Vergara, a 1st-year student from C-Class, Magic Course. For my main lessons, I took Cultivating Magic and Alchemy. Today, in my Alchemy class, our professor led us to the deeper parts of the northern forest and tasked us to collect ingredients used for alchemy as part of an activity. I wasn''t confident roaming around this part of the forest alone... But when Professor Jacqueline said we''d be paired up. ''Phew...'' I felt relieved. I have low combat ability, after all. I don''t think I can even win a fight against anyone in this academy. ''Main reason why I''m in C-Class.'' I smiled in relief. Though... "Sofia, your partner is Raye," That smile of mine quickly faded when I heard the name of my partner. ... ... Fwip- fwip¡ª Currently, I''m crouching, plucking herbs that are infused with mana. They are basic alchemy ingredients with earth essence and strong healing properties. "..." I''m doing this as quietly as possible... Why? Because of someone, of course! Looking behind me, I could see Raye busy doing something on his own. ''Ugh, please don''t kill me.'' I prayed in my head, looking at him. I''d heard rumors about him¡ªnasty ones! And because of it, being alone with him is making me nervous. I don''t feel any safer at all! ''Ugh, maybe being alone would''ve been better...'' I thought. But after a few seconds... "No." I shook my head. ''I don''t need to worry. I''m sure Lycus will help me if I''m in trouble!'' I said in my head. Lycus, my childhood friend, is strong. He''s also a first-year, but he''s in A-Class, Combat Course. ''And every time that I''m in trouble, he comes rushing to help me.'' Having him as a friend is really reassuring. ''So I know he will save me from Raye if he tries anything funny!'' Thinking about that, I calmed down a little... Though, just then... "Sofia." Raye called out to me. I was so lost in thought that I didn''t notice he was now standing in front of me! "Wha?!?!" I exclaimed in panic as I stood up and took a defensive stance! "..." Raye just stared at me in silence. And after a few seconds... "Ugh." His face slowly cringed. ''Ah, his eyes are judging me! He thinks I''m a weirdo!'' I was embarrassed. Moving on, Raye shook his head... "Here." S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Then he handed me something. "Huh?" I was confused. Still, I hesitantly reached out and took it from him. And when I looked at what it was... "?!" My eyes widened. It was herbal roots with a high mana concentration! "These are hard to find... How did you get them?" I asked, looking back up at Raye. And at my question, he simply pointed to his right shoulder. "Hmm?" I noticed a blurry red orb perched there. Squinting my eyes and focusing... -Meep! It became clear. And I saw a small red slime sitting on Raye''s shoulder! "Waaah, cute!" I blurted out without thinking. "It''s a spirit. His name is Pyro, and he helped me find those roots." Raye then explained. Hearing his words... "..." I regained my composure and nodded my head in response. "Well then, I''ll continue my search." Raye said, returning to his task. -Meep! Pyro followed suit. And looking at them two... "..." I was speechless. ''A spirit, huh.'' I thought. It is said that spirits reflect their contractor''s personality. Watching Raye interact with the slime... "I guess he might not be that bad." I murmured that to myself. I felt myself growing less wary of Raye. Then looking back down at the herbal roots he had collected... ''These are high-quality, collected gently and properly.'' I became impressed. Chapter 37 - 37: 37 - Outdoor Activity [2] {Sofia''s POV} Raye and I have been collecting alchemy ingredients for a while now. And so far, we haven''t encountered any monsters or animals yet... ''Lucky.'' By now, I''m not wary of Raye anymore. The rumors around him might be bad, and they probably exist for a reason... But for now, at least... ''He has no intention of doing something bad.'' All he''s done so far is collect things not far away from me. He only approached me to hand over the ingredients he found. ''He probably noticed that I''m uncomfortable near him and is intentionally giving me space.'' And I really appreciate him for that. Looking at Raye... -Meep! I saw him resting, playing with Pyro. He doesn''t really look like a bad guy now, especially with a cute slime beside him. Anyway... "I''m gonna go a bit deeper into the forest." I said that to him. "Be careful. Don''t go far." Then Raye casually responded, looking at me with serious eyes. At his words... "Noted." I replied and nodded my head. ''Raye has already contributed a lot. I need to do something too.'' I thought to myself. Raye has been finding high quality ingredients non-stop since the start of the activity. On the other, all I found were basic herbal plants... ''If things go on like this, Raye would just carry me to success.'' And I don''t like that, I''ll be embarrassed if I let that happen. So with that... "Here I go." I dove deeper into the forest to find good quality alchemy ingredients. ***** After a few minutes of foraging alone... "These should be enough." I had collected enough ingredients to match Raye''s contribution. I stood up and stored them in the small bag Professor Jacqueline handed us at the start of the activity. Then looking around... "..." It creeped me out of how silent it was. All I could hear was the rustling leaves¡ªno animals or whatsoever. ''Creepy.'' It was kind of dark too, with the tall trees blocking most of the sunlight. "I should probably go back." I mumbled to myself, feeling nervous. I turned back to where I came from... Tap- tap- tap- Then I started walking quietly. Though, as I was doing so... Rustle- rustle- rustle- "!!!" I heard movements not far from me. This made me even more nervous and my heart started racing rapidly. I stopped in my tracks and turned toward the sound. And there... "..." I saw nothing. Though, my instinct is still screaming at me, telling me to hide! "Just to be safe... " So following that feeling, I quietly walked and hid behind a big tree. And literally only after a few moments of doing so... -Grrrr... A disgusting green goblin emerged from where I had heard the noise. "!?" I held my breath at the sight of it. ''I''m in trouble...'' I thought. Goblins are small, only about the size of a child. They''re not very strong¡ªI could probably defeat one. But the problem is... ''Goblins always travel in groups!'' They cover for their weaknesses with sheer numbers! And sure enough... -Graa... -Gruuu! -Grahhhh... A few more goblins appeared after the first one! It didn''t stop there. One, two, three, four... Their numbers kept growing. And within a few minutes... ... ... ''Oh no...'' There were over a hundred of them now! -Grrr... -Kieeeee! -Graaah! Luckily, they all just passed by my hiding spot. They were probably roaming around, searching for a new settlement. But they were heading toward the safe part of the forest, where civilians hunt and forage... S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. If they reached that area, it could endanger the lives of the normal people that lives within the Zion Academy! ''I need to tell Professor Jacqueline.'' I thought. But just then... -GRAAAHHHH!!! I heard an ear-deafening scream behind me! And immediately turning around to look at the source of it... "...!" I saw a goblin, its wooden club raised high, staring straight at me! I''d been spotted! -GRAAHHH!!! It charged at me! Fear and panic took over. My legs froze¡ªI couldn''t move. -GAAAAH!!! The goblin then leaped toward me with his weapon in hand. And in fear... "..." I instinctively closed my eyes. "Help..." I whispered under my breath. And soon... Bam! I heard a loud noise in front of me. "..." "Huh?" The goblin''s attack didn''t hit me though. Confused, I slowly opened my eyes... "Ah..." And there, I saw someone very dear to me. Fierce red eyes that always looked angry, messy long silver hair, and a strong, well-trained body that bulged against his uniform... His broad back really looked so strong and dependable. "Sofia, are you okay?!" It was none other than Lycus, my childhood friend. He really always shows up whenever I''m in trouble... Seeing him here, I became glad. A smile rested on my face... "Lycus!" Then I called out to him, jumping into his arms and burying my face in his chest. "Wha..." Caught off guard, he nearly stumbled back. "Hey, I''m sweaty." He said. But I didn''t care. Instead... "Thank you for saving me again." I quietly said that to him. And that''s just when I let go of him. Then, with a soft, reassuring smile... "I''ll always be there to save you." Lycus declared that casually. "..." I was speechless. My face grew hot, and my heart raced, now, not because of fear... I was happy. Though... -GRAAAHHHH!!! That moment didn''t last! -GRRRRRAAAA!!! All the goblins became aware of us because of that little goblin earlier! And they all charged at us with murderous intent! "Sofia, run and call for help." Lycus said, turning his back to me. "What about you?" I asked. "I''ll hold them here. I won''t let any of them come after you." Then he replied. Hearing his words... "..." I became worried. Even though Lycus is strong, he can''t win alone against so many goblins. But staying here wouldn''t help him. ''I''d only be a burden.'' I''m aware of that. So biting my lower lip in frustration... "Please stay safe. I''ll call for help!" I shouted and ran toward the direction where Professor Jacqueline was supposed to be waiting. ''Someone... Please, help Lycus!'' I exclaimed in my head as I ran. ***** {Lycus''s POV} "..." Watching Sofia disappear from my sight... "Stay safe." I gently muttered that. Then I turned to face the goblin army. -GRAAAHHHH!!! -Grrrr... They didn''t attack right away, clearly wary of me. Looking at their numbers... "Ugh." I groaned. I already know that this would be a pain in the ass. Then, in the back... "Huh?" I noticed some goblins loading bows and crossbows! Realizing that they wouldn''t hold a candle against me in close combat, they decided to attack me from afar! Seeing this... "Like I would let you do that." Bam! I rushed toward their army myself. And after reaching the goblin at the very front... -Gra...? SLASH¡ª! I cut it in half with the sharpened claws on my right hand. "Let''s get this started, you shitheads." Chapter 38 - 38: 38 - Outdoor Activity [3] Lycus Fenrath. He was a member of a tribe that worships the Wolf God, Kaelvar. Their tribe members have unique abilities similar to that of a wolf... They could grow their nails like claws at will, their skin is very tough, they''re very agile, they have heightened senses, and many more! They all believed it was a blessing from the Wolf God. And because of this... They all fight like wild animals! S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ***** "GRAAAHHH, YOU FUCKING GOBLINS!" Lycus exclaimed as he tore through the bodies of the goblins in front of him using his claws. -Graaaah! He sensed an attack coming from his behind. And as a response... "HAAAH!!!" He kicked back with his right leg using all of his might! Bam! -Geuk! It hit a goblin trying to ambush him and it died on impact! Though... Thuck! An arrow suddenly appeared from his blind spot and hit his left torso! "Gugk..." Lycus groaned. "FUCK!!!" SLASH-! But he just heavily swung his open left hand horizontally in anger and killed the four goblins in front of him in one go! His thick skin saved him and stopped the arrow from going in deep. And except from the tingling pain oh his left side, he''s still as good as before! So with that... "GRAAAAH!!!" BAM! He continued on fighting! ... ... ***** (Lycus'' POV) Puck! "Ugh!" Another arrow found its way to me and struck my left arm. This made it the tenth time now that I''ve been hit. "Shit!" I immediately pulled the arrow out with my right hand and threw it away. Then looking back in front of me... -Kieeeeee!!! -Graaaah!!! I saw the army of goblins throwing mocking laughs at me. I''ve killed more than forty goblins now, but there are still a lot of them. And they''re slowly surrounding me... They look so arrogant, it''s annoying. I know why they are like this... "Huff... Haaaa...." It''s because of my current state. I''ve been fighting continuously for about five minutes now, I''m already having trouble catching my breath. I already spent a fair amount of stamina after having to rush here earlier too. And with me alone fighting against this many, there''s no moment to rest. I need to always be aware of my surroundings, after all. Even though they''re weak... I''m having a lot of trouble right now. I can''t also dodge every attack they throw at me as they come from all sides, that''s why I sustained some injuries. ''Nothing life-threatening, at least.'' Anyway, because of that... My body is becoming heavier as time passes by. ''I wonder if Sofia already got to safety.'' I really wish she already met a professor and is in a safe place. Anyway, seeing that I''m slowly catching my breath... -GRAAAAAH!!! Three goblins rushed at me while swinging their weapons. "Fuck..." I cursed. This shitheads are slowly tiring me out. ''One from each side and one from the back.'' Anyway, after confirming their locations, I twisted my torso to the left... "Gurgh..." And while gritting my teeth... SWOOSH¡ª! I slashed horizontally using my left claws and rotated my body to the right! SLASH¡ª My attack killed the two goblins coming from the side! And immediately after doing that... Slash! I turned around and killed the one behind me as well with my right claws. ''I''m tired...'' I thought as I slowly straightened my posture. But as I was doing so... -GRAAAHHHH!!! A goblin carrying a dagger leaped toward me from my blind spot! "Wha...?!" I didn''t notice them before because I was focused on the three goblins! ''Shit!'' I exclaimed in my head, realizing that I can''t dodge on time. I forcefully twisted my head to the right to at least avoid a fatal injury. Though... ''It''ll still cost me an eye, huh.'' If only I was prepared and wasn''t exhausted, I could''ve taken care all of these monsters... Seeing the tip of the goblin''s dagger get near my left eye and not being able to do anything... I felt bitter. I steeled myself to receive the attack and immediately launch a counter attack after. I even have my hands covered in mana now. But just then, before the dagger could get in contact with me... "[Bang]" I heard a voice behind me. And the next thing I knew... Thud- The goblin that was about to stab my eye was on the ground, dead. "Huh?" It has a hole between its brows. I was confused. -Kieek?! -Kieeee!!? Even the goblins around me are the same. And before I could even process the situation... "[Bang] [Bang] [Bang]¡ª" I heard the voice again. Thud- Thud¡ª And every time I do, a goblin just collapse on the ground, dead! -GRAAAHHHH!!! The goblins then started rushing at me again, thinking that I was doing all of this. They''re looking at me with a new vigilance. But before they could even get close to me. "[Bang]" They would just suddenly drop dead on the ground! "What the hell is happening...?" I whispered under my breath. Then looking behind me where I heard the voice in curiosity... "You...?" I saw someone I least expected to see. "It''s good to see you too." It was Raye Alvah. He responded to me sarcastically. ***** (Raye''s POV) ''Oof, I wasn''t planning to show myself.'' I thought as I looked at Lycus. Shock was apparent on his face, clearly not expecting me to be here. ''I don''t know why I''m here too, to be honest.'' Thinking back a little while, Sofia left to gather a bit more of ingredients. I know that she''s the childhood friend of Lycus, a main character in the game. So I just let her do her thing, avoiding being fully involved with her. But after a few minutes of being away... I saw her running back in a hurry, she was on the verge of crying as well! Concerned, I stopped her and asked what was wrong. And that''s when she told me everything while sobbing... ''Then, she begged me to help Lycus after.'' I just told her that I will, and left her the task to inform Professor Jacqueline of the situation. Meanwhile, I went here to check on Lycus... I''ve been here for about a while now, actually. Just watching the situation unfold, letting Lycus do all the work. And I''m planning to do that till the end... ''If only he didn''t put his guard down.'' I thought, frowning at Lycus. ''This bastard almost lost his left eye!'' If that does happen, it would have a big effect on Lycus'' firepower, and so in the story... That''s why I decided to get involved. Anyway, moving on... "Why are you here?" Lycus jumped and softly landed beside me. -Grahhh... -Grrrr... Seeing the goblins wary, I concluded that they wouldn''t launch an attack immediately. So, slightly glancing at Lycus... "I''m here as a reinforcement." I answered his question. "Wha¡ª" "Just shut up and fight, I''ll cover you from the back." He was about to say something, but I intervened. I don''t want to get interrogated, especially in this situation. "..." Lycus seemed to understand my thoughts. He nodded his head and looked back at the army of goblins. And with an annoyed expression on his face... "I''ll count on you, then." Bam- He kicked off onto the ground and dashed toward the herd of goblins. Chapter 39 - 39: 39 - Good Work (Lycus'' POV) SLASH! After killing two goblins in front of me with my left claws... "GRAAAH!" SLASH! I went and immediately killed two more with my right! BAM! SPLASH¡ª! Then I jumped to the side and killed another one! I killed one after another... Fighting non-stop just like earlier. The only difference is... "[Bang]" -Kieek?! Raye is covering for me. ''He''s killed about twenty goblins now.'' I thought, briefly glancing at Raye, who''s just standing at the back, watching the scene from afar. It only has been a minute since he joined the fight, I didn''t know he was capable of something like this. ''I have to admit it. I''m only doing well right now because of him.'' Thanks to Raye''s assistance, I''m getting brief breaks here and there, and my stamina isn''t draining as fast. Raye handles the goblins while I rest. And because he''s there... ''I don''t need to worry about my blind spots anymore.'' So with that... "Hup!" BAM! I fought like a madman, killing every goblin within my range. And when one of them slips past my guard... "[Bang]" They''re taken care of before even reaching me! ***** (Raye''s POV) ''This guy is so reckless.'' I thought, watching Lycus fight. He''s completely ignoring his back because he knows that I''m here to cover for him! "How can he trust me so easily...?" I muttered, frowning. "[Bang]" -Gah!? Thud¡ª Then I shot down a goblin that leaped into the air, trying to ambush Lycus. ''Well, like I can talk. I''m entrusting my safety to him too, after all.'' With Lycus at the front, he''s making sure no goblins reach me. These monsters aren''t stupid¡ªthey already know I''m the one killing them from a distance. That''s why they''ve started targeting me. Though... "Hup!" SLASH¡ª! Lycus is preventing them from succeeding. "Hmm?" Just then, I noticed six goblins at the back, detached from the group fighting Lycus. They were loading bows and crossbows with arrows. "I thought I already killed all the long-range weapon users." I mumbled to myself. "[Bang] [Bang] [Bang]¡ª" Then I shot at them with my left hand while covering Lycus with my right. And after killing them all... "We''ve won this." I declared that with a shrug. -Meep! Pyro chirped in agreement. ***** After about two minutes... "..." "..." Raye and Lycus stopped moving. They then looked at each other. And to break the awkward silence... "Good work." Raye said that to Lycus. "... You too." Although reluctant, Lycus responded. They had killed every goblin in the area¡ªa total of 136 goblins! And Raye had killed 40% of them. ''I''m tired now.'' Raye thought, sitting on the ground. "Haaaah..." He let out a heavy sigh, his mana nearly depleted. -Meep... Pyro, sitting on his shoulder, deflated like a balloon. He was exhausted too. "So you do have a spirit." Lycus remarked, approaching Raye and noticing Pyro. S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "I''m guessing the skill you used to help me is one of your special abilities?" He asked. Raye looked up at him. "That''s right." Then he replied. -Meep! Pyro chirped, as if greeting Lycus. Noticing this... "Ah, hello." Lycus responded to him. ''So everyone can naturally see spirits except me, huh.'' Raye thought, watching their interaction. Then after that... "Fuuuuu..." Lycus took a deep breath and sat beside Raye, there''s a bit of distance between them. Anyway, there... "..." "..." The two of them waited for a professor to appear. They didn''t speak to each other, but the atmosphere wasn''t bad. And glancing at Raye... ''I guess he''s not as bad as the rumors say.'' Lycus thought that to himself. ***** (Raye''s POV) After a few minutes of waiting with Lycus... "Lycus!" Sofia appeared behind us. "Sofia?" Lycus immediately turned to her upon hearing her voice. And seeing that Lycus was safe... "..." "Huh?" Sofia ran and hugged Lycus, not minding that he was covered in goblin blood. ''Awkward...'' I thought, slowly backing away from them. "I''m glad you''re safe." I heard Sofia whisper to Lycus, her voice was shaking. Then with a soft smile on his face... "I''m glad you''re safe as well." Lycus replied, patting Sofia''s head reassuringly. ''These two are always like this, even in the game.'' I thought, frowning slightly as I averted my eyes away from them. And in doing so... "Oh." I met Professor Jacqueline''s eyes. "So you were here as well." She said, looking at me. "I came to help Lycus when I heard the situation from Sofia." I immediately replied. Hearing my words, Professor Jacqueline nodded her head... "You did a good job." Then she said that. "Thanks." I simply replied. And by then, Sofia and Lycus had let go of each other already. The professor turned to them... "Good work to you both as well." Then she praised their efforts. Sofia bashfully bowed her head, while Lycus simply nodded. And after all that... "Okay, now let''s see." Professor Jacqueline said, examining the area where Lycus had fought. And after taking a good look of it... "..." She went silent. "Hmm?" Curious, Sofia peeked as well. And seeing the scene... "..." She went silent too, though shock was evident on her face. Their reactions were expected. After all, they were looking at a mountain of dead goblins. "You two did all of this? In less than ten minutes?" Professor Jacqueline asked, clearly surprised. And confidently... "We did." Lycus responded. -Meep! Pyro chirped proudly to answer as well. ***** Anyway, after that... Professor Jacqueline dismissed me, Lycus, and Sofia for the day. She said that we should rest. And she will inform the other professors of the situation. So, I decided to come back home to the cabin. But as I was walking out of the forest along with Sofia and Lycus... "Thank you, Raye." Sofia spoke. I looked at her, my eyes widened. I didn''t expect her to thank me. Anyway, shrugging my shoulders... "It''s nothing." I responded. But just then... "No, you really helped me back there. I would''ve been in trouble if it wasn''t for you." Lycus followed that. And slightly bowing his head... "Thank you." He thanked me as well. "..." I was speechless, I''m even more surprised now. I''m flattered that one of my favorite characters in the game is thanking me. Not wanting to show that... "Sure, you''re welcome." I simply replied to Lycus. And after that... "I''ll get going then." Tap- tap- tap- I sped up and left them behind. Chapter 40 - 40: 40 - Rewards After parting ways with Lycus and Sofia... Swoosh¡ª ===== Surprise Event: Goblin Trouble, Double the Rubble! (Complete) ===== A system window appeared in front of me. And after that... Swoosh¡ª ===== Rewards: ----- +5 to all stats +2 levels to Spirit Magic +50 exp to all skills ===== I received some rewards. "So it really was a surprise event, huh." I muttered. I had already guessed as much because what happened earlier wasn''t in the game at all. And this just confirmed it. In the game, instances like this would occur, a surprise event would take place, and after completing it, you''d receive a reward. It''s just like a sub-quest, to be honest. The only difference is... ''This one doesn''t have any conditions to trigger¡ªit just happens whether you like it or not.'' Anyway, curious about the changes in my stats... "Status." I decided to open my status window. Swoosh¡ª ===== Name: Raye Alvah Age: 18 Year Level: 1 Race: Human ----- Stamina: 22 Intellect: 24 Mana: 15 Strength: 19 Speed: 20 Talent: 21 Luck: 20 ----- Wind Element: Level 12 (2%) Fire Element: Level 11 (99%) Spirit Magic: Level 7 (67%) Bow: Level 10 (90%) Dagger: Level 10 (89%) Cooking: Level 9 (56%) ... ... ----- Overall Grade: F Growth Rate: S- ===== A new system window appeared, displaying my stats and skills. And after going through its contents... "Haha..." A small laugh escaped my mouth. Then, in disbelief... "I ranked up." I mumbled that to myself. I didn''t notice at first, but I went from [F-] rank to [F] rank! Not only that, almost all of my stats are now in the 20s! My skills are leveling up fast too! "..." I was speechless, I don''t know what to say. Though, I''m currently smiling ear to ear. I''m so happy to see such improvements in my stats, it''s nothing like when I first saw them. And this feeling just confirmed it... ''I like getting stronger.'' I like it when I improve and get better. And now that I''m fully aware of this... "I''ll get even stronger." I decided to step up my game. -Meep! Pyro, hearing my words, chirped to show his support to me. And looking at him... "Let''s train hard after resting." I said that and patted him on the head. -Meep! ... ... Though, Pyro and I immediately fell asleep as soon as we came back the cabin. We we''re tired after after exhausting our mana. ... ***** The next day... "Ugh." I was called into the headmaster''s office... I didn''t do anything bad. ''It''s probably just about the incident yesterday." So I didn''t mind it that much. Anyway, as I was walking through the hallway of Xapham Hall... "So you were called too, huh." Lycus appeared behind me. "Hi, Raye!" And Sofia was with him. -Meep! Pyro greeted the two of them. "Morning." And I also did the same. "Good morning." "..." Sofia replied to me with a smile on her face, while Lycus just nodded in response. And with the three of us together, four, including Pyro... Tap- tap- tap¡ª We headed to the headmaster''s office. Sofia and Pyro played together along the way... While Lycus and I just watched them silently with smiles on our faces. And soon enough... "We''re here." We reached our destination ***** S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Creak¡ª Opening the doors of the headmaster''s office and stepping inside the room... "I''ve been expecting you three." Headmaster Bryan greeted us. He was sitting behind a table with a pen in his hand and documents in front of him. Anyway, looking at us with a smile... "Take a seat." The headmaster said that. "Thanks." "..." "..." The three of us silently complied. We sat on a soft sofa for three people with me on the left, Lycus on the middle, and Sofia on the right. And as soon as we sat down... "You three must already have an idea why you''re here." The headmaster spoke again. He then looked at us. And in response... We just silently nodded our heads in unison. "That''s good." The headmaster said as he stood up from his chair. "I don''t have to explain it then." He added. Then, with a wave of his hand... Thud¡ª A cloth bag appeared out of thin air and landed on his table. ''Hm? Is that what I think it is?'' I thought, looking at the bag. And seeing our curious eyes on it... "It''s full of gold coins." The headmaster declared that, smiling. And before we could even speak... "There''s a total of eighty gold coins in the bag. It''s a reward for you three for responding wonderfully to yesterday''s incident." He added that. "Split it among yourselves." His words sounded sweet in my ears, and a smile slowly appeared on my face. Looking over at Lycus and Sofia... I could tell they were shocked by the situation. I was surprised too, but the fact that I''d receive money overshadowed it. "We discovered yesterday that the monsters in the forest are migrating. We don''t know the exact reason yet, but they''re getting closer to the safe parts of the forest." "It''ll be really bad if that does happen." The headmaster continued. Then after glancing at us one by one... "You three helped us discover that, and we were able to prevent it. That''s why the other professors and I believe you deserve a reward." He finished his explanation there and waved his right hand. Flick- And after doing so... Swoosh¡ª The bag of gold coins flew in the air and landed on Lycus'' lap! ''Telekinesis... That''s cool as fuck.'' I thought. Then after that... "Lycus, I heard that you handled the army of goblins very well, good job." The headmaster complimented Lycus, he''s wearing such a soft smile on his face. "..." A slight frown appeared on my face. And I don''t know why, but I''m feeling kinda annoyed. ''I did something too, you know.'' I thought, frustrated. I don''t want to be in the spotlight... But I don''t want my accomplishment to go unnoticed too. But nevertheless... "..." I remained silent, there was no point in speaking, after all. But then... "It wasn''t me." It was Lycus who spoke up. "Hm?" The headmaster was taken aback by his words. "..." Even I was taken aback! Then without hesitation in his voice... "Raye was the one who did most of the work yesterday." Lycus declared that. "?!" My eyes widened in surprise, I didn''t expect him to say that. Hearing his words... "Hmmm?" The headmaster looked at me. And with a small smile on his face... "Interesting." He whispered that under his breath, showing curiosity about me. Chapter 41 - 41: 41 - I Already Have A Home "That''s all then. You three are excused." The headmaster said as soon as we split the gold coins between us. Lycus and Sofia only took 20 gold coins each and gave me the rest. Hear that... THEY GAVE ME THE 40 GOLD COINS!!! Why, you ask? Well, they actually aren''t in need of money¡ªthey''re rich¡ªand they said I did the most work anyway. ''Which is a total bullshit.'' Just as Lycus would have a hard time fighting the army of goblins without my help... That would be the same for me without him. No, scrap that! I wouldn''t even be able to fend them off! I would probably end up running away for my survival! But still, I didn''t decline the 40 gold coins... ''I''m not stupid, after all.'' Anyway, with the rewards now split between us... "Well then, we''ll be leaving." Lycus said to the headmaster. "..." Sofia and I just bowed our heads after. And with that... Tap- tap- tap¡ª We three started walking away. Though, before we could even reach the doors of the room... "Ah, Raye." The headmaster called out to me. Tap¡ª My steps halted. And out of curiosity, Lycus and Sofia stopped in their tracks too. Then, the three of us looked back at the headmaster... "Stay for a bit. I have something to say to you." He said, looking at me with a smile. I glanced at Lycus and Sofia, they were looking at me as well. And after a few moments... I just nodded my head at them. They did the same thing in response. And after that... "See you around." Creak¡ª Thud¡ª Lycus and Sofia left the room. And me... Tap- tap- tap¡ª I walked toward the headmaster''s table. I was nervous. Why wouldn''t I be? ''With just a single word from this guy, I could get expelled!'' Though, I didn''t show my unease on the outside... Standing in front of the headmaster''s table, I looked down at him, he was sitting. And with a confused expression on my face... "What is it, Headmaster?" I asked that. Then, looking back at me, and without hesitation... "You can go back to the dorms now." The headmaster declared that with a smile. "Huh?" I was surprised. And before I could even say anything about the matter... "I''m lifting your punishments now. I''ll give you a free room in the normal dormitory." The headmaster went and added that. "Why are you lifting my punishments now?" I asked him. And with a carefree expression on his face... "Professor Jacqueline and Professor Sariel gave me a report, telling me that you''ve changed for the better and that your punishments should be lifted now." The headmaster explained. "And after seeing you today, I agree with them." He followed up, waving his hand casually in the air. "..." I was speechless. The headmaster was still talking about giving me a room in a dormitory, but his voice was drowned out by my thoughts. Though, my answer was already set from the start¡ªit''s a no-brainer, after all... So as Headmaster Bryan was talking... "What dorm would you like to be i¡ª" "No thanks, I''m fine." I cut him off and gave him my words directly. "Huh?" The headmaster was stunned. He didn''t expect me to decline the offer to return to the dormitories. ''But well...'' "I already have a home." I said to the headmaster, smiling. "Thank you for the offer though, and thanks for lifting my punishments." I added, shrugging my shoulders and feeling proud. "..." The headmaster just looked at me for a while, not saying anything. But after a few moments... "Okay." S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. He nodded at me. "Is there anything you need then? I ought to give you something if you won''t take the room." He followed up. Hearing his offer... I was about to immediately ask for materials to repair the cabin, but I already had more than enough money for that. And so, I decided to think about it for a while. "Hmm..." And after a few moments. "Hah." I decided on something else, a laugh even escaped my mouth. Then with a resolute look rested in my eyes... "I want a week off. I plan to go somewhere." I declared that to the headmaster. ***** Thud- "Haaaa..." I let out a heavy sigh after exiting the headmaster''s office. Talking to him was so nerve-racking, it exhausted me immediately. Amd just then... -Meep! Pyro appeared on my shoulders. I instructed him earlier to hide his presence during my time in the headmaster''s office. "Hello, Pyro." I said, looking at Pyro and pinching his cheeks. -Meep! Then he playfully jumped up and down. It''s really fun watching him. Anyway... ''It''s a success.'' I''ve been given permission to be absent for a week. Though, it''ll be for the next week... ''But that''s fine, I''m not really in a hurry, anyway.'' I just decided on it on a whim, after all. And because it''s not sudden, I have time to prepare! ''If else, it works out for me.'' I thought, shrugging my shoulders. Where would I be going, you ask? Well... It''s nothing really big. I''m just planning to enter a dungeon. So with all that sorted out... Tap- tap- tap¡ª I started walking back to my classroom. Professor Jacqueline is probably waiting. ***** Raye attended the alchemy class after that and listened to Professor Jacqueline intently. And mid-class... Professor Jacqueline announced that Raye and Sofia got first place in the outdoor activity yesterday! Not just because of the herbal roots and whatnots they collected... But because of the goblin incident! Goblin''s saliva is used in many potions, and so is their blood. And in yesterday''s incident, Sofia found their army, and Raye was involved in exterminating them... So Professor Jacqueline gave the points to them after collecting ingredients from the goblin''s corpses yesterday! Anyway, the prizes are life potions and mana potions. Raye and Sofia each got 5 pieces of them. And after that, the class ended... And so, Raye''s day unfolded normally. Chapter 42 - 42: 42 - The Departure Following his normal routines every day and occupying himself with training... Raye was able to quickly pass the time. And before he even knew it... It was already Saturday, the day before he leaves for dungeon exploring. ... ***** (Raye''s POV) Saturday night... I''m currently in the northern forest, meditating. "..." I have my eyes closed, and my breathing is rhythmic. Though, even with all of that... "Ugh..." I can''t focus at all. Why? Well... "Your face is too close." It''s because Jerusha won''t leave me alone for some reason! "Oh, my bad!" Jerusha said after hearing my words. Then, she slightly backed off. Looking at her... "Do you have something to say?" I asked. And at that question, her eyes twinkled with joy. And excitedly... "Where are you going?" Jerusha asked me. ''So that''s what she''s curious about, huh.'' I thought to myself. "Haaah..." And then I sighed. Looking back at Jerusha... "I''ll be dungeon exploring." I casually gave my answer to her question. "What?!" She exclaimed, shock was apparent on her face. "Dungeons are rare. How would you even find one in a week?" Jerusha asked. And hearing her question, I scoffed... ''That''s total bullshit.'' I thought. They believe that dungeons are rare, but there are a bunch of them in the game. Even when I was just traveling from one city to another, I would occasionally bump into one! ''And I remember all their locations, fortunately.'' So I won''t have any problem finding one. Anyway, shrugging my shoulders with a smirk on my face... "I already have everything prepared." I confidently said that to Jerusha. And with that, I went back to my training. "Huh..." Jerusha stopped pestering me too. She''s just looking at me weirdly now while playing with Pyro. ... ... ... At about 9 P.M. "I''ll be going now." Jerusha said that and started walking away. But before she could get far... Tap¡ª She stopped in her tracks and looked back at me. Then, with a sweet smile on her face... "Be careful in the dungeon. Let''s continue your lessons after you come back safely." She said that. FWOOSH¡ª And then, she flew away. ''I want to fly too.'' I thought, seeing her hovering away in the air. Anyway, I looked at my right shoulder... And there, I saw Pyro, deflated like a balloon. He was tired after playing with some spirits that seemed like pixies¡ªJerusha called for them. "Fuuu..." I''m pretty beat too. So without further ado... "That''s enough for today." I headed back to the cabin and rested. ***** The next day... "All done." I finished my preparations. -Meep! Pyro jumped on my right shoulder excitedly. Then, I put everything that I would be bringing in the spatial bag. At about 7 A.M... Creak¡ª I walked out of my room. And immediately after opening the door... "You''re all good?" The old man greeted me. Looking at him... "Yep." I simply replied and nodded with a smile. And then... "Here." He handed me something. It looked like some kind of cloth. "Huh?" I was surprised, I didn''t expect him to give me something. "..." I quietly took it from him. And upon unfolding it... "..." I realized that it was a black cape. "I used that before when I was traveling or hunting. It will shield you from dirt and give you stealth in the dark." The old man said. And without even replying to him... Fwish¡ª I put it on. ''It fits.'' I thought, seeing the cape cover me from my shoulders to my ankles. Looking back at Old Man Rey, I smiled and finally responded to him. "Thanks, I like it a lot." I said, and I really meant it. "..." I saw a slight change in the old man''s grumpy face, he looked slightly embarrassed and happy. Then after a while... "Meh." He went back to his usual self. He turned his back to me... "I''m going back to sleep." And then he said that. Before entering his room though... "I packed you some food for your travel. It''s on the table." He added that. "Thank you, really." I responded. "Be careful, you two." Old Man Rey said, taking a look at me and Pyro one more time. And then... Thud¡ª He entered his room. "..." Watching his door in silence... "Take care too. I''ll bring back a gift for you." I mumbled that to myself. -Meep! Pyro said his farewell too. And after that... Tap- tap- tap¡ª I left the cabin with Pyro. ***** I''m now nearing the gate of Zion Academy. Devin already knew about my departure and wished me luck on my journey. Kyle did the same thing. I also told him to send food to the old man daily while I was gone. So without any more hesitation... Tap- tap- tap¡ª I marched toward the gate with confidence. Though... "Raye?" I bumped into someone. "..." It was Lena. "You''re leaving?" She asked me. "Yep." And I simply replied. "How long?" She followed with another question. "A week." And I answered immediately. After that, she nodded her head... "Hmm, take care." Then she said that to me. "Thanks." I replied. And after our brief and weird exchange... "See you later." "Yeah, see you." -Meep! We parted ways, and I left the academy. ***** Outside the academy, someone was waiting for me... "Oh, just right on time." He said after seeing me. "..." I just nodded my head at him. This fatso is a merchant who is going to another city. He has a carriage, and his destination is near mine... So I decided to escort him. He immediately accepted after knowing that I''m a student from Zion Academy. S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. As a matter of fact, he even went and adjusted his schedule to mine. Anyway... "Sir, we''re leaving." The merchant approached me and said that. Looking at him... "Okay." I replied. -Meep! And Pyro followed suit. I went into one of the carriages carrying his merchandise... And with that... "Let''s depart!" The merchant declared. -Neiiighh!!! Tak- tak- tak- tak¡ª And we started moving. Chapter 43 - 43: 43 - Bandit Trouble "..." It has been a few hours since we departed. Currently, we''re in a mountain forest. Nothing much has happened, and I''m not complaining. Including me, there are a total of eight escorts guarding the five carriages we have. So I''m not really pressured to take action all the time... And so, the peaceful travel continued. Or so I wished... "Bandits!" We were ambushed by mountain bandits. "Let''s work, Pyro." I said, glancing at the cute slime perched on my right shoulder. And brightly... -Meep! Pyro responded. I immediately left the carriage after that. And outside... "..." Chaos was unfolding. There were more than 20 attackers, and our side was quickly being pushed back! ''Shit.'' I thought as a frown appeared on my face. And not long after... "HAAAHHH!!!" A bandit came charging in my direction. He was swinging a bloodied sword in the air. "Haaa..." I sighed. "[Wind Blast]" Fwoosh¡ª "GAAAHHH!!!" And then I sent him flying away. Bam! "Urgh...!" He slammed into a tree and passed out. Just then... "Young sir, please help us!" The merchant appeared, exclaiming that. Looking at him, I could see how stressed he was at the situation. "Don''t worry, I''ll take care of it." I reassured him. ''I need a ride, after all.'' Tap¡ª And then I stepped down from the carriage. "..." I scanned the surroundings. I marked the positions of my allies. Each of them was fighting at least three enemies at once. After that, I turned my hands into finger guns, carefully aiming them at the enemies. "Haaa..." I exhaled deeply, closing my eyes. And after opening them back... "[Bang]!" I cast my first spell. "Gurgh?!" It hit an enemy fighting one of the escorts in the right leg. And because of that... Slash¡ª "Gah!" The escort on my side was able to take him out. I didn''t stop there... "[Bang]" "Ugh?!" I shot another enemy in the hand as he tried to swing at one of the escorts. Unable to complete the swing... Phuck¡ª The escort stabbed him in the stomach, killing him. After that... "[Bang] [Bang] [Bang]¡ª" I continued assisting the escorts from the back. And before long... ''We''re winning.'' I thought of that as the tide of battle shifted in our favor. However... "Target that white-haired bastard! He''s the one attacking from a distance!" I had been discovered by the enemies. "GAHHHH!!!" "So it was you, you fucker!" "Bastard!" Five bandits immediately rushed at me. And looking at them... "What a pain." I muttered that to myself. And when they got close... "[Gust]" I cast that spell. SWOOSH¡ª A powerful gust of wind swirled around me... "WAHHH?!" "The fuck?!" "Ugh?!" Thud¡ª The wind knocked them off balance, leaving them on their butts. And before they could get back up... "So, you''re the leader." I pointing my index finger at the one who had given the order to attack me. And immediately... "[Bang]" I shot him. "Gagk!" The spell struck him between the brows, piercing his brain. Thud¡ª His body collapsed on the ground, dead. And the bandits, seeing their leader defeated... "..." "..." "..." Froze in shock. And not wasting that opportunity... "[Bang]" I shot another bandit in the head. Thud¡ª He dropped dead as well. Then... "[Bang] [Bang]¡ª" I continued shooting at them nonstop! "Gahhh!" "Run back!" "Retreat!" The bandits turned to flee. But when they turned their backs against us... Slash¡ª "Keuk!" Phuck¡ª "Argh...!" The escorts finished them off, not letting a single one of them escape! And seeing that... S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "I''m done here." I muttered, walking back to the carriage I was in earlier. "Oh, thank you, young sir!" The merchant praised me. "..." Tap- tap- tap¡ª But I just ignored him and walked past. "I''ll be resting." I said. Fwip¡ª And then I entered the carriage. Not long after... "We''re leaving!" I heard the merchant shout behind me. Then the noncombatants started moving and cleaning up things so we could leave. ... ... ... As soon as I sat down inside the carriage... "Ugh..." I let out a quiet groan. "Huuuu... Huuu... Huuuuuu..." I tried to steady my breathing. My heart was racing, and I couldn''t focus. Sweat then began dripping down my face. And this was all because I wasn''t used to killing people. "Urgh..." That''s why I left the killing to the escorts earlier, only taking out the leader and two others to end the fight. Don''t get me wrong... I''ve killed before¡ªback when I was in the military in my world. I was deployed in a small war, I shot down enemy soldiers. But that doesn''t mean I can take a life without guilt! As a matter of fact, I hesitated earlier, and because of that... ''An escort died!'' I failed to save him! He was decapitated. And remembering that scene... "Ughhh..." My stomach churned, and I felt like vomiting. Tears welled up in the corners of my eyes. "Haaaaa... Haaa... Haaa..." I worked hard to calm myself. But I just can''t stop thinking that I was the one to blame why one of the escorts died! ''I''m so stupid!'' I thought. And just then... -Meep... Pyro approached and rubbed his head against my cheek. "Huh?" I glanced at him. And there he was, looking at me, worried. -Meep... He chirped, trying to comfort me. "..." And because of him... "Fuuu..." I was able to calm down. And after that... "..." I patted Pyro''s head. -Meep! "Thanks." I whispered softly. "Haaaa..." And then I closed my eyes, trying to rest. ***** A few hours after the encounter with the bandits, we decided to settle in the forest and set up camp. We were exhausted, and several escorts were wounded earlier too. It was also getting dark, so continuing our travel is just plain stupid. And since I wasn''t injured or particularly tired, I helped build the camp. Then afterward... "Let''s eat!" We all gathered for dinner. The merchant''s group had a cook, so we were served a warm meal. And as I was eating... "Thank you for earlier, you saved my life." One of the escorts approached me and said that. I looked up at him. He was older, but clearly fit. "You''re welcome." I replied casually. But the thanks didn''t stop there. "You were incredible earlier!" "Yeah, so strong despite being so young!" "Thanks for covering our backs." The other escorts joined in, voicing their gratitude. "..." I was caught off guard. And hearing their words... "It was nothing." I simply responded, though deep down, their appreciation made me happy. -Meep! Pyro chirped, clearly pleased that I wasn''t feeling down anymore. And with that... I enjoyed my meal with the other escorts, feeling a rare sense of camaraderie. Chapter 44 - 44: 44 - Warning and Rustling "Haaaaaa..." I yawned after waking up. It has been two days since I left the academy. And now, I''m currently in an inn, renting my own room... No, I haven''t reached my destination yet. We''re just in a nameless village... Before reaching our destination, we need to pass through this place and another forest. And because we haven''t had a comfortable rest for quite a while, we decided to stop by the village and rent a place for the night. After all, we want to be in top shape before entering the forest, which could be full of bandits or even monsters. Also, the merchant rented a room for the escorts to use. It''s pretty big, but the fact that I''d have to share it made me rent my own room. I have a few coins to spare, so I didn''t mind it that much. Anyway, after waking up... "Good morning, Pyro." I greeted the sleepy Pyro, who was lying on the pillow next to my head. -Meep... Pyro responded quietly. Fwii¡ª Then he hopped onto my right shoulder. I fixed my bed after that. And when I was done... Creak¡ª I exited the room to meet with the others. ***** The inn we''re staying at has a restaurant downstairs. And going there myself to get breakfast... I encountered Timmy and Reggie. Just like me, they are escorts for the merchant too. "Good morning." "Morning." They greeted me after seeing me. In the past two days, I''d gotten close to the other escorts, especially these two, because they''re near my real age. "Good morning." I greeted them back. -Meep... And Pyro did the same. They could see him. Anyway, I sat down at a table with them, and after that... We ordered our food. Though, as we were waiting for our orders... "Are you guys planning to enter the Mist Forest?" A resident approached us and asked that. It was an old man waiting for his order too. "Yes, is there something wrong, mister?" Reggie asked. And menacingly... "You should be careful." The old man said that. ''He''s probably sick in the head.'' I thought, looking at him. "There''s a terrifying monster living in there." And then the old man added. "What? What''s in there?" This time, it was Timmy who asked a question. Looking at him while squinting his eyes... "I don''t know, but people go missing there." The old man responded in a whispering tome. "..." Timmy and Reggie fell silent. They were nervous. And just then... "Here''s your order." Our food finally arrived. Then, looking at the old man and shaking his head... "Don''t take his words seriously. People do go missing in the forest, but it happens rarely. It''s probably the doing of a bandit group, not some monster." The server said that. "I''m not lying!" The old man rebutted to the server. And following that... The two of them started arguing. "..." I ignored them and just ate on my own. "Ugh, nevermind." "I''m too hungry for this..." Timmy and Reggie did the same. ... ... "I''m full." I mumbled to myself after eating a simple meal¡ªjust two fried eggs and rice. -Meep! Pyro, now energetic, said the same. He had just eaten his fill of my mana for the day. Anyway, after that... "I''ll go on ahead." I excused myself. "Oh, see ya!" "Don''t be late later, the boss might get angry." Timmy and Reggie said. At their words, I nodded my head... "Got it." Then I responded. And with that... Tap- tap- tap¡ª I left the inn. ***** Outside the inn... I found myself in a quiet place. After all... "..." I''m currently at the entrance of the so-called Mist Forest. "It does look eerie, not gonna lie." I muttered to myself, looking at the forest and remembering the old man''s words earlier in the inn. -Meep... Pyro thought the same way too. Anyway, I looked at the surroundings for a while. And after that... "[Wind Blade]" I started using magic to drain my mana. Fwish¡ª I''m not really far away from the village, but casting magic here wouldn''t cause problems for the residents. No one''s around, after all. ... ... Thud¡ª After exhausting my mana, I went back to my room. And there... "..." I meditated. -Meep! Meep! Pyro kept guard. I didn''t want to skip training, it''d be such a waste. I didn''t have anything else to do anyway, with no technology around. ***** After a few hours of meditating... -Meeeep! Pyro chirped loudly and broke me out of my stupor. "Hmm?" I slowly opened my eyes. Looking at Pyro... "Is it time already?" I asked him. -Meep! Then Pyro replied, nodding his head. At his response... "Hup..." I immediately stood up and started preparing my stuff. After I was done with that... Fwip- I wore the cape Old Man Rey gave me. Creak¡ª And then I left the room. Thud¡ª ... ... Going down the inn... "Ah, right on time, young sir!" I saw the merchant we were escorting. The other escorts and group members were with him too. So, without further ado, I approached and joined them. "We''re leaving immediately?" I asked. And with slanted eyes and a sly smile... "Of course, time is money, after all." The merchant answered me. "..." ''This guy''s such a weirdo.'' I thought. Tap- tap- tap¡ª And then I left the inn. Tap- tap- tap¡ª The others followed suit. ***** Outside the inn, we checked the carriages and loaded our stuff into them. And as soon as we were done... "Let''s go!" -NEIIIGHHH!!! We resumed our travel. And as we were leaving though... "I warned you!" The old man from earlier this morning appeared and shouted that. "..." I frowned as unease settled over me after hearing his words. But then... "Whatever." I just muttered that and ignored it. ... ... ... A few minutes later... "..." We entered the Mist Forest. And it''s creepy as fuck in here, that''s for sure. "Oof, maybe that old man was actually telling the truth." Timmy then said. He''s in the same carriage as me. Why? Well, he just wants to talk, and I appreciate some company in times like this. Anyway... "..." Reggie just remained silent. He''s here as well, for the same reason as Timmy. Just then... -Meep... Pyro voiced out his concern as well. The three of them look really tense. "Let''s stay vigilant." I said and patted Pyro on the head. "Got it." "Roger." -Meep. Reggie, Timmy, and Pyro responded in order. They weirdly follow my words well. Moving on... We stayed on guard throughout the journey. ... ... Though... "..." Nothing dangerous actually happened. The night came peacefully, and we decided to set up camp in the forest. We''re planning to continue our travel tomorrow. ***** Around 9 P.M. We finished setting up the camp... I sat down on a log. Fwip¡ª I threw a piece of wood not far in front of me. And with a flick of my fingers... "[Ignite]" Fwoosh¡ª I made a small campfire. ''This is nice...'' I thought as I felt my body heating up. It''s cold as fuck here in the forest, the cape the old man gave me isn''t enough. Anyway, as I was resting... "Guess there was nothing to worry about, huh." Timmy approached me and said that. Then he sat beside me. "Maybe the old man was just trying to scare us off." Reggie then appeared and sat on my other side. They look fine now despite being really nervous earlier. "We didn''t encounter any monster or bandit on the way. That''s new." Timmy stated. And hearing his words... "Yeah, we''re really lucky." Reggie followed. They''re really happy about the situation. "..." It wasn''t the case for me, though. ''It''s too quiet.'' I thought. Something feels very off. Not encountering any bandit is one thing. But not seeing any monster in a place like this? That''s just plain suspicious! ''Also, I haven''t seen any animals either.'' "There''s definitely something wrong here." I whispered to myself. -Meep... And Pyro agreed with my words. Anyway... I kept my thoughts to myself. I don''t want to bring unnecessary worry to the others, especially since I can''t even back up my words with solid evidence. It''s just my gut feeling. Also... "..." "..." Seeing Reggie and Timmy silent, looking around, I know they notice something is amiss too. Even the other escorts are aware of this. So with that... ''Let''s just stay alert.'' I thought to myself. ... ***** Around 11 P.M. "Reggie, you''re up." Raye woke Reggie from his tent. "Hmm? Ah..." Reggie, still sleepy, stretched his whole body and yawned. S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Haaaaa..." And after that... "I''m all good now. You can leave it to me." He said that to Raye. Raye, feeling extremely tired... "Got it." He simply responded and started heading to his tent with Pyro. He had just finished his watch duty. And now, he was passing the baton to Reggie to keep an eye out while the others were sleeping. Anyway, entering his tent... "Goodnight." Raye immediately laid down and closed his eyes. -Meep... Pyro did the same. And not long after... "..." -... They fell asleep. They were sleeping really peacefully. They were so tired, after all. And because of that... Rustle, rustle¡ª They didn''t hear the movements just outside their camp! Chapter 45 - 45: 45 - Even Misty Forest. A fairly large forest just beside the nameless village where Raye and the others rested. Before, it was just a foggy forest that was hard to navigate through. There were some monsters residing in it, but they weren''t really much of a threat. Even a villager could kill them if they just had proper weapons. But just recently... Something in it changed. The fog covering it disappeared, and so did the monsters living there. And since then... People who went in there would occasionally disappear, never to be found again! What''s causing their disappearance? No one knows... With the monsters gone, the villagers couldn''t blame them. And that''s why rumors circulated that a terrifying creature was kidnapping and killing people from time to time! Some even believed that the forest was cursed! Though, in reality, the real reason for the disappearances... -Grrrrrrr... Was a 3-meter-tall orc! And right now... -Grrrr... That orc is lurking around the camp where Raye and the others were! ***** (Reggie''s POV) Grrrr... "Ugh, I need something to eat." I mumbled as I felt my stomach grumble. I''m currently on watch duty, and so far, nothing out of the ordinary has happened. And hey, I''m not complaining. Anyway, aside from being creepy as hell... "It''s cold as fuck in this forest at this time." So with that... I started collecting some dried wood, grass, and sticks. And after that... Tak- tak- tak¡ª I took two shiny rocks and struck them against each other, hoping that the sparks from their clash would light up a fire on the dried grass. I can''t use magic like Raye, after all. Tak- tak- tak¡ª ... Then finally, after about a minute... Fwoosh¡ª I managed to start a fire. "Fuuuu..." I blew hot breath on my palms to warm them. Then after that... "Brrrr..." I tucked my hands under my armpits. "It''s so quiet, this is nice." I thought. As peaceful it was, I decided look around. And when I turned to look behind me... "Wha...?!" -Grrrrr! I saw a 3-meter-tall monster! And before I could even let the others know... -GRAAAAAHH!!! Swoosh¡ª It swung its right hand and attacked me! SPLASH¡ª! "Huh...?" I felt something on my abdomen. And looking down... "..." I saw a big chunk of my stomach missing. A lot of my blood was dripping onto the ground. And immediately, as I realized that... ''Everyone... run...'' Thud¡ª I collapsed on the ground and lost consciousness. ***** (Timmy''s POV) "Hmm, what was that?" I asked myself as soon as I opened my eyes. I just heard something outside. Like some kind of wild animal or something. So, still feeling sleepy... "Haaaa..." I went out of my tent to check what was going on. Though, what greeted me horrified me... "Reggie...?" Reggie''s body was on the ground, lifeless. And feasting on it... -Guurgh... Was a 3-meter-tall orc! And feeling my gaze... It looked my way! "Shit." I muttered in shock. And following that... "We''re under attack!" I exclaimed that from the bottom of my lungs! -GRAAAAAHH!!! The orc started running toward me. And in response... "Fuck!" I ran away from it after retrieving my axes. ***** (Raye''s POV) "We''re under attack!" "Huh?" I immediately woke up and stood as soon as I heard Timmy''s voice. -Meep? Even Pyro was shocked. Anyway... Fwip¡ª I wore my cape. Then I immediately went outside of my tent. And there... "...?!" -GRAAHHHH!!! I saw a grey, ripped, 3-meter-tall orc! "FUUUUCKKK!!!" It was chasing Timmy with bloodshot eyes, swinging his hands at him! ''What the fuck is an orc doing here?!'' I exclaimed in my head, completely terrified. And as I was panicking, my eyes landed on something... "Huh?" I saw Reggie''s body. He was on the ground, and I immediately realized that he was dead... I mean, why wouldn''t I? His lower body was missing and all... "Urghh...!" I felt my stomach twist at the gruesome sight. "Pyro..." -Meep?! I grabbed Pyro and put him in my spatial bag so that he wouldn''t see it. My body was shaking, fear struck me as I realize that could be me who''s dead. My stomach churned even more. But still, I know that not doing anything will just lead me to my death. And so, I looked around... S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. I saw the other four escorts coming out of their tents. They were horrified by the situation and Reggie''s body. "..." But we all knew what we had to do... ''We need to kill that thing before it kills us!'' I thought. Then I immediately aimed my index finger at the running orc, and when my hands stopped shaking... "[Bang]!" I shot a spell. Psh¡ª It hit the orc on the right temple of its head... -Grrr...? But it didn''t pierce through. Heck, the orc wasn''t even hurt! "Shit." I mumbled as I saw the orc stop chasing Timmy and look in my direction. Thud¡ª It took a strong step toward me, showing aggression. But before it could take another... "DIEEE!!!" "YOU FUCKING MONSTER!!!" Phuck! Puk¡ª Two of the escorts wielding spears sneaked up behind the orc and stabbed it in the back! And following that... "HAAAA!!!" "THIS IS FOR REGGIE!!!" SLASH¡ª The other two, who were sword users, swung their swords at the orc with all their might! They didn''t stop after that... SWOOSH¡ª PHUCK¡ª They continued attacking, not sparing a second. Seeing them like that... "This could work." I mumbled to myself as a small smile appeared on my face. ''I need to help them.'' I thought as I aimed my fingers back at the orc. But just then... -GRAAAHHHH!!! The orc let out an ear-deafening howl! "UGHHH?!" It was so loud that even after covering my ears with my hands, I still felt dizzy! ""GAAHHH!!!"" The four escorts who were attacking it were paralyzed by the sound, being so close to the orc. Thud¡ª They kneeled on the ground, writhing in pain as they tried to cover their ears. And as they were doing that... BAM¡ª The orc punched one of the escorts! SPLASH¡ª "..." The escort who received the attack was Lenard. Lenard''s upper body was blown away, squashed like ground meat. Spat¡ª His blood flew everywhere. It even hit me on the cheeks, even though I was several meters away. "..." I was frozen in shock. And so were the others. And as we stood there, paralyzed... BAM¡ª The orc killed another escort who had been attacking it earlier, in a similar manner! "Ah..." ''We need to escape.'' I immediately thought. There was no way we could defeat that thing with our current manpower! I thought about escaping with the remaining escorts and the merchants, using the horses and carriages. But when I looked at where we had left them... -NEIIIGHHH!!! I saw the merchant and his group already fleeing the scene while the orc was distracted, killing the escorts. They were already far away. They used us as bait and left us behind to die. And looking at them go... "Fucking bastards..." I could only mumble that. I couldn''t even feel angry anymore. I just felt completely defeated, knowing I''d probably die here. "Haha..." A hollow laugh escaped my mouth. I was already in despair. But the one who pulled me out of that... "Run!" ...was Timmy. "Huh?" I saw him running toward me desperately. Fwip¡ª He ran past me and immediately grabbed my arm! And as fast as he could... "Hurrgh!" He started running away, pulling me along with him! ... ****** "Haaaa... haaaa... haaaa..." I tried to catch my breath as soon as we stopped running. We had gotten pretty far away, but I doubted we had escaped the orc. Also, I was sure the other two escorts we left behind were dead. "..." I frowned at the thought. Anyway, looking at Timmy... I saw him scanning the surroundings. And after a few seconds... "Ah..." He seemed to have found something. "Why did you save me?" I asked him. Then looking back at me... "I just felt like it." He casually answered. I was about to say something, my mouth half-open. "Shhh..." But Timmy stopped me. And quietly... "It''s here." He whispered that to me. As soon as he said that... Thud¡ª I heard heavy footsteps approaching us. "..." I immediately became silent. "Here." Timmy said as he moved. And I silently followed behind him... We tried to hide behind a bush. But not even half a minute later... -Grahahahaha... The orc spotted us! It looked in our direction, laughing disgustingly. It probably smelled the blood of Lenard that attached on our body! Anyway, seeing that... "Guess that wouldn''t work, huh." Timmy stepped out of hiding and took a stance. He was holding a battle axe in each hand. He had this confident smirk on his face... "..." But his whole body was trembling slightly, unable to hide his fear. Seeing him like that... ''I''m so pathetic.'' I thought to myself. I admired Timmy a little at that moment. Then, with a resolute look in my eyes... "If I don''t have any options left, I should at least fight, right?" I stepped out of hiding too and took a stance. "Look to your left." Timmy said randomly. Following his words, I saw a hole in the ground. It was pretty deep. I glanced at Timmy. Then he glanced back at me from the side. "What of it?" I asked him. "You saved me from the bandit before, I would''ve died back there if it wasn''t for you." He said. Then, with a smile on his face... "We''re even now." He added that. "Huh?" And before I could even process what he meant by that... Bam! "Keuk!" Timmy kicked me in the stomach! "Gah!" I flew through the air from the sheer force of his kick! The next thing I knew... "AHHHHH!!!" I was falling into the hole I had seen earlier! "This way, you stupid orc!" I heard Timmy''s voice. And that was the last thing I remembered... I lost consciousness after that. Chapter 46 - 46: 46 - Old Mansion I don''t know how long I was out, but when I regained consciousness... -Meep! Meeep! I heard Pyro''s frantic calls for me. "Ugh..." I groaned as I sat up and opened my eyes. Sharp pain coursed through my entire body, with my back feeling the worst of it. But still, seeing that I was somehow still alive... -MEEEP! Pyro leaped onto me without hesitation. -Meep meep! He rubbed his tiny head against my chest, it was obvious that he had been so worried. "Haha, I''m fine." I said softly, patting his head to reassure him. Though, as my hand stroked Pyro''s head... I remembered what happened before I lost consciousness. "..." I fell silent. "..." I don''t know what to say. Reggie and Timmy... The two of them¡ªthey were gone... "Fuck." I muttered weakly. Reggie... I''d grown close to him during our travels, especially after that bandit incident on the first day. He felt like an older cousin to me. And remembering his lifeless body on the ground without the lower part... "..." My fists clenched tightly in anger. ''I couldn''t save him...'' Bam! I slammed my fist into the ground in frustration. Tears welled up on my eyes, blurring the corners of my vision. And it wasn''t just Reggie too... ''Even Timmy...'' "That idiot..." Timmy had been the glue between me and Reggie, the one who brought us together with his goofy personality. And now, because of him... ''I''m still alive right now.'' A wave of guilt washed over me, heavier than the pain in my body. Timmy''s sacrifice played over and over in my mind, each replay twisting the knife of regret deeper. ''If only I was strong enough!'' I bit my lower lip in annoyance at myself. A small frown formed on my face as grief and anger collided in my head. And just then, I remembered the cause of it all... "That fucking orc..." I muttered. It appeared out of nowhere and massacred our group. My brows knitting together, my hands trembling as I clenched them so hard my knuckles turned white. The grief in my chest was quickly overshadowed by rage. And, consumed by the thirst for revenge... "I''LL FUCKING KILL YOU!!!" I shouted that with everything I had, the sound of my anger echoing into the hole that I was in. ***** Orcs¡­ They are tall, burly creatures with rough, grey skin and scarred bodies from countless battles. Their brutish features¡ªtusked teeth, sharp jaws, and pointed ears¡ªgive them a fearsome and intimidating presence. They''re incredibly strong, kinda stupid, but clever enough to outsmart other monsters when it matters. In the game, they are considered mid-stage monsters, roughly classified as C+ rank monsters! In short¡­ Even Leon wouldn''t stand a chance against one of them with his current strength! This is why Raye was so surprised to see one before. And this is the very creature he wants to take revenge on! Anyway, Raye had calmed down to a certain degree now¡­ "..." sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. And currently, he''s just sitting on the ground, trying to rest. -Meep... Pyro chirped softly and perched on his right shoulder. Looking at Pyro... "Sorry you had to witness that." Raye said that apologetically. He was referring to his outburst earlier after waking up. -Meep! Pyro chirped back, saying it was fine. And hearing that, a small smile formed on Raye''s face. "I''m really glad that I have you with me." He said this while gently patting Pyro''s head. -Meep! After resting for a while, Raye decided to move on. "Where am I anyway?" Standing up, he looked up at the hole he had fallen into. It was pitch dark, and he quickly realized there was no way he could climb out. The hole was too deep, and the walls were too smooth and crumbled easily to even attempt climbing. And even if by some miracle he managed to climb back to the surface, how would he face the orc waiting above? ''Timmy saved my life, I''m not gonna waste it.'' Raye thought resolutely. He still plans to take revenge on the orc later on, though... Anyway, Raye decided to search for another way out. And since it was completely dark around him¡­ "[Light]" He cast that spell to illuminate his surroundings. And immediately, the spell revealed something... "There''s a path." Raye mumbled. He saw a narrow, winding path leading into what appeared to be an underground cave. And with no other choice left... "Let''s go, Pyro." -Meep! Raye began walking into the cave with Pyro on his shoulder. ***** (Raye''s POV) Tap- tap- tap¡ª The sound of my footsteps echoed as I walked along the path I had entered earlier. "..." My thoughts then wandered back to the moment when I thought I was going to die at the hands of the orc. Back then, my life flashed before my eyes. But instead of them being happy memories... ''They were filled with my regrets.'' Regrets of not doing my best. Regrets of not even trying. Regrets of hiding from the world. And so many more... I remembered how annoyed I was at myself in that moment. But now that I''ve survived... I''ve decided. "I''m gonna live my life without regretting anything." I declared firmly, my voice filled with determination. There''s no certainty that I would live for tomorrow, so I need to stop hesitating. ''This will be my payback to Timmy, who saved my life.'' I thought of that, and the resolve in my heart grew stronger. Just then... -Meep! Pyro chirped, breaking my train of thoughts. It looked like he''d spotted something. "Hmm?" I turned in the direction Pyro was staring at, squinting in the dim light. "Ah!" And then, I finally saw it¡ªthe end of the path I''d been following all this time! And not even a minute after that... Tap- tap- tap¡ª "I''m out." I reached the end of the tunnel! "..." But what greeted me there left me speechless. "What... the fuck?" I muttered in disbelief. Right in front of me stood something completely unexpected. An old, three-story mansion loomed in the underground cavern. It looked ancient, its structure worn by time, but it still stood strong. And the most bizarre part? It was buried here with me underground! Then, as I was stood there, trying to process what I was seeing... -Grrrr... -Graaw! -Graaaaa¡ª "?!" Low growls echoed through the cavern, sending a chill down my spine! Then immediately looking around... A pack of monstrous wolves emerged from the shadows, their glowing eyes locked onto me as they slowly surrounded me! And feeling their bloodlust... "Shit." All I can do was curse my luck. -Meep... Even Pyro was wondering why all of these were happening to us. Anyway... -GRAAAAAHHH!!! Three monster wolves rushed at me immediately after that! I have my left hand occupied with the spell [Light], so I can only use my right hand. Immediately pointing my index finger on the nearest wolf running at me... "[Bang]" Fwish- I shot it off! It was hit on the head... Thud- And it immediately fell on the ground, dead. After that... "[Wind blade]" Swoosh¡ª I launched a sharp wind toward the two remaining wolves running at me! -Guk! -Gahk! And they were wounded by it, slowing them down drastically! I didn''t miss that chance... "[Bang]- [Bang]-" And I immediately shot at them! Thud- They too got hit in their heads, killing them off immediately! I thought the other wolves would hesitate to come at me after that. But instead... -GRAAAAAHH!!! -GRAAAAAAA!!! -AWWOOOOHH!!! They came at me harder, using all of their numbers to attack me! And seeing that... "Fucking hell! Who wrote my goddamn life?!" I could only exclaim in annoyance. "[Gust]!" I hurriedly used that magic and made the force of the wind strong. And in doing so... -GRAHHHH?! I was able to sent the monster wolves around me away, giving me time to breathe! And not wasting that opportunity... "[Bang] [Bang] [Bang]¡ª!" I started shooting them off, killing them one by one! ***** After a few minutes of shooting spells and running away from the monster wolves... "[Bang]!" Thud- I successfully killed all of them. Which is a total of 18 monster wolves, by the way! "Haaaa... Haaa.... Haaaaa..." I was exhausted. Physically, and especially mentally! I was also out of mana... I''m still covered in injuries from the fall earlier, and now this fight with the monster wolves just added more in my body! I feel like passing out now. I was so done, I need somewhere to rest at... ''And obviously, not here outside.'' I thought. And then, looking at the old mansion not far away from me... "Fuck it." Tap- tap- tap¡ª I decided to enter it. -Meep... Pyro was hesitating too, but he knows we''re really out of choice. Anyway, I arrived at the doors of the mansion. Creak¡ª I immediately opened them up. Tap- And upon stepping inside of it... Swoosh- ===== Achievement: Discover a dungeon that was not in the game! ----- Reward: +5 points to all stats! ===== The system window flashed in front of me. And after reading through its content... "Huh?" All I could do was let out a stupid noise. Chapter 47 - 47: 47 - Three Rooms Currently, I''m inside the old mansion here underground... I''m just by the doors, sitting in a lotus position. I''m here so that I can leave immediately if something bad happens. -Meeeeep... Pyro is sleeping soundly on my lap. And as for me... "Fuuuu..." I''m doing my best to recover my stamina and mana as quickly as possible. "Fucking hell." I mumbled under my breath. My whole body aches, my wounds sting, and I''m ridiculously sleepy at the moment. I want to sleep, but I can''t let my guard down here... And even if I could... ''I''m too thirsty and hungry to actually sleep.'' "Ugh, I feel like dying." I whispered to myself. Then, glancing at my side... ===== Achievement: Discover a dungeon that was not in the game! ----- Reward: +5 points to all stats! ===== I saw the system window that appeared earlier. "A dungeon, huh." I muttered, a slight frown on my face. The window''s content says this mansion is a dungeon. In short... ''Monsters are here.'' And that''s why I can''t rest here either. Though, it also means that there''s a teleportation gate at the end of this mansion that leads back up to the surface. And lastly... "There are rewards for me to get here." I mumbled, wondering what kind of treasures are hidden in this place. Before, I was really reluctant to dive into this place. After all, it''s an undiscovered dungeon and it wasn''t in the game, so I have no idea what''s inside... I can''t prepare for them. But I really have no choice in the matter. This is the only way for me to move forward and get out of this place. So now that I''m here anyway and that''s the case... "Let''s just reap those rewards and get stronger." I decided to make the most out of it. ***** After a few hours... -Meep? Pyro woke up. "Had a good rest?" I asked him. And looking at me with pitying eyes... -Meep. Pyro answered. He said yes. He''s probably worried about my condition. And I can''t really blame him... My voice was hoarse, and my lips were dry as fuck. There''s probably no energy left in my eyes, either. I look like a dried-up zombie now, with blood spattered all over my clothes and the cape Old Man Rey gave me. Anyway, moving on... "Let''s go explore this place." I said that as I stood up. I already recovered my stamina. -Meep... Pyro voiced out his concern for me. "Don''t worry, I''m still fine." But I just said that to reassure him. -... Pyro remained silent, just looking at me. I could tell he was worried, but I couldn''t just stay here forever. So, with that... Tap- tap- tap¡ª I ventured deeper into the mansion. ***** After walking for a while down the hallway of the mansion... I reached its end. And there... I saw three doors leading to different rooms¡ªone on each side and one directly in front of me. And in game logics... "Only one of these doors leads to a safe room." I mumbled confidently, a weak smirk forming on my face. -... Pyro just looked at me weirdly. Anyway, focusing on the doors... "Let''s go left." I said that and opened the door on my left. Creak¡ª And immediately after doing so... S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. -Graaahhh... -Grrrr... -Rrrrrrr... I saw a bunch of monster wolves like the ones I fought earlier, except there were more of them this time. So, without hesitation... Thud¡ª I closed the door. "Not that room, huh." I said awkwardly, sweating slightly. -Meep. Pyro agreed with me. Then, looking at him... "Where do you think we should go?" I asked Pyro. -Meep? Pyro chirped, then after thinking for a second... -Meep! He looked at the middle door. "Got it." I replied and headed to the center door. Quietly... Creak¡ª I opened it. "..." And after taking a good look at what was inside... Thud¡ª I immediately shut the door again. ''Nuh uh.'' I thought. Inside the middle room were Kobolds! And they''re classified as D- rank monsters! "Hmm, maybe not there either." I said, forcing a smile at Pyro. -Meep! Pyro immediately agreed, mimicking my smile. I walked toward the last door, the one on the right. And as I stared at it... ''This should be the safe one... right?'' I wondered, doubt creeping into my mind. I was starting to feel scared of what might be waiting inside. But nevertheless, swallowing my fear... "Here I go." Creak¡ª I opened the door. And what greeted me... "Fuck." Made me curse unconsciously. Thud¡ª I shut the door much faster than the previous ones. And there, I stood still for a while... "..." Speechless. -... And so was Pyro. Inside the room just... There was a fucking giant boar monster, sleeping on the floor! "Is that a boss monster?" I asked in shock. But I immediately shook my head and trashed the idea, I''m still at the early stage of the dungeon, after all. So, most probably... That was a mini-boss. "And I need to defeat that thing to move on to the next stage..." I muttered, an annoyed frown on my face. ***** Still standing at the end of the mansion''s hallway... "..." I looked at the doors again. ''Left, monster wolves.'' ''Middle, Kobolds.'' ''And lastly... right, the mini-boss.'' I took a mental note of what was behind each door. And after that... "Fuck me." I cursed out loud, massaging the temple of my head in annoyance. There was no door leading to safety, the rooms just got progressively harder as you moved from left to right. And obviously, to advance to the next stage, I needed to clear the mini-boss room. "Fuck that too." All I could do lately was curse my luck. ''Why is this happening to me?!'' Anyway, with my current condition and strength... There was no way I could defeat that giant boar. So, what''s my plan now? Well... ''So I''d still start at the room on the left, huh.'' I figured I''d go through the first two rooms and, hopefully, grow strong enough after clearing them to take on the giant boar. And so, I rested for a bit more before initiating this plan of mine. ... ***** "..." Quietly standing in front of the door on the left... "Fuuuu..." I let out a heavy sigh. I closed my eyes. "..." Then I tried to recall what I''d seen in the room earlier. ''I remember the monster wolves being clumped together in a group.'' They were practically sticking to one another. ''And I think there were roughly more than thirty of them inside.'' With that in mind... "Okay." I mumbled, opening my eyes. And immediately... Clap¡ª I clapped my hands in front of me, both arms stretched out. With a fierce look in my eyes... "[Lit up]" I murmured. Swaaaaaah¡ª A huge fire appeared from my hands and engulfed them. And pulling my right hand back like I was drawing a bowstring... Fwip¡ª The fire transformed, taking the shape of a bow and arrow! And since maintaining this spell continuously consumed my mana... Bam! I didn''t waste ant second and kicked the door in front of me open! -Grrrr? -Awooooh? -Graaah?! The monster wolves turned to me, startled by my sudden entrance. And not missing that sweet opportunity... "[Shoot]" I said that. Swoosh¡ª Then the fire arrow flew... Boom¡ª! And struck five monster wolves! Two of them died instantly on impact... -GRAAAHHH!!! -AWAAAAAAOUUUH!!! -GAAAAAARRGH!!! The other three didn''t, but they caught fire, one of them died because of it a little later. Anyway... Fwip¡ª I pulled the string of the fire bow again. And as soon as I did... Fwoosh¡ª It was reloaded with another fire arrow! "..." It drained a huge amount of my mana. And just then... -GRAAAHHHH!!! -AWOOOOUH!!! Ten monster wolves charged at me! I quickly aimed at them. And without hesitation... "[Shoot]" I fired the arrow! Swoosh¡ª Boom¡ª! The arrow killed four of them instantly. Three more caught fire and died shortly after. But the remaining three... -GRAAAHHHH!!! -GAARGH!!! -GRRRRGH!!! They reached me unharmed and leaped toward me! I didn''t have time to reload another arrow. Fwish¡ª So I canceled the spell. Fwip¡ª And quickly drew a dagger with my right hand! "Gugh...!" I immediately squatted down. Swoosh¡ª Dodging their attack successfully. And while I was beneath one of them... SLASH¡ª! I swung my dagger upward, slicing open a monster wolf''s stomach! Thud¡ª It fell lifelessly to the ground. Tap¡ª The other two safely landed on their paws. "[Bang]¡ª[Bang]¡ª" But I quickly shot them with my left hand! Thud¡ª The bullets struck the backs of their heads, killing them instantly. And with that... ''I killed thirteen monster wolves in less than a minute.'' I noted in my head. The corners of my lips curled upward. I couldn''t help but feel excited. Looking at the remaining monster wolves, I saw them charging at me. -GRAAAAHHH!!! -AWOOOOOO!!! It seemed like they didn''t care if they died anymore, as long as they could take me down with them. Seeing that... Bam! I rushed toward them too! I''m riding my adrenaline rush! But when I got close to them... "[Wind Blade]!" I cast a spell, slashing through most of them and killing two in the process! I wasn''t stupid enough to fight them purely in close combat, after all. "Bring it on, motherfuckers!" I exclaimed. Chapter 48 - 48: 48 - Basic Needs After about half an hour... SLASH¡ª! -Garagh?! Thud¡ª I killed the last monster wolf in the room with my dagger. "Huff... huff... haaaaa..." I was breathing heavily, and my body trembled with exhaustion. Concerned about my condition... -Meep! Pyro urged me to rest. Which is exactly what I did... "Fuuuu..." I exhaled deeply. Thud¡ª And then I let my body collapse onto the floor. ''That hurts.'' I thought as my back slammed on the ground. Anyway, I closed my eyes after that... "..." And I immediately fell asleep. ***** Feeling hungry... "Ugh..." I woke up not long after. Still, I felt like I had been asleep for an entire hour. I recovered some of my stamina too. Moving on... -Meep! Pyro greeted me, looking incredibly proud. Then looking at him... "Did you protect me while I was out?" I asked. And with a smug smile... -Meep! Pyro responded. He said yes. ''He''s really cute.'' I thought. "Thank you." And then I weakly said that while patting Pyro''s head. Anyway, except that, I haven''t moved yet¡ªI literally couldn''t. I was too tired and too hungry to move. And noticing this... -Meep... Pyro grew worried about me. "No worries, I''m fine." S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. I assured him with a smile on my face. And just then... "Huh?" I smelled something. It wasn''t great, but it reminded me of the meat Kyle roasts back in the academy. And because of that... "..." My mouth began to water, and my hunger intensified! I weakly looked around, following the scent of it... And there... "...?" My eyes landed on a monster wolf''s corpse. Specifically, the one that had been set on fire by my skill earlier! "..." I stared silently at the charred corpse, wondering if it was okay to take a bite out of it. And less than ten seconds later... "Fuck it." I muttered that, slowly sitting up. "I''ll die of hunger sooner or later, anyway. Might as well try anything at this point." I added. -Meep? Pyro chirped, curious about what I was talking about. But I didn''t have the energy to reply. I was saving my strength. And so, I focused on standing, and after a while... "Haaaa..." I finally got to my feet. My knees shook, and my whole body felt heavy. Slowly... "Ugh..." I made my way to the burnt monster wolf corpse. And upon reaching it... Slash¡ª I cut off a chunk of its meat. "..." Then, holding the meat in my left hand... "[Lit up]." I said that. Swaaa¡ª A small fire engulfed my hand and the meat after that. Using mana right now for this only made me hungrier. I felt like I could pass out at any moment. But nevertheless, I continued. And when I thought the meat was roasted enough... Pssh¡ª I canceled the spell. And immediately... Gulp¡ª I took a bite on the meat. Seeing that... -... Pyro looked at me in shock And as expected... The meat was nowhere near as good as Kyle''s roasted meat. Heck, it didn''t even taste like anything! ''It''s horrible...'' It felt like chewing on pre-masticated rubbery meat! Which is disgusting, by the way! But still... ''I think it''s edible.'' And so with that... Gulp¡ª I kept eating. With every bite, my hunger subsided a little. I ignored the texture and the taste of the monster wolf meat... All I focused on was recovering my strength. ***** After a few minutes of eating the meat from a dead monster wolf... "I''m full." I mumbled that, tapping my stomach lightly. I wasn''t hungry anymore. I wasn''t exactly full, as I had just claimed... But I at least had eaten enough to recover my strength. "This''ll be my source of food for a while, huh." I muttered, looking at the corpses of the monster wolves scattered throughout the room. -Meep? Pyro chirped, asking if I was feeling okay. He was watching me with a worried expression earlier as I eat the monster''s meat. ''He''s not sure if it was safe to me, after all.'' And that led him to ask me that question. Anyway, with now a bit more energy... "Yeah, I''m feeling much better than before." I responded to Pyro. And this time, I wasn''t lying, I really did feel much better after eating. Though... ''I''m still thirsty.'' My lips were chapped, and talking was a struggle. Just like food, I don''t have any water on me when I fell into the hole and came here. But now that I had realized I needed to use anything and everything around me to survive... I started looking around the room. "..." And after a while... "There." I found a small cup made of metal rolling on the floor. It was old and dusty, but it was to be expected if it is in this kind of places. Anyway... ''With just a few cleaning... It''ll be good as new.'' I thought, looking at the cup and grabbing it. "This is exactly what I need." I muttered, the corners of my lips curling into a smile. Then, curious... -Meep? Pyro asked me what I planned to do with the cup. And instead of answering him... "Heh." I just smirked at him. And while wearing that same smirk on my face... "You''ll find out later." I said that to Pyro. ***** After taking the cup with me and piling the corpses of the monster wolves in one corner... Creak¡ª I left the room. And immediately after doing so... Tap- tap- tap¡ª I walked back into the hallway. Pyro and I had small talks along the way. They weren''t anything important¡ªjust idle chatter to keep ourselves entertained. Then finally, after a while... "Phew..." I found myself back at the entrance of the dungeon mansion. And without hesitation... Tap¡ª I exited the place in a hurry. ... Outside the mansion... "..." I saw the corpses of the monster wolves I had encountered earlier. And since they''re now my main source of food... "Let''s put them inside." I started moving them into the dungeon mansion one by one. ... ... After about half an hour... "Haaaa... All done..." I had moved all the monster corpses inside the mansion. And with that task complete... "It''s time for me to go back to the main objective." The only reason I left the dungeon earlier was to find water. And the reason I''m outside is because, when I first got to this area... I noticed the ground on the left side of the mansion looked kind of wet. I guessed it might be water that caused it... And so, without further ado... Tap- tap- tap¡ª I headed in that direction. ***** After arriving at the left side of the mansion, near the far back... "Haha..." A small laugh escaped my mouth, and a full-on smile spread across my face! -Meep! Even Pyro seemed excited about what he was seeing. After all, in front of us... There was a small spring! And it was full of water! I didn''t waste any time after that... Swish¡ª I immediately scooped up a cupful of water using the metal cup. And while holding the cup in my right hand... "[Lit up]" I mumbled those words again, and a small flame instantly engulfed my hand! This time, the fire didn''t swallow the cup like it did with the monster''s meat earlier¡ªit just formed a glove of fire around my hand. And using my hand as a makeshift stove... I heated the cup and started boiling the spring water inside it. That''s right¡ªI was disinfecting it. ... After a few minutes... "This should be enough." Psssh¡ª I stopped the fire and let the water cool for a bit. And once it was cool enough... Gulp¡ª I drank the entire cupful in one drinking. "Huuu..." It wasn''t as refreshing as I''d hoped, probably because it wasn''t cold. But it still subdued my thirst! And so... "One more." I repeated the process a few more times: scooping water from the spring, boiling it for a bit, and then drinking it. -Meep! I even gave Pyro a drink too. Unlike me, he seemed to enjoy the fact that the water was warm rather than cold. Anyway, just like that... "Haaaaaaa..." I finally quenched my thirst. "Thank God, I thought I''d have to use water magic just to drink something." I mumbled to myself. Though the idea of using water magic to produce drinking water might sound practical... It wasn''t a good solution. Elements created by magic are primarily made of mana¡ªthey''re completely different from the real thing. Drinking water created with magic wouldn''t help at all, it wouldn''t even refill my mana since that''s not how absorption works. If anything, my body might reject it and cause complications! Anyway, that''s that... With the monster wolves'' corpses and this spring here, I now had the basic resources I needed to survive. So now, all that was left was to clear the dungeon. "Looks like I''ll be out of the academy for more than a week." I mumbled, staring at the massive mansion in front of me. There''s just no way I could clear that place before my one week vacation ends. Chapter 49 - 49: 49 - The Middle Room After drinking some more water... I went back inside the dungeon and rested by the door. By now, I had kind of confirmed that the hallway was a safe zone. And so... Taking out a few dirty clothes from my spatial storage, I used them as a pillow. I laid down the cape Old Man Rey gave me and used it as something to lie on. And with that... "Finally, I can rest." I closed my eyes, trying to fall asleep. -Meep! Pyro was going to keep an eye out and wake me up in case a monster appeared. "Thank you." I told him while I had my eyes closed. And happily... -Meep! Pyro replied, saying that I should rest now. And after that... "..." I fell asleep not long after. ***** "Huh?" A stupid noise came out of my mouth as I slowly opened my eyes. I was so tired that I didn''t even register that I had fallen asleep! It just felt like my whole body shut down and started back up again right now. Anyway... -Meep! Pyro greeted me. He was so happy to see me awake. And looking at him, he looked so tired... A frown appeared on my face seeing him like that. ''Looks like I was out for a long time.'' I thought. "Sorry for leaving you on guard. It must''ve been really lonely, huh?" I said to Pyro, patting his head. -Meep... Pyro said it was fine, but I still felt guilty. ''He''s still just a kid.'' "Hup." I sat up and gently took hold of Pyro. "Here." Then I started feeding my mana to Pyro. His complexion improved immediately after doing so. And after that... "You can rest now. Good job." I said that to Pyro. -Meep. Pyro proudly replied, and then he closed his eyes. And not long after... -... He fell asleep. I felt really bad that he had to endure this situation because he''s stuck with me. A bitter smile spread across my face. And slowly... Fwip¡ª I put Pyro inside the spatial bag. "I should really do something for Pyro once I get out of this place." I mumbled to myself. Pyro had stayed up for hours, on his own, without any company, just to guard me. And because of him, I also got stronger. That''s why... "Let''s get this dungeon over with already so we can go home." ***** Going back to the end of the hallway, where the three doors were... I looked at the left room again. Inside, I saw monster wolves again. There were only a few of them this time. Only five of them. They were curiously looking at the mountain of monster wolf corpses. ''So new monsters do still spawn in dungeons after some time, just like in the game.'' I thought to myself. I don''t know the logic behind it, nor do I care at the moment. It''s not gonna help me out, anyway. If anything... ''I should be glad that I won''t have to worry about running out of monster wolf meat.'' And so... Creak¡ª I silently walked into the room. And before the monster wolves could notice me... "[Bang]- [Bang]- [Bang]¡ª" Thu¡ª I shot three of them dead. -Graa?! -Awoou?! The remaining two were surprised by the sudden deaths of their pack members. And they looked in my direction. "Stay here for a while..." I placed the spatial bag on the floor so that Pyro could sleep comfortably. And when I looked back up again... -GRAAAW!!! -GRRRRRR!!! I saw the two wolves running at me. Fwip- I immediately took out my dagger. Bam- One of the wolves leaped in the air, trying to bite my face... -GRAAAAAH!!! While the other one didn''t, it was trying to bite off my legs. As a response... Swoosh¡ª I rotated my body backward to the left! Fwish- Which allowed me to dodge the one in the air! And using my spinning momentum... Phuck¡ª! -GRAA!? I stabbed the side of the wolf! Then, while my dagger was still lodged in its body... SLASH¡ª I slashed it downward! -AROOOO!!! It opened the stomach of the wolf in the air and splashed blood on me, but I didn''t care. I continued my slash downward... BAM! And my closed fist hit the other wolf that was attacking me from below! -GARGH?! It was hit on top of its head, stunning it. And while it was like that... "Die." I immediately flipped the dagger in my hand... Phuck! And stabbed it in the head where I had hit it! And just like that... Thud¡ª I killed the two of them, their bodies falling to the ground at the same time. "I''m getting used to this." I mumbled, looking at the monster wolves'' dead bodies. Anyway, I added their bodies along with the other three to the mountain of monster wolves'' corpses. And after that... "I''m back." I picked up the spatial bag. Creak¡ª Thud- And left the room. ***** Now that Raye was back at the end of the hallway... He looked inside the middle room where the Kobolds were. And there, he counted how many Kobolds were inside. ''There are eight of them.'' All of them were wearing light leather armor, and they each had their respective weapons. Kobolds are small, scaly humanoids with sharp claws and glowing eyes. Their wiry frames and whip-like tails gave them a distinctly reptilian appearance. They moved with a skittish, cunning energy, always alert to their surroundings. They are classified as E- rank monsters. But if they got their hands on proper equipment and weapons, their rank could increase up to D- rank! Kobolds are very smart monsters, that''s why. And although physically weak, they''re stronger than the monster wolves and goblins, the ones that Raye had fought in the past. Also, they have strong magic resistance! That''s why Raye doesn''t want to fight them! "This''ll be annoying." Raye mumbled to himself. He could only use low-rank spells. And now that he''s in a situation where he can''t rely on those... "Fuck it." He entered the middle room with a dagger in his right hand. Tap¡ª As soon as Raye entered the room... -Eeeeerk! -Chrrrrk? -Hisss...? The Kobolds immediately noticed his presence. "I can''t even do a surprise attack, fuck this." Raye cursed, then he put his spatial bag down near the door. Luckily, because of their intelligence, the Kobolds stayed vigilant and didn''t attack immediately. Instead... -Hissss¡ª -Chrrk¡ª They slowly surrounded Raye. "..." Seeing this, Raye frowned. Fortunately, the Kobolds only had close-range weapons, so they couldn''t attack him from a distance. Looking at the Kobolds... S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "[Lit up]" Raye muttered. Swaaa¡ª And his left hand was engulfed with fire! And after that... Bam! He kicked off the ground and rushed at the Kobold in the middle! -Chrrck?! Upon nearing the Kobold... Fwish¡ª Raye quickly slashed horizontally at it with his dagger! Clang! It was blocked; the Kobold was able to immediately raise his small sword and defend himself. Though, Raye had already expected that. So, with his left hand clenched into a fist and covered in fire... Bam! Raye punched out and hit the Kobold in the jaw! -Ergh?! It made the Kobold stumble back, but because Raye lacked strength, he wasn''t able to knock it out! But following that... "Gurgh...!" Raye jumped forward and put all of his weight into the Kobold! Thud¡ª -Chrk! "Argh!" They fell to the ground. And with Raye on top of the Kobold... Fwish¡ª He heavily brought the dagger down with all of his might. Phuck! And stabbed the Kobold straight in its left eye! -EEEEK!!! And to finish it off... SLASH! Raye dragged his dagger down while it was still stabbed in! Opening a big wound on the Kobold''s face... -... And killing it. "You''re too loud." Raye mumbled, retrieving his dagger. But he had no time to rest. Swoosh¡ª "?!" He caught a glance at his side and saw an axe nearing his face! "Shit!" Fwish- Raye immediately ducked his head and narrowly avoided the attack. Bam- And then he kicked off and did a donkey roll to get away from the Kobold! Which was a good move because the other Kobolds were coming at him from behind too! They were just a moment too late to kill Raye! "Bunch of little shits." Raye grumbled as he stood up. On the other hand, the Kobolds smirked in pleasure. After watching Raye fight that one Kobold earlier, the other Kobolds realized something... They were stronger than Raye! So if they just jumped on him... They were sure to win! Raye knew this as well... But he already thought of a plan for this. At least, it would allow him to fight the Kobolds one at a time! So without further ado... "Huff!" Raye ran at the right corner of the room! And there... "Come at me, fuckers." He stood and provoked them. Raye thought that by standing in a corner, he wouldn''t have a Kobold sneak an attack behind him. And he could see all of his enemies as well. Though he wouldn''t have an escape... This was the best thing he could do at the moment. ''I''m really glad they don''t have a long-range weapon.'' Raye thought... But he soon frowned after seeing the Kobolds pick up stones. "Oh, for fuck''s sake." Raye cursed. Chapter 50 - 50: 50 - Nothing Much After picking up some stones... Fwish¡ª Swish¡ª The Kobolds started throwing them at Raye! "Fuck this!" Raye exclaimed. Tang¡ª! Fwoosh¡ª Then he started parrying the stones and dodging them! Though... Thud¡ª "Argh?!" One stone still hit him in the head. "So that''s how you want to play, huh..." This pissed Raye off. And with an annoyed expression on his face... "[Bang] [Bang] [Bang]¡ª!" He started randomly shooting at the Kobolds! Yes, the Kobolds had magic resistance... Psh¡ª psh¡ª psh¡ª S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. -Eeeek?! -Chuurck!!! -Hisss?! But the force and impact of Raye''s attack still hurt them! To them, it felt like being shot with an airgun! And then it happened... Bang! Phuck¡ª -EEEIIIIIK!!! One of the Kobolds got shot in the eye, and the bullet pierced through its brain! And after some seconds later... Thud¡ª That Kobold collapsed on the ground, dead! "..." Raye was surprised. He''d gotten lucky. ''Sweet, I didn''t expect that.'' Raye thought. -... -... -... Even the other Kobolds went silent. Now that they realized Raye could attack them from afar¡ªand kill them... -SHIIEK!!! -EEEEK!!! -CHIIERK!!! They started charging at him! The Kobolds decided to fight Raye in close combat! "Ugh, finally..." Raye muttered as he took a stance. And when the Kobolds got near... Fwish¡ª Raye raised his left hand, pointing at them. Seeing this... -Eeeeek! The Kobolds stopped and raised their weapons. They expected him to shoot again. Though, it was just a bluff... Bam! Raye kicked off and dashed toward the nearest Kobold! Holding his dagger in a reverse grip in his right hand... Swoosh¡ª Raye swung it horizontally! Clang¡ª! The Kobold blocked it, causing Raye''s attack to slide along its blade! But following that... Twack¡ª! Raye kicked the Kobold''s right knee with his left foot! Crack¡ª Pop! -EEEIIIKKKK?! The Kobold''s knee dislocated, and it let out a pained scream! And while it was distracted by the pain... Fwip¡ª Raye flipped his grip on the dagger... Phuck¡ª! And stabbed the Kobold in the chin! And to make sure... SLASH¡ª! Raye swung vertically downward, cutting open the Kobold''s throat! Bam¡ª Then he immediately dashed backward, not giving the other Kobolds a chance to sneak up an attack on him! Thud¡ª It happened so fast, Raye killed that one Kobold in about five seconds! -?! The remaining five Kobolds froze in shock. Raye, now back into the corner of the room again... "..." ...silently watched them, waiting for their next move. ''I killed two with surprise attacks and one by luck.'' Raye thought. ''Now, it''s time for the hard part...'' And then he followed. He noticed the Kobolds spreading themselves out, inching closer step by step to him. -Hissss... -Chhhrck... They recognized Raye as cunning as their kind, so they were being extra wary. The Kobolds took their stances. Three held swords, one an axe, and the last a short sword. And after that... -SHIEEEKK!!! Two sword users and the short-sword wielder charged at him! ''I can pull off another surprise attack... I''ll make sure to finish it then.'' Raye thought. Swish¡ª And then the middle Kobold closed in quickly, swinging its sword vertically! Fwish¡ª Raye turned to his right, narrowly avoiding the attack. Ting¡ª! And then he parried another sword coming from his right with his dagger! ''Now!'' Raye thought as he saw the short-sword wielder charging from his left. Opening his mouth... "[Gust]!" Raye cast his magic. SWOOSH¡ª! A powerful wind erupted around him, sending the two Kobolds near him flying! -Eeeeek?! -Eeeeeekkk!! The short-sword wielder stopped mid-charge... -Chhhrck...?! It shielded its eyes from the strong winds using its arms. And while it was vulnerable... Phuck¡ª Raye stabbed that Kobold in the throat! Bam! Then he kicked its body toward the axe-wielding Kobold who hadn''t rushed in earlier! -Hisss?! The surprised Kobold caught its comrade''s body. And with its hands occupied... "Die!" Raye charged at it, a crazed smile on his face! -SHIEEEKK!!! The Kobold screamed in terror and swung its axe in panic! But with just a little twist of his body to the side... Twack¡ª Raye avoided a fatal injury! He was just hit on his left shoulder blade, and it was shallow! Then, as a response... Phuck¡ª Raye stabbed the Kobold between its eyes! He then left his dagger embedded in its head... Fwip¡ª And immediately grabbed the its axe with his right hand! Then, turning toward the other axe-wielder... Raye saw it trembling in fear. ''I''ve won this.'' Raye thought confidently after seeing its reaction. Fwiiish¡ª Then he threw the axe at the terrified Kobold! -Shiiiek!!! Tang¡ª! The Kobold blocked it with its own axe... "[Wind Blast]!" SWOOSH¡ª -Eeeeek?! But it was still blasted away into a wall! Raye had cast a follow-up magic! BAM! -Ergh?! The Kobold dropped its weapon in pain. And when it looked up... -Chrrck? Raye was already in front of it. Phuck¡ª Raye stabbed the Kobold in the heart. And to ensure its death... "[Lit up]" Raye muttered, igniting his dagger with fire. Shhh¡ª Backing away, he pulled his blade out. Thud¡ª Then the Kobold fell on the ground, lifeless. "Ugh..." Raye wiped the blood off of his face. Then he turned toward the last two Kobolds... Raye saw them staring at him like he was the monster. ''Weirdos.'' He thought. "You two are the last ones." Raye said coldly. He just killed three Kobolds in about fifteen seconds. And this fact made the remaining Kobolds fear him! "Let''s get this over with already." ***** (Raye''s POV) With the remaining Kobolds'' minds clouded by fear... Their attacks became predictable. Now that only two were left, they couldn''t surround me from all directions anymore. And just now... Thud¡ª I killed another Kobold. It rushed at me blindly in desperation. I dodged its attack and stabbed it in the stomach, setting its insides on fire too using my skill. Then... Looking at the last Kobold... "Come." I provoked it. It looked around, trying to find a way to kill me, or at least escape. But when it found nothing... It accepted its fate and let itself be consumed by anger... -EEEEEEKKKK!!! And then it charged at me. "..." It looked pathetic. ''Though, earlier, it was so arrogant.'' I thought, remembering its smirking face when the Kobolds realized that I was physically weaker than them. Anyway, when the Kobold got close... Swoosh¡ª It swung its weapon vertically down. I raised my dagger in response... Clang¡ª! And blocked its attack. Though... Crack¡ª "?!" My dagger cracked! So immediately... Bam! I performed a taekwondo back kick, sending the Kobold to the ground! It landed butt-first, and while it was in that vulnerable position... Phuck¡ª I stabbed it in the face. -EEEEIIIIKKK!!! It let out an ear-deafening cry. It was annoying. "[Lit up]" I said, engulfing the dagger in flames while it remained lodged in its skull. And after that... Thud- The Kobold fell on its back. It was dead. "..." I didn''t pull the dagger back out, I just left it there¡ªit was broken anyway. And with that... "Haaaa..." I cleared the middle room where the Kobolds reside. ***** Tap- tap- tap¡ª I walked back to the door. "Hup." And then I picked up the spatial bag from the ground. Looking inside... -Meeeeeeep... meeeep... meeep... I saw Pyro, still sleeping peacefully. "Phew..." A relieved smile spread across my face as I sat on the ground. Then... I rested for a bit. I might''ve looked fine outwardly, with just minor bruises and scratches... But I was exhausted as fuck. My mana isn''t really empty, but I still used quite a lot of them... And Physically, well, I''m tired and my body still aches. My injuries from when I fell into this hole hadn''t healed yet, and new ones were just added during my fight with the Kobolds earlier. With my condition, I wouldn''t be surprised if my body gives up any second now. ''I need to recover before I face that giant boar.'' I thought as I rested my back on the door. And with that... "..." I closed my eyes and started meditating. ***** After a couple of hours... -Meep! Pyro woke up and came out of the spatial bag by himself. Immediately opening my eyes... "Good morning." I greeted him. I have no idea what time is it right now. -Meep! Pyro greeted back, he''s really energetic now. He probably recovered most of his strength. I''ve also recovered some of my strength after meditating. It''s not as effective as sleeping, but it still counts as resting, after all. What''s more, it improved my mana sensitivity a little. Moving on... "Hup." I stood up. -Meep! And Pyro hopped on my right shoulder. I then walked toward one of the Kobold''s corpses... "I''ll take this." And took its short-sword. "Hmm..." I hummed, looking at the short-sword''s condition. Then, looking around... "I should suit up." I mumbled that, seeing the leather armors worn by the dead Kobolds. -Meep...? On the other hand, Pyro was confused. He was asking me what happened while he was asleep. Pyro was eyeing the dead Kobolds on the ground. Then, looking at him... "Nothing much." I answered casually. Chapter 51 - 51: 51 - Failed Surprise After taking all the weapons and armors from the dead Kobolds¡­ Raye stored them outside the middle room. And there, he took his time selecting armors that fit him and were still in good condition to use... "Hup." Raye wore a leather breastplate, followed by leather vambraces on each of his forearms. Then, after covering them with his cape¡­ "There." He put leather pauldrons on top, protecting his shoulders. "Hmm, this is good." Raye mumbled to himself. -Meep! And Pyro agreed with his words. -Meep! Meep! He was saying that Raye looked cool. "Haha, thanks." Raye replied with a smile, patting Pyro''s head gently. And then, out of curiosity¡­ ''Status.'' He opened his status window. Swoosh¡ª ===== Name: Raye Alvah Age: 18 Year Level: 1 Race: Human ----- Stamina: 28 Intellect: 31 Mana: 21 Strength: 25 Speed: 27 Talent: 28 Luck: 27 ----- Wind Element: Level 12 (67%) Fire Element: Level 12 (9%) Spirit Magic: Level 9 (99%) Bow: Level 11 (19%) Dagger: Level 11 (18%) Cooking: Level 9 (86%) ... ... ----- Overall Grade: F+ Growth Rate: S- ===== "I knew it, I ranked up." Raye mumbled to himself, seeing his overall grade increase by one rank. He already had a hunch while fighting the Kobolds, but he was only able to confirm it now. Raye had been wondering why his attacks were effective against monsters two ranks higher than him. But now he could see why¡­ ''I''m just a bit below them, huh.'' Turns out the gap between him and the monster became small. It happened when Raye discovered this mansion was a dungeon and received +5 points to all his stats! But still, even with all of this¡­ ''I still don''t think I can defeat the giant boar in the last room.'' Raye thought to himself. And so, he decided¡­ "I''ll farm these two rooms for a while first to get stronger." -Meep! Pyro wholeheartedly agreed with his decision. ***** Bank in the academy... Six days had passed since Raye left. "Huff..." Old Man Rey was chopping logs to be used as firewood for the cabin. He had just returned from hunting in the forest, bringing back a deer and three rabbits. He was storing them, planning to cook them all for Raye when he came back. "Hi, mister!" Just then, Jerusha arrived. "Oh, hello." Old Man Rey greeted her with a smile. Jerusha visited daily to check on the old man while Raye was away, figuring he might be lonely. And since her training place was nearby anyway, it was convenient. "Raye''s coming back tomorrow, right?" Jerusha asked excitedly. And with a slight smile on his face... "Yeah." Old Man Rey responded. "I''ll finally have someone to do the chores, ha!" Then he added with a laugh. Jerusha just laughed along, she knows that the old man was a tsundere and can''t be honest with his feelings. Anyway, as they were talking¡­ "Hello!" "Good afternoon." Devin and Kyle arrived, greeting them! "Oh, you two are here again today." Old Man Rey said, looking at them. "Hello!" While Jerusha greeted them back. And after that¡­ "Here''s today''s delivery." Kyle handed a container to the old man. Old Man Rey took it casually, smiling at Kyle as if this were normal. Then, looking at inside the container... The old man saw a few roasted beef skewers! Kyle and Devin came by daily to deliver food and help with chores, following Raye''s instructions before he left. They''re using their free time here, that''s why they got close with Jerusha and the old man. "Let me help you, old man!" Devin exclaimed, taking the axe from Old Man Rey. "Oh, thanks." Watching Devin excitedly chop logs... ''Hmm, I can''t imagine that brat being friends with someone this energetic.'' The old man unconsciously thought of that. ''Anyway, that brat did something unnecessary...'' Then he glanced at the container in his hands, filled with roasted beef skewers. And although he thought that¡­ "..." There''s a slight smile resting on his face. "I''m excited to see Brother Raye again." Kyle said, smiling sweetly. And with a loud voice¡­ "Me too!" Devin added. "Haha, let''s all wait for him tomorrow, then." Jerusha suggested. "Okay!" "I''m in." And the two of them responded immediately. They quickly decided to welcome Raye back to the cabin. "..." The old man didn''t say anything, but he thought it was a good idea. Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. So with that... "I''ll handle the food!" The old man declared that. ""YEAAAAHHH!!!"" Then Jerusha, Kyle, and Devin responded in unison, excited to throw a small party for Raye! ... ... ... Sunday then arrived¡ªthe day Raye was supposed to return! Inside the cabin were five people. Old Man Rey, Jerusha, Devin, Kyle, and Lena. Jerusha invited Lena, thinking she was friends with Raye. Lena couldn''t decline, as her senior practically dragged her here. And so, here she was¡­ ''Hmm, let''s just see what he achieved outside the academy.'' Lena thought, figuring it wouldn''t hurt to stay. And so, the five waited excitedly for Raye. They waited and waited¡­ Until the sun set. Though... Raye didn''t return. ***** (Raye''s POV) "Ugh, so tired." I mumbled, having just killed three Kobolds in less than a minute. I had been in the dungeon for about eight days now. The academy staff was probably searching for me. ''But I shouldn''t rely on them.'' After all, Act II should be starting right now¡­ The C-Class and D-Class students would be rebelling, trying to overthrow the A-Class nobles. They would expose the nobles'' unjust methods and demand a re-assignment of classes. The academy wouldn''t comply at first, leading the students to destroy academy property as an act of rebellion. Though, later on¡­ "The academy would eventually comply and do a proper re-assignment of classes." This is the part where the other main characters will appear and shine. I was sure that everything would go well this time, especially since I wasn''t there to cause a butterfly effect. So, I have nothing to worry about. Then, remember about the academy... "I wonder how the old man and the others are doing back there." I mumbled that under my breath. -Meep... Pyro chimed in, saying he missed them. "I feel the same way." I said to him. "Let''s get out of here as quickly as possible." I added, smiling at Pyro. -Meep! And Pyro replied enthusiastically, saying we could do it. "..." I patted his head with a smile as I sat on the ground to rest. "I need to get stronger fast." I said. I''m really starting to miss my life in the academy. Chapter 52 - 52: 52 - The Right Room Just like Raye had thought... The academy couldn''t afford to send a team to search for him. After all, chaos was currently unfolding in Zion Academy! And it all started just a few days ago! Students from the lower classes started destroying school property and ambushing students from A-Class! And it wasn''t just the freshmen... The chaos extended to the sophomores and tertiary levels as well! Furniture was smashed, walls were defaced, and classrooms were left in ruins. Luckily for Raye, he wasn''t missing any classes since they were all canceled due to the rooms being unfit for use. The vandals had left the classrooms in complete disarray. Also, amid this mess... "This needs to stop." Leon decided to step up and get involved. His story was beginning to move toward the next act. ***** On the other hand... "Phaaa..." Raye was enjoying a cup of warm spring water outside the dungeon mansion. It had been ten days since he fell into that hole from the Misty Forest and stumbled upon this place. He had survived so far by eating only monster wolves'' meat and drinking water from the spring nearby. Raye also ensured that the monsters in the left and middle rooms didn''t grow in number. Whenever their count reached three, he would kill them immediately. By doing this, he managed to sustain fewer and fewer injuries with each fight. And slowly but surely, his major wounds began to heal. And today... "I''m in tip-top shape." Raye felt better than he had since arriving in this dungeon. -Meep meep! Pyro, seemed to share the same feeling. So, to test their condition... Creak¡ª The two of them ventured back into the mansion and entered the middle room again. ... ... Entering the middle room... Tap¡ª Raye wielded a sword in his right hand and a short sword in his left. He has several throwing daggers hung securely from his belt too. All these weapons were from killing Kobolds again and again! Anyway... -Chuurck...? -Eeeek? There are two Kobolds in the room. And upon spotting Raye... -Eeeeeek! -Hissss! They immediately took fighting stances, raising their weapons. "..." Raye paused for a moment, observing the two creatures from a distance. "I really feared these guys before, huh." And then he muttered in disbelief, shaking his head slightly. Raye raised his left hand, pointing directly at the Kobolds. And without any hesitation... "[Bang] [Bang] [Bang]¡ª!" He started shooting at them! -SHIEEEEKK?!! -EEEEEEEKKK!!! The Kobolds panicked, caught off guard by the sudden ranged assault! And as they scrambled for a response... -CHRRCK!!! -HISSSS!!! ...their instinct drove them to rush at Raye, attempting to close the distance! ''And they say Kobolds are smart.'' Raye thought with a smirk on his face. And when the first Kobold got within reach... Fwish¡ª Raye thrust his sword forward with precision! -Eeeiik?! The Kobold dodged to its left, narrowly avoiding the blade. But as its focus was on Raye''s weapon... "[Wind Blast]!" FWOOSH¡ª Raye cast a magic and sent the Kobold flying backward! -SHIIIEK?! Bam! The creature slammed into the wall with a sickening thud. Ignoring it for now... "..." Raye turned his attention to the other Kobold. And with all of his might... SWISH¡ª He unleashed a swift, powerful horizontal slash with his sword! -Eeeekk! CLANG!!! The Kobold managed to block the attack, raising its weapon in time. -Chrrck...? But the sheer force of the strike sent its weapon¡ªand its arms¡ªflying backward! Leaving its chest wide open! Not wasting that opportunity... Phuck¡ª! Raye thrust the short sword in his left hand directly into the Kobold''s heart! And without missing a beat... Fwip¡ª He pulled a throwing dagger from his belt. Fwish¡ª And threw it at the Kobold earlier! -Hisssss? Phuck¡ª The dagger struck the Kobold''s head, piercing between its eyes and puncturing its brain! The Kobold didn''t even notice the dagger flying toward it because it was still recovering from being slammed on the wall! Anyway, just like that... Thud¡ª Raye had defeated two E- rank monsters in a matter of moments! "Oh, that was easy." Raye mumbled, genuinely surprised by how effortless it felt. -Meep meep... Even Pyro seemed taken aback. Not long ago, Raye had struggled to deal with these monsters. But after days of hard-fought battles, he had adapted. And with every encounter, it became easier. ''Then, this just means one thing.'' Raye thought, a small, satisfied grin tugging at his lips. "I got stronger, huh." He murmured, unable to hide his pride. ***** (Raye''s POV) After confirming my growth by eliminating ten more monster wolves in less than a minute, I felt a surge of confidence. And with that... "Time to change." I swapped out my old armor and weapons for newer, sturdier ones. I had plenty of spares, after all. After gearing up, I ate some monster wolves'' meat and drank spring water outside the mansion. Then, I rested. Pyro and I took turns keeping watch, alternating between meditation and light sleep. ... And after a few hours later... "It''s time." I said that aloud, my voice steady with determination. -Meep... Pyro replied nervously, hopping onto my shoulder for comfort. "Hmm hmm..." I stretched lightly, loosening up my body. And after a final check of my equipment, I ensured everything was in order. I wasn''t hungry, thirsty, or tired. And with nothing holding me back... "..." I turned my gaze toward the door leading to the right room. The door to the mini-boss... That''s right. ''It''s time to face the Giant Boar.'' After days of relentless training and preparation, I felt ready. "..." Standing before the door, I took a deep breath to steady my nerves. "Haaaa..." Creak¡ª S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. I opened the door. And inside... "..." I saw the Giant Boar peacefully sleeping. Its sheer size was enough to make me feel fear. But after calming my racing heart... "Let''s go." I declared firmly. -Meep. Pyro responded, his resolve matching mine. Tap¡ª And with that, we stepped into the room. Though, as soon as we entered... Thud! The door behind us, the entrance and our only escape... "..." Immediately closed itself, locking me and Pyro inside the room! Chapter 53 - 53: 53 - Raging Fire "Bruh, I would''ve prepared more if only I knew there was no escaping." I jokingly said after trying to open the door and it didn''t budge a bit. -Meep... Pyro agreed with my words, nodding his head. Then, as is being trapped in here wasn''t enough... -Grrrrrr... I heard a silent growl behind me! "..." I fell silent. -... And so did Pyro. We slowly looking behind us... "Shit." And then, I cursed as I saw the 5-meter-tall Giant Boar awake and glaring at me! -GRAAAHHWW!!! "Ugh?!" It shrieked so loudly that it felt like my eardrums would burst! -Meep?! Even Pyro was in pain! And then... Bam! The Giant Boar hopped toward me! ''That fucker can jump?!'' I thought in surprise. "Urghh..." Swish¡ª And then I rolled to my left to avoid being squashed by the gigantic pig! BOOM!!! "Wha...?!" A loud sound echoed when the Giant Boar landed, and the whole room shook! SWOOSH¡ª A strong gust of wind followed due to the impact! "Fucking hell!" I cursed, raising my right arm to shield my eyes from the debris while keeping my gaze fixed on the Giant Boar. I was also trying my best not to be swept away by the wind! And when things calmed down... "Hup!" Bam! I didn''t waste time and immediately rushed toward the Giant Boar, trying to counterattack! And when I got near it... "HAAAAH!!!" PHUCK¡ª I thrust the sword in my right hand with all my might and stabbed its right leg! Though... "?!" The blade didn''t go deep. I looked up to check on the Giant Boar. And there... -... I saw it casually looking down at me! It wasn''t even hurt! "Shit." I mumbled. -GRAAAW!!! Then the Giant Boar tried to crush me with its left hoof! BAM¡ª! I narrowly avoided it by dashing backward. "Huff... haaa..." I thought I was going to die. But there was no time to dwell on it, because... -GRAAAAH!!! The Giant Boar started rushing at me again! ''Fuck!'' I grumbled in my head. Bam! And avoided its rush again by rolling to the right! Luckily, the room was big enough to give me space to maneuver. And so... "Huff... huff... haaaa..." I started running away from the Giant Boar while avoiding its attacks! ''I need to find a way to kill that bastard!'' I thought while running. ***** After a while... "It''s no use..." Raye mumbled, a bit tired. He had been running away from the Giant Boar for about two minutes now... -Meep... Pyro was starting to get worried too. Raye had tried all his spells, but none of them worked on the Giant Boar! The blades of his weapons were also too weak to pierce or slash through the monster''s hide properly! He could target its weak spots, like the eyes or mouth, but with their difference in strength... Raye couldn''t even get near the Giant Boar properly! ''Is there really no way for me to win this?'' His mind was now in shambles. Raye racked his brain, watching the Giant Boar and waiting for its next move. ''Am I still not strong enough?'' He started to doubt if he was really ready to face the mini-boss. But then... "No." He shook his head. Clap¡ª! And slapped himself with both hands. -Meep?! Pyro was startled. -Grrr...? Even the Giant Boar was slightly taken aback! Raye ignored them, and with a newfound resolve... ''If I don''t have an attack that works on it, then I''ll just create one.'' He thought of that! Though, it''s easier said than done... And Raye was aware of that. So, instead of actually creating a skill from scratch... ''Quick, think of something!'' Raye decided to draw inspiration from his previous world! Like when he used the gun to create one of his special skills! ''Something that''ll pierce through that monster''s thick hide...'' ''Something strong!'' Raye''s thoughts rushed in like a flood in his head, there was no stopping it! He thought of modern weapons, game strategies, and many more! And then, just a moment later... "Ah!" He finally found something! It didn''t exist in his previous world, nor was it even a weapon. ''But I''m sure it''s possible...'' Raye confidently declared in his head. But then, before he could even try this idea of his... -GRAAAW!!! The Giant Boar attacked again! "Fuck!?" Fwish¡ª Raye narrowly dodged by jumping to his side and rolling on the ground! And when he stood up and looked at the monster... He saw it smirking at him! ''This bitch thinks I''m its toy...'' Raye grumbled in his head, pissed off. "I''ll tear that fucking smile off your face" He declared that with a frown. Then, following that... "Fuuu..." Raye decided to try the idea he had earlier. "Pyro, help me with this one." He said. Though surprised to be suddenly called upon... -Meep! Pyro responded without hesitation! Hearing Pyro''s response... Fwish¡ª Raye took a fighting stance and raised his sword and short sword in front of him. And with such deep concentration... "[Lit on]" Raye muttered. Fwwwp¡ª Fwwp¡ª Sparks began to appear around his swords. "Urgh..." Then soon, when Raye poured a lot of mana in them... FWIISH¡ª The blades lit up and were engulfed in raging fire! They look like those magic swords from fantasy novels and games! "Haha..." Raye laughed at the sight of it. -?! And the Giant Boar''s eyes widened in surprise! But because the technique was new, Raye couldn''t control it properly... The output was either 100% or 0%. So Raye''s mana was being depleted at an alarming rate just by maintaining it! -... Pyro couldn''t even speak, it needed all his concentration to keep the fire ablaze! And seeing this... "Hide yourself in a safe corner." Raye said that to Pyro. Silently... Fwish¡ª Pyro jumped off Raye''s shoulder, found a safe spot, and disappeared from sight! He hid his presence too! And after making sure Pyro was safe... "Time to counterattack." Raye muttered. Bam! And then he charged at the Giant Boar! ***** (Raye''s POV) With my mana draining fast after using an entirely new skill, I knew there was no time to hesitate. Bam! I rushed toward the miniboss, my fiery swords blazing with an intensity that matched my resolve. And when the Giant Boar was within my reach... Swoosh¡ª I swung my sword horizontally from left to right with all the strength I could muster! S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. And for the first time... Slash¡ª -GRAAAA?!! I managed to wound the monster properly! The cut wasn''t deep, but it was a start. And I wasn''t done yet! Leaning my body forward as far as I could, I shifted my weight to follow up my attack! Fwish¡ª With a decisive thrust, I drove the short sword in my left hand straight into the Giant Boar''s chest! Phuck¡ª! And the blade stabbed pretty deep, burning the monster''s hide and flesh! Finally, my attacks were working! The Giant Boar staggered for a brief moment, letting out a guttural growl of pain and fury. Seeing the opening, I prepared to strike again. "HAAAAH¡ª!" But before I could finish my follow-up... BAM! "KEUK?!" The miniboss retaliated, kicking me with its massive front leg before I could react! Fwoosh¡ª My body was flung across the room, slamming into the stone wall like a ragdoll. BOOM¡ª! "URRGHHH!!!" The impact knocked the wind out of me, and I felt something crack¡ªribs, maybe? The pain was blinding, but I clenched my teeth and refused to let go of my weapons. ''If I drop these, the fire will die out, and I won''t be able to reignite them!'' I bit my lip hard enough to draw blood, trying to stay conscious through the agony. And when I looked back up... "?!" I saw the Giant Boar already charging at me again, its massive frame barreling forward like a train! Bam¡ª I ducked just in time, rolling to the right as the monster crashed into the spot I had been moments before! BOOM! The sound of its collision with the wall was deafening, and the ground shook violently! Dust and debris filled the air, making it hard to see, but I forced myself to get back on my feet. "Huff... haaa..." I gripped my swords tightly. And when the dust finally settled... I could see the Giant Boar shaking its head, disoriented from the impact! I didn''t miss that opportunity. Phuck¡ª I immediately went and stabbed the left side torso of the Giant Boar! And following that... SLASH¡ª! I twisted my body to the right and swung my sword along while it was still lunged in! -GRAAAAAAAAAWWWL!!! The Giant Boar cried. There was a huge wound on its side, and a lot of blood was flowing out of it! But instead of taking it slow... -GRRRRAAAH!!! The monster went and headbutted me! Tang-! "Urgh...!" I was able to raise both of my weapons in front of me and block its head. But the force behind the attack was too strong! So, to lessen it... Bam¡ª I jumped back! Swoosh¡ª I was sent up in the air! And when I looked down... -Grrrr! The Giant Boar was waiting for me! My heart was racing, and my head was clear for some reason... "..." I was scarily calm. It feels like I can do anything... ''I''ve won this.'' I confidently thought. Swish¡ª I twisted and rotated my body to the right. And using the force of my spin... SWOOSH¡ª! I slashed my sword horizontally when I was near the Giant Boar! CLANG! My blade met its tusk... CRACK¡ª! And the Giant Boar''s tusk was crushed! -GRAAAA?! It was shocked. Tap- And I landed safely on the ground. While I was crouching from receiving my body weight upon my landing... FWISH-! I went and quickly slashed horizontally with my short-sword from right to left! -GAAH!!? Cutting the Giant Boar''s neck open! And following that... SWISH¡ª! I swung up my right hand vertically along with my sword! SLASH! -GRAAAARGH!!! Opening a big wound from the Giant Boar''s chest to its neck! There was a big cross wound now in front of its body, and it''s losing a lot of blood! It was sure to be dead soon... But to finish it off. Phuck¡ª I stabbed the middle of the cross wound with my short sword! The monster cried, but I didn''t care. PHUCK¡ª! I even went and stabbed my sword too in the same spot! -GRAAAAAAARGAAAWL!!! It shrieked so loudly that I might go deaf for a while. But then, while both my weapons are still stabbed in its body... "[Lit on]" I increased the output of the fire covering my weapons. SWAAAAA¡ª And it raged on violently inside the Giant Boar''s body! -GRAAAAWGARRRLGAAAAHHH!!! The monster screamed in pain and started moving violently. Bam! Bam! BAM-! "Urgh...!!!" It attacked me with its front legs and hooves again and again... "Grrrgh...!" But I didn''t let go of my weapons! And after a bit later... "..." Shhhh¡ª I pulled back my sword and short-sword. And then... THUD! The body of the Giant Boar fell on the floor, lifeless. "Ugh..." Thud- I fell on the ground too, exhausted. And against my will... "..." I lost consciousness. Chapter 54 - 54: 54 - Airy Unity I don''t know how long I was out... "..." But I immediately opened my eyes after regaining consciousness. And then, I saw Pyro resting on top of my chest. He was looking kind of pale... ''He''s overworked.'' I thought, a guilty expression on my face. I tried to slowly and silently get up... "Urgh...?!" But my body ached so badly that I couldn''t keep quiet. Just slightly moving was already a struggle. -Meep...? Hearing my groan, Pyro opened his eyes and looked at me. And after seeing me awake... -Meep! He excitedly jumped around. I smiled, seeing him so energetic. "Ugh..." I sat up to get comfortable... Just then, I noticed that I was still tightly holding onto my weapons. "Ah..." Their blades were broken. Small parts of them had even turned to dust... ''Is this the side effect of that skill?'' I wondered, pertaining to the skill I used to kill the Giant Boar. Anyway, moving on... Fwip¡ª I threw the weapons away. Clank¡ª And their blades split in half upon hitting the ground. I then looked at Pyro, who was eagerly watching me from my side. And with a smile on my face... "Hello there, buddy." I picked him up with my left hand. "Thanks to you, I get to live another day." I said, patting him with my right hand. And proudly... -Meep! Pyro replied. I was still feeling exhausted. And so, I decided to lean against the nearest wall and rest. Pyro did the same, curling up on my lap. And while we were like that... I also started meditating. My mana pool was completely empty, so I figured I might as well. ***** After a couple of hours... "Ugh, much better..." I stood up. I had regained some of my strength, and the aching in my body had eased a little bit. I recovered a bit of my mana as well... Swooo¡ª So I started pouring mana into Pyro. And immediately after doing so... -Meep! His complexion got a lot better. I smiled at that sight. And then, looking around, something caught my eyes... "Ah..." It was the Giant Boar''s dead body that was laying on the ground. The sight of it annoyed me... "Huh?" But the smell of it didn''t. "..." It smelled like roasted pork meat! "..." My mouth started to water. Grrrr¡ª And my stomach growled. After such a life-threatening fight, I was hungry as fuck! "I need to eat." I immediately headed toward the Giant Boar''s body. But before I could reach it... Tonk¡ª "Hm?" My foot hit a small tin jar that is tightly sealed shut. Curiously... "What''s this?" I crouched down and picked it up. And at the bottom of the jar... "?!" I saw a rune engraving! I didn''t know what it said, but I recognized it from my Rune and Ancient Symbols class! Anyway... Pop¡ª I immediately opened the jar. And inside... "...?" I saw small white crystals. I squinted and sniffed them; they smelled like nothing. I dipped my index finger into the jar and touched it. And when I tasted it... "?!" My eyes widened in surprise. It was salt! "What the hell?!" I exclaimed with a bright smile on my face. I looked around and spotted four more identical tin jars lying on the floor... "Hup!" So I immediately stood up and gathered them all! ... After collecting the jars... I immediately opened three of them. And all of them contained spices¡ªpepper, powdered chili, and soy sauce! "Finally, I can add flavor to the meat." I mumbled, a wide smile was on my face. I started salivating just by the thought of eating seasoned meat. Anyway, moving on... "..." I turned to the last tin jar beside me. I had saved it for last because it had a different rune engraved on its bottom. "I wonder what''s inside..." I muttered. -Meep. Pyro looked curious too. So without further ado... Pop¡ª I popped its lid open. And immediately after doing so... SWOOSH¡ª! A strong gust wind burst out of the jar! "Urgh...?!" I shielded my eyes with my left arm. -MEEEEEeeeep...! And Pyro was blown away! "Pyro!" I yelled. I was about to throw the jar away in panic, but out of the blue... Fwip¡ª The wind just suddenly died down. "Huh?" It was unnatural. Thud¡ª Pyro fell on the ground, shocked too. The strong wind just disappeared like it didn''t happen in the first place! "..." I looked at the jar in my hand. And when I peeked inside... "..." There was nothing, it was empty. "What the fuck?" I cursed in confusion. -Meep...? Pyro jumped back beside me, equally puzzled. And then, as we were like that... -I''m finally free! We heard a loud but small voice above us. My head immediately snapped toward the source of the sound, and Pyro followed suit. And there... -FREEDOM! We saw a small white chick flying and chirping happily. "..." -... Pyro and I fell silent. Then... -Oh? The chick''s eyes landed on us. S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. -Are you the one who freed me? It asked, flying toward me. ''How can it even fly with those tiny wings? Look at them flapping rapidly.'' I thought. And when it landed in front of me... "Yes, I was." I answered its question. -Tell me your name. It demanded. "Why not tell me yours first?" And I retorted. Hearing my words... -Hmm... The chick thought for a second, looking at me. But after a while, with a smug smile on its face... -Fine. It answered. Then, almost immediately... -My name is Zephyrus! The chick declared that loudly. And then... -I am a Great Wind Spirit! It added that proudly. ***** -You are lucky to have met me! Zephyrus boastfully said. "Yeah, I''m grateful." And I replied sarcastically while eating roasted Giant Boar meat. ''This is heaven.'' I thought, savoring the taste. The meat was so much better with salt and pepper. Meanwhile... -Meep! Pyro was happily jumping around Zephyrus. He was excited to meet someone who wasn''t an enemy¡ªand a spirit at that. -This little one sure is energetic, huh. Zephyrus remarked. He''s a few centimeters smaller than Pyro. I just couldn''t take his words seriously with his cute appearance. Anyway... "You say you''re a great spirit, but your mana barely surpasses Pyro''s." I said that to Zephyrus. And hearing my words... -Ha?! Zephyrus glared at me, clearly offended. -I''m like this because I was sealed off in a place with no mana for so long! He explained. -I had to use my origin mana just to keep myself from disappearing! And then he added. ''He was really offended, huh.'' I thought. "So, you''ll regain your strength and form after some time?" I asked. And while nodding his head... -That''s right. Zephyrus replied. "Hmm..." I pretty much got the gist of his situation now. "By the way, your feet are looking kinda transparent." I said, pointing at Zephyrus'' legs. And when he looked down and saw it... -AHHHHH! Zephyrus started screaming in panic. -I''m gonna die! He shouted. "..." I had no idea what to do, so I just watched him silently while eating. -Meep meep... Pyro did the same, taking small bites of the roasted meat in my hand. -AHHHHHHH!!! And then, as if Zephyrus thought of something... -Ah! He stopped running and screaming. -... He then turned to me and stared intently. "..." A slight frown appeared on my face, sensing what was coming. And then it happened... -Make a contract with me! Zephyrus suggested that. ***** Zephyrus was clearly an old spirit, as his high intelligence and fluency in human language showed. And if what he said about being a great spirit was true... Then he belonged to the highest rank of spirits. There was no reason for me to reject a contract with him. The only problem was... ''I''m not sure if I can handle it.'' My mana pool was too small. Even so... -Let''s start! "Ugh, don''t rush me." I decided to give it a try. I had nothing to lose, anyway. And if the contract succeeded... ''It''ll help me achieve my goal of getting out of this place.'' I thought as I sat in a lotus position. -Haha, you won''t regret this! Zephyrus flew and landed on top of my head. -Meep! Pyro kept watch. I felt bad since he''d been doing this a lot lately. "Alright, I''ll start." I said, closing my eyes. And after that... Swaaaaaa~ I started pouring mana into Zephyrus, who was perched on my head. But unlike with Pyro before... "...?!" I felt a slight resistance. ''So this is what Jerusha was talking about.'' I thought. The resistance isn''t that strong, so I continued what was I doing. -That''s good! Keep going! Zephyrus encouraged me. "..." I ignored him, focusing on the task. Sweat formed on my forehead as my frown deepened. This was far harder than contracting with Pyro. My mana was being drained quickly. If I lost focus for even a second, the mana would disperse, and the contract would fail. Wrinkles creased my forehead as I fought to stay in control. -Meep! Pyro cheered me on. -Keep going! Zephyrus did too. "Gurgh..." I groaned. ''I can do this!'' And then I encouraged myself, keeping my mana steady. ... ... ... And after about half an hour... -Meep! -It''s a success! The contract was complete. "Haha..." A tired laugh escaped my mouth. And then... Thud¡ª I collapsed on the ground. ''Again...? I just woke up.'' I thought. And once again... "..." I lost consciousness. Chapter 55 - 55: 55 - Enhanced Immediately after regaining my consciousness... "Ugh...?" I groaned and slowly opened my eyes. And upon doing so... -Meep! -Hello, young human! I found myself staring at Pyro and Zephyrus, their faces absurdly close to mine. Super close, in fact... "Hello, guys." I greeted them as I pushed myself upright, rubbing the back of my neck. We were still inside the right room. The mini boss wouldn''t respawn for a long while, and since no other monsters spawned in this area... It was basically a safe zone. Anyway, as I was enjoying the peace... -You''re too weak! Zephyrus blurted that out suddenly, his voice cutting through the quiet. "...?" I just looked at him, dumbfounded. -Your mana pool is too low! What a disaster! He continued, his complaints relentless. And hearing his words, a faint frown appeared on my face. "My bad." I muttered. But ignoring my response entirely... -Forget it, come and follow me! Zephyrus declared that and promptly flew off without waiting. "..." I watched him for a moment. But after a while, with a short sigh... "Haaa..." I stood up and went after him. -Meep! Pyro perched himself comfortably on my shoulder... And it wasn''t long before we came to a stop. "Hm?" We had reached a wall, and in front of me hung a slightly tilted painting of a woman. "Nice painting." I said absentmindedly, observing it. And then... -Destroy it. Zephyrus''s voice broke the moment. "Huh? Why?" I asked, blinking at him. -Just do it. But he gave me no explanation. Just an order. "Fuuuuck..." I sighed but decided to comply. Walking up to the painting, I placed my hands on its frame and gave it a firm pull. "Huh?" But it didn''t budge. I tried again, harder this time. "Gurgh...!" But still... "..." Nothing happened! "What the fuck?" I muttered under my breath, glaring at the stubborn thing. ''Now I see why it didn''t fall off earlier when the room shook like crazy during my fight with the Giant Boar.'' I thought grimly. Then, annoyed, I opened my mouth... "[Wind Blade]" And cast that magic! FWISH¡ª! A sharp gust of wind erupted from my right hand, slicing through the painting cleanly! And maybe because I''m contracted with a wind spirit now... ''Whoa...'' The output of my spell got stronger! Moving on... I returned my focus to the now-exposed wall. And there... "Is that a vault?" I saw a tightly shut safe, it was hidden behind the painting. "..." I glanced at Zephyrus, who hovered beside me. -... And he just gestured at the vault wordlessly, urging me to open it. Curious, I placed my hands on the safe and began fiddling with it. I tried various methods to opening it. But even after a few minutes of trying... "...?" I wasn''t able to open it! It just made me curse in frustration! And just then... -Just destroy it. Zephyrus''s voice came from behind me, unbothered. -Meep! Pyro agreed to his words, nodding enthusiastically. And hearing their words... "Meh." I just shrugged and gave up on finesse and prepared to brute force it. Just in time, there is something I want to try, after all... ''I want to try that skill I used on the Giant Boar again.'' The skill I used in my swords to kill the mini boss! Though... ''I don''t have a sword right now.'' I could go and retrieve one from the spoils I got fighting the Kobolds... I had left them just outside the hallway. ''Nah.'' But that''s too much effort. So instead... Fwip- I pulled out one of my throwing daggers. "This might work." I muttered, gripping the small weapon. -Ugh, hurry up... Zephyrus groaned impatiently. "Just wait." I retorted. "Fuuuuu..." Then I took a deep breath. And with such high concentration... "[Lit On]" I muttered those words! Fwwp¡ª Fwwwwp¡ª Sparks started appearing from my dagger. And after just a few seconds... SWAAAA¡ª Its blade was engulfed in raging fire! The fire surged violently, licking at the air with a hunger that made it seem alive. "Heh." A small chuckle escaped me as I admired my handiwork. The technique was something I had cobbled together, inspired by the fantasy manhwa and manga I used to read back in my old world. In those stories, they called it weapon aura¡ªan enhancement by channeling mana into a weapon. In my case, I added a little twist, infusing the mana with fire to amplify its cutting power. It was the exact boost I had desperately needed during my earlier battle with the Giant Boar. Anyway, now it just looks like I''m using an elemental sword... But who cares? -That''s a decent skill you have there. Zephyrus complimented, looking at the flaming dagger in my hand Hearing his words... -Meep! Pyro chirped in proudly. "..." I ignored the two of them. I took a simple stance instead. And with quickness... Fwish¡ª I slashed the dagger in my hand horizontally! And with that... Thud- The small vault was opened! I cut the top part of it. "Done." I said, looking at Zephyrus. Then, with a smug smile on his face... -Quickly, collect everything from the inside! Zephyrus exclaimed that. "Just give me a sec." I said, placing my left hand inside the vault. And after a few moments... "Hmm?" I got my hands on three yellow pearl looking things. "What are these?" I asked Zephyrus. And excitedly... -Those are enhancement pills, it''ll help you increase your mana pool and overall stats! Zephyrus shouted that! ***** ''I can''t believe I get to use these on myself.'' I thought, looking at the enhancement pills in my hand. ''Though, Zephyrus said that I could only use one of them at the moment.'' He said that using all of them immediately would be a waste because it wouldn''t be effective. Anyway, moving on... -Sit now and meditate! Zephyrus is now giving me instructions. "..." I silently complied with his words. After all, he''s telling me the proper method to consume these enhancement pills... I sat down in a lotus position and closed my eyes. And after that... "..." I started meditating. My breathing became rhythmic and my mind became clear. Then, after a few minutes of being like that... -Now! Eat it! -Meep! I heard Pyro''s and Zephyrus'' voice. And immediately... Gulp¡ª I swallowed one of the enhancement pills! It was hard, the pill was as big as a pingpong ball! Anyway, after consuming it... "Urgh...?!" SWAAAAA¡ª! My mana started to run wild! And my body started absorbing a huge amount of mana in the surroundings! It was painful! -Concentrate, don''t lose your control! Zephyrus exclaimed, his words was easily said that done... This was much harder than when I was making a contract with him! "URRGHHH!!!" My face cringed in pain. I want to stop meditating and start rolling on the ground! It feels like my whole body is on fire! Which was a lot for me to say because I have fire resistance from contracting with Pyro! "ARRRRRGH!!! FUCK!!!" My whole body was covered in sweat, and my throat is dry. I was dehydratedas fuck. -Meep... I heard Pyro''s worried voice, but I can''t respond to him. I was too focused on controlling the mana entering my body! And then finally, after a few minutes of suffering... SWOOOOSH¡ª! My mana calmed down! Boom! A small explosion sound was heard after that... Swoosh- And a weak shockwave was produced after the excess mana around me dispersed in the air! And when things calmed down... "Haaa... haaaa... haa..." I immediately tried catching my breath. I was exhausted as fuck! I already passed out twice, but with my condition... I wouldn''t be surprised if there will be a third time. "Haaaa... Haaa.... Urgh...!" "Fucking hell..." My body aches a lot more now than before. And also, I''m hungry as fuck again! ''I need to eat.'' I''m starting to feel dizzy now. And just then... -You did it! -Meep! Pyro and Zephyrus approached me, they were happy for my success. I couldn''t really answer them right now verbally... "..." So I just weakly smiled at them. "Ugh..." I then dragged my body that feels heavy as fuck to the nearest wall, and there... "Fuuuuuu..." I leaned against it and rested, looking above the ceiling of the room. And after that... "..." I closed my eyes. Though, I opened them up immediately because I was feeling sleepy. ''I need to eat first.'' I thought, but to be able to do that, I need to recover my strength first to move. So while I was resting and doing nothing... ''I might as well check my stats.'' I decided to check my stats. And with high curiosity... "Status." I opened my status window. Swoosh¡ª ===== Name: Raye Alvah Age: 18 Year Level: 1 Race: Human ----- Stamina: 33 Intellect: 35 Mana: 27 Strength: 31 Speed: 31 Talent: 30 Luck: 31 ----- Wind Element: Level 12 (80%) Fire Element: Level 12 (69%) Spirit Magic: Level 10 (8%) Bow: Level 11 (59%) Dagger: Level 11 (41%) Cooking: Level 10 (1%) S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ... ... ----- Overall Grade: E- Growth Rate: S- ===== And what I saw immediately made me feel a lot better! I ranked up, and all my stats are now within the 30s! Well... except the mana stat. Though, its gap with the other stats are slowly closing in! "Haha..." I was so happy about my improvement that I became relaxed. And because of that short moment of relaxation... "..." I fell asleep! And you could say... It''s my third time passing out now. Chapter 56 - 56: 56 - Onto the Second Floor "Ugh, fuck..." Raye cursed as soon as he woke up. -Meep! -What''s with you passing out again and again? Are you sick? And just like before, he was greeted by Pyro and Zephyrus. "I''m not sick. I just need a proper break." Raye answered as he slowly stood up. And what he was saying was true! The reason Raye passed out so often was because he couldn''t get proper rest¡ªever since he fell in the hole! I mean, how could he? There were monsters everywhere, and there was no safe place to rest! Even when he was sleeping, he couldn''t get comfortable because he needed to watch out for unexpected situations! Raye actually just needed to rest! Anyway, moving on... "Ugh, food..." Raye was really hungry when he woke up. He immediately headed toward the Giant Boar''s body. And upon reaching it... Swish¡ª He cut off a chunk of its meat and immediately roasted it with Pyro''s power. Fwip¡ª Raye didn''t forget to season it, of course. And after cooking it... Nom¡ª He immediately started eating. Gulp¡ª -Meep! -I want some too. Pyro and Zephyrus joined him. ***** After eating his fill... Raye left the mansion and headed to the spring to drink water. Outside the mansion... -Ahhh, it''s been so long since I''ve been out of the mansion! Zephyrus exclaimed, flying around excitedly. He didn''t care that they were buried underground. -Meep! Pyro jumped on the ground, doing his best to follow Zephyrus. And noticing that... -Have a lift, little one. Swoosh¡ª Zephyrus summoned a gust of wind and carried Pyro with it! And with that, they were now both flying in the air! -Meeeeep! Pyro was having a blast. And seeing that... "..." Raye couldn''t help but smile. ''Now, he won''t be alone even when I''m resting.'' He thought. Then, looking at Zephyrus... "Are you a resident of the mansion or something?" Raye asked that. He was curious about this for a while now. Hearing his question... -Hmm? Zephyrus stopped flying around and looked back at Raye. -You could say that. He said. -To be precise, I was the guardian of this mansion. And he casually added that! Curious and having nothing better to do... "What happened?" Raye followed up with a question. And with a casual smile on his face... -It happened maybe about a hundred years ago... Zephyrus began telling his story. -The residents of this mansion were nobles, and I was like a deity for them. -I protected them from harm and helped them grow. That''s why I was given the title of guardian. He said with a bragging tone. -I was the symbol of this land. Zephyrus added, smiling sweetly. But then suddenly, his face turned grim! -Until that demon bastard showed up. Zephyrus mumbled. "..." Raye was surprised. He could feel an unexplainable shift in Zephyrus'' presence. Then after a small pause, the story continued... -A fucking demon calling himself a noble invaded our lands. Zephyrus muttered, anger evident in his voice. -He massacred the people and cursed the land in a day. And after that, he attacked the mansion! He exclaimed. "..." Raye could only stay silent and listen to him. -I was about to confront him. -But to protect me from the demon... Zephyrus paused briefly... -The family I was protecting sealed me up in a tin jar so the demon couldn''t sense me and I could survive. And then he continued, a frown on his face. -They were apologetic the whole time. After all, they were just leaving it to fate for someone to free me. Zephyrus looked at Raye... -Then you came and freed me. And then he said that. -The next thing I knew, the mansion I once loved had become a dungeon. -That''s all. "..." Raye was speechless. He didn''t expect such a story from Zephyrus. ''I wonder what would''ve happened to him if I hadn''t transmigrated into this world.'' He thought, looking at the flying white chick in the air. "I don''t know what to say." Raye said, awkwardly scratching his cheek. And with a small laugh... -Don''t worry. Just your presence and the fact that you listened to my story is enough. -Telling you my story made me feel a lot better. Zephyrus said that to Raye reassuringly. And at that very moment... "..." -... The bond between them grew stronger. ***** After their small talk... Raye drank his fill of spring water and returned to the mansion with the others. ''So Zephyrus was a resident of the mansion, huh.'' ''No wonder he knew where the enhancement pills were... He probably knows other secret stuff.'' Raye thought as he walked toward the end of the hallway. Anyway, after reaching the end... "Hup! All better." Raye suited up again. He changed out his armor since it was heavily damaged from his fight with the Giant Boar. And after that... "This should be enough." He just took a one-handed sword. ''No more dual wielding.'' He thought. And with all that done... "I should grind here on the first floor for a little longer." Raye decided to attack the left and middle rooms again. ***** sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. (Raye''s POV) I stayed on the first floor for a couple more days. I trained my skills with Pyro, raising my proficiency with them... And honing my control over my new skill. I named it [Blaze], by the way. Also, Zephyrus and I are working on a special skill. ''Flying sounds good...'' I thought, remembering the times I saw Jerusha fly away from me. But that kind of skill requires a lot of mana. And as usual... ''I don''t have enough.'' So with that, I decided to work on something else. ***** It''s been 15 days since I left the academy. I''ve been killing monster wolves and Kobolds these past few days, and now I''m sick of the sight of them. For me, dealing with them has become a chore... You could say that I''ve now mastered the first floor¡ªif this were a game. I also asked Zephyrus about the items I could acquire to get stronger... But he said there were no more on the 1st floor. After all, this is where they used to greet guests and strangers, so they wouldn''t hide things like that here. He said they hid items like that somewhere else where others couldn''t enter. And that''s understandable. So with no more hesitation... Tap¡ª "Time to go." -Meep! -Finally! I was dying of boredom here on the first floor! I climbed up to the 2nd floor of the mansion with Pyro and Zephyrus. Chapter 57 - 57: 57 - Five Rooms Coming up on the 2nd floor... I was immediately greeted by a fairly large hallway. And there... "Ugh..." There were five doors. Two on each side and one in the middle. "You''ve gotta be kidding me." I grumbled, looking at them. -Meep... Even Pyro wasn''t happy at the sight of them. On the other hand... -That''s the room dedicated to me! Zephyrus said, pointing at the middle room with his small wings. He was delighted. I looked at the happy Zephyrus with a slight frown on my face... ''It''s because you didn''t suffer with us on the first floor.'' And then I thought that to myself. -Meep... Pyro was looking at Zephyrus weirdly too. Though, we just let him be because we know the reason why he''s acting like that. So, moving on... "Let''s check the rooms." I decided to check what was inside the rooms. But before I could even leave my spot... -The first rooms on each side are safe. Zephyrus suddenly declared that. "Huh?" I looked at him with a questioning gaze. But with just a confident smirk on his face... -Go check them. Zephyrus said. "..." I stood still for a while, just looking at him. But after a few seconds... "Fuck it." Tap- tap- tap¡ª I walked toward the first room on my right. Gulp¡ª I swallowed a mouthful of saliva, nervous. -gulp... Pyro did the same. And after steeling ourselves... Creak¡ª I opened the door! And there... "..." I saw what seemed to be a library! "What the heck...?" I muttered in awe. -Meep... Even Pyro was dumbfounded. Except for the fact that the books were scattered everywhere... The room was clean! No blood, no dust, and no monsters! -There''s a protective charm made by a very famous shaman back in the day, built into the walls of this room and the other one. -Though, the charm wasn''t strong enough to ward off the vile demon... Zephyrus explained as Pyro and I stared at the room in silence. Looking beside me... "Why did they want to protect this room?" I asked Zephyrus. -This place holds the very history of the family. It''s important to them since everything is recorded here, and there are treasured books inside. And he casually answered. My ears perked up after hearing the word "treasured." ''I''m gonna go look for them later.'' I thought as I looked behind me and saw the first room on the left side of the hallway. Then, curiously... "What about this?" Tap- tap- tap¡ª I approached the opposite room. Standing in front of the door... Creak¡ª I opened it. And there... "..." I saw a fully furnished bedroom! It was clean and ready to use. There were even two big beds inside! S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Wow, what is this room?!" I asked excitedly. -It''s the room of the children. But the answer I received left me speechless. "..." I already knew the reason why this room was protected with a charm, even without Zephyrus telling me. "..." Respectfully, I bowed to the room. -Meep... Pyro copied me. And seeing us like that... -I''m starting to like you more, young human. Zephyrus muttered. I ignored him and entered the room. "I''ll be using everything here, I''m sorry." I apologized. -Don''t worry. I''m sure it''ll be fine with them. Then Zephyrus said that reassuringly. "..." I just smiled at his words. And after that... "I can get proper rest here." Poof¡ª I laid down on one of the beds. It was soft. It even smelled nice, despite more than a hundred years passing. ''I''m sure there''s self-preserving magic cast in this room.'' I thought. Anyway, with me having a comfortable bed... "Haaaaa..." I yawned, becoming sleepy. -Meeeeep... Pyro felt the same. We both knew we could rest here because of the charm. And then, to top it off... -I''ll stay on guard. You two rest. Zephyrus said that. He sounded really dependable. "Thanks, I''ll just sleep for a bit." -Meep... Pyro and I responded. And after that... "..." -... We two fell asleep. ***** After waking up... "..." I felt refreshed as fuck! -You guys slept like a log for hours. Zephyrus said, flying in front of my face. -You must''ve been really tired, huh. He added. "Yeah, really tired." And I nodded my head in response. -Meep... Pyro was still sleepy, so I just let him be for now. Instead, I looked around... And saw a huge-ass cabinet beside the bed. Creak¡ª I opened it. And saw that it was full of clothes for nobles, and they were for males! "This is just about my size." I mumbled as I took a comfortable-looking white shirt. I then removed my already ragged clothes. "Hup." And changed into the new ones I got from the cabinet. Fwip¡ª I equipped my armor back... Swoosh¡ª And wore my black cape on top of it all. "I''m all set now." I said. Creak¡ª Thud¡ª And then I left the room. I picked up the sleeping Pyro on the way and put him in the spatial bag. Zephyrus was perched on top of my head, sitting on my hair like it was his nest. -Your head is a good nest, you know. I''m just letting him be for the time being. ... Anyway, now that I was back in the hallway of the 2nd floor... "Let''s go check the other rooms now." I decided to continue scouting the floor. Tap- tap- tap¡ª I immediately headed to the second room on the left, just beside the room I came out of. And standing in front of its door... Creak¡ª I opened it. And inside... -Kek! -Kieek! -Ke ke ke... There were six gnolls! Gnolls are tall, hyena-like humanoids with coarse fur, sharp-toothed muzzles, and glowing eyes. Their wiry frames and clawed limbs exuded savagery, enhanced by scavenged armor adorned with gruesome trophies. They are E- rank monsters. And looking closely, they are all well armed! As a matter of fact... "Their equipment is better than mine..." Looking at the rusting blade of my sword... "Haaaa..." I let out a sigh, disappointed. And then... Tap¡ª I entered the room! -What a bold decision. Zephyrus said. And with a shrug... "A better equipment would help me a lot." I replied to him. "Watch Pyro for a while." I then followed, putting my spatial bag on the ground. And with an annoyed tone... -I''m not a babysitter. Zephyrus mumbled that as he flew off my head. And without looking back at him... "Don''t worry, this won''t take long." I confidently declared those words. I didn''t wait for Zephyrus'' response anymore. Instead, I took a stance... -Kieeeeee... -Kieeek! -Ke ke ke! The gnolls already noticed me as soon as I entered the room earlier. And now... -Ke ke ke! They were surrounding me with nasty smirks on their faces. Anyway, looking at them with cold eyes... "[Lit On]" I mumbled. Swoosh¡ª And my sword''s blade was immediately engulfed in fire! The fire wasn''t raging violently. I had learned how to control its output now. And so, my mana wasn''t depleting as fast as before. -Kieek?! -Kek?! -Keeee!! The gnolls were shocked, seeing my skill. They stopped in their tracks, hesitating to approach me. And not missing that opportunity... "[Flash]" I immediately used the special skill Zephyrus and I created! Bam! I kicked off the ground. And in a split second... -Kieee? I was already in front of one of the gnolls! SLASH¡ª! I swung my sword with [Blaze] horizontally! Tap¡ª And when I landed on the ground... Thud¡ª The head of the gnoll I just attacked fell and rolled on the floor. Thump! And its body followed after. "Hmm, I''m still not used to the speed." I mumbled, looking at the dead gnoll on the ground that I had just killed. Chapter 58 - 58: 58 - The Ghoul [1] -Kieee?! -Ke?! -Kiek?! The other gnolls were shocked to see one of their own lifeless on the floor! In their eyes, Raye had just been at the door, far from them... But he had suddenly disappeared from their sight! And the next time they saw him, he had already killed one of them! -KIEEEK!!! The gnolls immediately spread out across the room, wary of Raye. They planned to attack him from behind when he went after one of them! And noticing this plan of them... "Idiots." Raye mumbled that to himself. Fwip¡ª He then took his stance again. And moments later... Swoosh¡ª His legs and feet became covered by spinning gusts of wind! And with a single word... "[Flash]" BAM! Raye kicked off the ground! The gusts of wind blasted downward, drastically increasing his speed! Fwish¡ª Raye disappeared from the gnolls'' sight again! And in less than a second... SLASH¡ª! He reappeared in front of one of them, cutting it in half with his flaming sword! "You guys aren''t fast enough to pull that trick against me." Raye said with a smirk on his face. Thud¡ª And then the gnoll he attacked fell to the ground, dead. Raye had just entered the room, yet he had already killed two gnolls! -KIEEEE!!! -KEEEK!! The remaining gnolls panicked. They thought Raye could teleport. Realizing their ambush wouldn''t work, they grew desperate. -KIEEEEK!!! -KIEEEEE!!! All the gnolls rushed at Raye at once¡ªtwo from behind and two from the front. And calmly... "..." Raye waited for them, holding the hilt of his sword firmly. And when they got close... SWOOOSH¡ª Raye slashed horizontally, spinning his body in a full circle! CLANG¡ª! He parried all of their weapons! -Kek?! -Kieeek!! -Kie?! The gnolls'' arms were flung upward, leaving them defenseless. And not missing a beat... "[Bang] [Bang]¡ª" Raye fired two point-blank shots, hitting two gnolls in the head with his left hand! Then... Swish¡ª He immediately twisted his body to the left to face the remaining two. And with all his might... SWOOSH¡ª He slashed his sword downward diagonally! SLASH¡ª! Raye killed the last two gnolls in one go! Thud¡ª And he cleared the room in about a minute! "That was fast." Raye muttered, deactivating [Blaze]. He''s just casually looking at the dead gnolls on the ground. Even though the gnolls are the same rank of kobolds, they''re much stronger and more savage than them! Though, for Raye... "I told you I wouldn''t take too long." The two of them are just the same. Killing kobolds and gnolls are just a chore for him now! ***** After killing the gnolls... Raye went and immediately collected their armor and weapons. "Let''s see, this one looks nice." And then, he started swapping his equipment for better ones! "Yep, this is better." Raye said after equipping himself with new light steel armor. And not just that... "..." He got himself a steel sword that wasn''t rusty! More than satisfied, Raye smiled. And while smiling... "This will be my grinding place to get equipment." He declared that. -... Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Zephyrus looked at him oddly, pitying the gnolls just a little. Anyway, at that moment... -Meep! Pyro woke up and hopped out of the spatial bag. "Good morning, Pyro." -Hello, little one. Raye and Zephyrus greeted Pyro after seeing him. And happily... -Meep meep! Pyro greeted them back. ***** After clearing the second room on the left... Raye returned to the hallway. Pyro sat on his shoulder while Zephyrus perched atop his head. Outside the hallway.... Raye''s attention was caught by the door in the middle. "That''s your room, right?" He asked Zephyrus. And proudly... -Yes! Zephyrus answered. "..." Raye stared at the door for a moment. Then after a while, he started frowning... ''My years of gaming experience are telling me another mini-boss is waiting for me in there.'' He thought. So with that in mind... "It wouldn''t hurt to see what kind of monster it is." Tap- tap- tap¡ª Raye walked toward the door. "..." And standing before it... "Fuuu..." Raye took a deep breath. Then... Creak¡ª He opened the door. And inside... -Grrrr... He saw a six-foot-tall Cannibal Tiger! Bam¡ª Raye immediately shut the door close. "..." And there, he stood silently in his place. -... Even Pyro was just as quiet. -That bitch was on my bed! Zephyrus exclaimed. But the other two just ignored him. Moving on... The Cannibal Tiger was a monster Raye recognized from the game. Reddish fur, sturdy skin, sharp fangs, and razor-like claws. Its physical strength rivaled a gorilla''s, and its speed matched that of a cheetah! And lastly, it was a D- rank monster! "Fuck me..." Raye grumbled, realizing he needed to face that thing to leave the place. -Meep... Pyro was disheartened by the idea too. "I might be in this shit hole for more than a month." Raye grumbled. ***** After checking the middle room... Raye headed to the second room on the right. "I probably wouldn''t be surprised by whatever''s in this room." He casually muttered. -Meep. Pyro agreed with his words. -Hmm? Zephyrus, however, just remained silent on Raye''s head. He can feel something familiar inside the room but couldn''t put his finger on it. -''There''s something familiar in there.'' Zephyrus thought. And just then... Creak¡ª Raye opened the door. And contrary to his earlier claim... "..." He was surprised of what was inside the room! "..." Inside, there was only one monster. And that monster... -... Was a ghoul clad in armor, wielding a sword! And based on the pressure it exuded... It was stronger than the Cannibal Tiger! "What the fuck?" Raye unconsciously cursed under his breath. -Meep... Pyro was wondering why they are so unlucky. And well, Zephyrus... -''What is that...?'' He''s looking at the ghoul carefully. The feeling of familiarity that he got earlier, it''s aimed toward the ghoul! "Looks like I''ll be down here for a long time." Raye grumbled to himself. He''s thinking of the possibility that he''ll be stuck here for more than a year! After all... ''I just can''t see myself defeating that monster any time now!'' Chapter 59 - 59: 59 - The Ghoul [2] (Raye''s POV) "..." I was speechless. I was frozen in place as I felt the strong presence coming from the ghoul. My forehead started sweating from nervousness. -... Pyro was the same, he was unconsciously holding his breath and doing his best not to get detected by the ghoul. -... I didn''t know what was on Zephyrus'' mind, but he was quiet too. Anyway, I was about to back away and close the door... -Hm? sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. When the ghoul spotted me! "Shit." I cursed and tried to immediately close the door... SWOOSH¡ª "Urgh...?!" But my body stopped moving on its own as a strong pressure pressed down on me! -An intruder, huh. I heard the ghoul say. ''It can talk?!'' I was surprised¡ªghouls were supposed to be mindless monsters, after all! Anyway, even in that situation... I stayed calm. Because I knew that monster couldn''t leave the room. It''s pretty obvious now, after spending about half a month in this dungeon. Monsters can only be seen inside the rooms¡ªit''s like their restriction or something, just like in the game. ''That thing can''t hurt me here. I''m outside the room.'' I confidently thought. Though... -Meep... "Huh?" I then saw Pyro lying on the floor, barely inside the room! It seemed like his body stiffened and he fell off my shoulder after being pressed down by the pressure! -I caught one. The ghoul said. Fwip¡ª And then it raised its left hand in Pyro''s direction! And immediately... Swoosh¡ª A wind was summoned from the ghoul''s hand and carried Pyro back to the ghoul! My eyes widened in surprise at that sight. And unconsciously... "[Flash]!" BAM! I kicked off the ground and used a skill! Immediately bringing myself in front of the ghoul! And with both my hands on the hilt of my weapon... "[BLAZE]!" SWOOSH¡ª! I swung my flaming sword down with all my might! "HAAAAAA!!!" But then... CLANG¡ª! My attack was easily blocked by the ghoul with its sword! And looking at me with its nonexistent eyes... -Weak. The ghoul said that. Bam! And punched me in the stomach with its left hand! "KEUK...?!" It hurt. I cracked a few of my ribs. Thud¡ª I was flung away and landed on my back, lying on the floor! I was about to get up and get ready to face the monster again. -... But before I could even attempt to... Swish- "..." The tip of the ghoul''s blade was already pointed at my head! -Goodbye. The ghoul said as it raised its sword in the air. And seeing that... "Fuck..." I cursed and braced myself for what was about to come! Swoosh¡ª The ghoul swung its sword down, aiming at me! I was sure I''m dead today. But before its blade could reach me... -Ivan, stop! Zephyrus exclaimed that. And suddenly... Fwip¡ª -... The ghoul stopped moving. "..." And there I was, staring at its blade inches away from my face. The ghoul then looked at Zephyrus. And opening its mouth... -Zephyrus? The ghoul muttered that in a questioning tone. ***** "Are you okay?" I asked Pyro. And looking at me with a smile... -Meep! He responded, saying he was fine. -Meep meep! And then he thanked me for risking my life to save him earlier. "Of course, I''d do that. We''re partners." I said back to Pyro, smiling. Anyway, currently... I was sitting on a broken chair with Pyro perched on my lap. And in front of me... -Hello. ...was the ghoul that almost killed me earlier! His voice was really hoarse¡ªit''s scary. "Hello." I awkwardly responded to the ghoul. And then... -Let me introduce him to you. Zephyrus said that, looking at me. And without waiting for my response... -This is Ivan Wallace, the firstborn and heir of the Wallace family, the family I was protecting. Zephyrus went and introduce the ghoul to me. -He''s the owner of the clothes you''re wearing right now. He then added, pointing at my shirt. -It fits you. The ghoul... Ivan, said, looking at me. "Ah, thanks." I replied. Then, after calming down... "My name is Raye Alvah." I introduced myself. -Right, sorry for attacking you earlier, Raye. Ivan apologized. -I thought you were one of the remnant subordinates of the demon that attacked us before. He added by way of explanation. "Don''t worry, I understand." I responded. After that... -What happened to you, Ivan? Zephyrus butted in and asked. And with that... -Well, after we sealed you... Ivan started telling us about his situation. ... ... ... After a few minutes... -That''s all. Ivan finished telling his story. So basically, his family and the servants were all killed by the demon that attacked them a hundred years ago. Ivan, who was a swordmaster and had learned some spells from Zephyrus... Tried his best to fight the demon. And in doing so... He was able to cut off its left hand! Though ultimately... He was defeated and placed under a curse. The demon ensured he wouldn''t die, but his body would continue to rot, and at the end of it all... He would become a mindless monster in this dungeon. He also trapped him in this room with the same curse. -You''re pretty lucky you met me while I''m still kind of sane. -I''m starting to get more aggressive, and I''ve been mindlessly doing stuff lately too. Ivan said, looking at me. "Yeah, I guess you could say that." And I completely agreed with his words. -Meep... Pyro agreed too. Anyway, after that... Zephyrus and Ivan started talking to each other. "..." They both looked happy catching up to each other. And I was happy for them too. Though, just then... ''Wait...'' A question popped into my mind, and it made me frown. "Ivan, sir..." I called out. -Just call me Ivan. Ivan responded. I nodded at his words. Then, opening my mouth... "You say you''re becoming a monster for this dungeon, but you''re just on the second floor... Does that mean the final boss of this dungeon is stronger than you?" I asked Ivan that question. And hearing my words... SWOOSH¡ª The atmosphere around Ivan became heavy! He was angry! "Urgh...?!" It became harder for me to breathe... -Meep...! Pyro was scared too! And noticing that... Fwip¡ª -I''m sorry. Ivan controlled his rage and withdrew his aura while apologizing. "Koff... koff..." I coughed, finally able to breathe again. And while I was recovering... -Anyway, about your question... -The answer is no. I''m way stronger than the final boss. I''m the strongest in this dungeon. Ivan answered my question. I was relieved to hear his words. But following that... -Raye, I have a favor. Ivan mumbled. "Huh?" And without waiting for my response... -I want you to kill that motherfucker¡ªthe final boss. Ivan said those words in anger. "..." He was so angry that I wasn''t able to decline because I was scared he might kill me. So instead... ''Fucking hell.'' I just cursed my luck in my head. Chapter 60 - 60: 60 - The Ghoul [3] Considering that I''ll be fighting the boss monster anyway... "I''ll do it." I decided to accept Ivan''s request. And immediately after doing so, he smiled at me. Though, it''s weird to see an almost-skeleton face smile. Anyway... "Can I ask something?" I said to Ivan. -Sure, what is it? He responded. And hearing that... "Why are you so angry at the boss monster?" I asked him that question. -Yeah, I was wondering as well. -Meep... Zephyrus and Pyro followed. -... Ivan became quiet at my question, and it started to scare me. Though... "..." I didn''t show it on my face. Then finally, after a while... -Remember when I said all the servants died? Ivan finally spoke. I just nodded at his question. -It''s not entirely true... And then Ivan declared that! -One of the servants survived. He said. Then suddenly, his already scary face became even scarier as he got angry! And with that face... -He''s the one that led the demon here. He conspired with them to destroy the territory! Ivan exclaimed in anger. -For what?! -For a fucking eternal life?! His enraged voice sent shivers down my spine. "..." I just waited in silence, letting Ivan calm himself down. -... -... Zephyrus and Pyro did the same. And after a while... -Raye. Ivan turned to face me. "Yeah?" I responded. -With your current strength, you can''t win against that bitch. He said. ''His words are starting to get more vile now.'' It''s kinda funny seeing a skeleton curse. Anyway... "Well, I already kinda expected the boss to be stronger than me." I replied. Hearing my words, Ivan nodded his head. And looking me straight in the eyes... -I''ll help you get stronger. Ivan said that seriously. "Huh?" I was stunned. And before I could even respond properly... -I''ll teach you how to properly wield the sword. I''ll be teaching you our family''s techniques. Ivan followed up. "Wha...?" ***** "Hup!" Swoosh¡ª Swish¡ª Fwip¡ª! I swung my sword again and again. And seeing me do that... -Wrong! Your posture, distribution of strength, hand and feet placement... all wrong! Ivan shouted at me. "Ugh..." We immediately started training as soon as I accepted his suggestion to teach me. -Place your feet and hands like this, and swing like this... SWISH¡ª! Ivan said, demonstrating a simple but clean vertical slash. "..." Fwip- I imitated his stance and tried my best to copy his moves, and with that... Swish¡ª! I swung my sword straight downward! -That''s better. Ivan muttered. And his words made me smile. Though... -But that''s not enough. Do it a few more times. My smile immediately disappeared after hearing that. And so... Swish¡ª I continued swinging my sword again and again. -Meep! Pyro cheered for me. -Do your best, young man. He might''ve lost a lot of his strength, but Ivan was a very strong swordmaster before. And Zephyrus did the same. Swish¡ª -No! Your hand is holding the hilt too firmly! Ivan exclaimed. "Ugh..." And I just groaned in annoyance. ... ... After about 8 hours... "Haaa... haaa... huff..." I was out of breath, tired from swinging my sword. It felt like my arms were about to fall off. And seeing me like that... -That''s enough for today. You should rest first. Ivan stopped our training. ''Thank god.'' I thought. Clank¡ª And then I let go of my sword. Thud¡ª I immediately sat on the ground, catching my breath. I was so exhausted, hungry, and thirsty. -Meep! Pyro, concerned about my condition, quickly approached me. "Haaa... I''m... huff... fine..." I said to reassure him, but he didn''t seem to believe me. -Good work. Zephyrus said as he flew over. And looking at him... "Thanks." I simply replied and nodded my head. ... ... After resting for a while, I headed out of the mansion with Zephyrus and Pyro. I then drank a lot of water in the spring, and while I was there... I also ate the last stock of Giant Boar meat I had. ''Ugh, my body is killing me...'' I thought, feeling pain all over. It felt like my muscles were complaining about being overworked. But even though I want to stop the training... I can''t. I need Ivan''s teaching, after all. ''I need to get strong fast and leave this place.'' And so, I need to endure this. ***** After eating and drinking on the 1st floor... I cleaned up the left and middle rooms down there, killing the monster wolves and kobolds. And after doing that... I went back to where Ivan was. -You should rest properly, and after that, we''ll continue the training. Ivan said that as soon as I came back. "Yeah, I''m just here to say see you later." And I responded. -Meep! -See you later, Ivan. Pyro and Zephyrus followed. And with a smile on his face... -Haha, yeah, see you later. Ivan replied. "..." Oddly enough, he didn''t look scary anymore to me. And so, with that... I went back to the 1st room on the left. Though, before doing so... "I''ll be using your room." I said to Ivan. And with a laugh... -Feel free to. So rest up properly. Ivan said that to me. Creak¡ª Thud- And I left the room. ... ... And just like that, before I knew it... Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. 10 days had already passed. ... ***** Swoosh¡ª -You''ve really improved a lot. Ivan said, seeing me demonstrate the moves he taught me these past days. -You''re not really talented, but you make up for it with hard work and pure dedication. He added. And hearing his words... "Thanks." All I could do was thank him. "It''s all because you''re the one that taught me." I added, smiling at him. -Is that so? I''m flustered. Ivan responded, smiling. "Yeah, you don''t really look like it." And I jokingly added, seeing his creepy rotting face smile. We''d gotten really close after spending so much time with each other. -Meep meep! Pyro then approached me and congratulated me on my improvement. -You''re not that weak anymore, huh. And Zephyrus kind of did the same. And proudly... "Haha, thanks." I responded to both of them. "Anyway, I should rest now." I added. Normally, I would train more until I was exhausted. But today was different. After all... I''m gonna fight the Cannibal Tiger tomorrow! -Rest well. Ivan said. And with that... "Yeah, I will." Creak¡ª Thud¡ª I left the room with Pyro on my shoulder and Zephyrus on my head. Chapter 61 - 61: 61 - The Cannibal Tiger The next day... "All ready, huh." I woke up early and immediately started preparing for my upcoming battle. I checked my armor, weapons, and even my body''s condition. And all of them were great. So, moving on... "Are you guys ready?" I asked Pyro and Zephyrus. -Meep! Pyro replied proudly. He had complete trust in me to defeat the Cannibal Tiger. -Let''s go retrieve my room from that beast! Zephyrus was the same. The two of them think that I''ll win against the Cannibal Tiger. It was pressuring, but it made me happy to see them confident in me. Anyway, I just nodded my head at them. And after that... Creak¡ª Thud¡ª The three of us left the room. ***** We didn''t head toward the Cannibal Tiger immediately. We stopped by where Ivan was first. Though he didn''t say much, he just wished me luck... -Be careful. And said that. I thought it was pretty cold of him, but I just let it go and left him alone. And now... "..." I''m standing in front of the middle door on the 2nd floor¡ªthe room where the Cannibal Tiger is. And after calming my beating heart... Creak¡ª I opened the door. "Pyro, Zephyr." I called out their names. And after doing so... -Meep! -Got it. They got off me and landed inside the room, near the door. They weren''t in a condition to fight yet, so they would stay far away from me while I fight the Cannibal Tiger. Anyway, tightly holding the hilt of my sword in my right hand... Tap¡ª I stepped inside the room. And immediately after doing so... -Grrrr...? The Cannibal Tiger''s attention turned toward me. "Hello." I greeted it with a serious expression on my face. ***** The Cannibal Tiger didn''t attack Raye immediately. It was observing him, trying to gauge his strength. And knowing that... ''That''s smart.'' Raye thought, complimenting the monster''s intelligence. Though, he didn''t give it a chance to do whatever it wanted. Raye raised his left hand and pointed at the Cannibal Tiger... -??? And while it was looking at him curiously... "[Bang]¡ª" He shot it! Psh¡ª And the Cannibal Tiger was hit on the forehead! -Garg?! The Cannibal Tiger was a little hurt, but not injured. Though... -GRAAAAH!!! It became annoyed at Raye! Bam¡ª The angered Cannibal Tiger charged at Raye! And just moments later... -GRAAAAAAH!!! Its mouth was right in front of his face, wide open! It was trying to bite off his head! ''Wow, I would''ve died immediately from this before, huh.'' Raye thought, looking at the sharp teeth of the monster. Swish¡ª And then he spun his body to the left, dodging the attack! And using the force of his rotation... "[Blaze]" SWOOSH¡ª Raye slashed horizontally with his flaming sword! -GRAAAA?!! And it wounded the Cannibal Tiger on its neck! The wound was small and shallow... ''But ten days ago, I wouldn''t even have been able to do something like this.'' Raye thought, smiling. But while he was like that... -GRRROWL!!! The Cannibal Tiger jumped at him again, now with its front right claw raised in the air! SWAAASH¡ª! It swung its claw down heavily! And as a response... SWIISH¡ª Raye swung vertically upward with both hands gripping the hilt of his sword! TANG¡ª! The monster''s claw and Raye''s blade collided, producing a loud sound like clashing metal! "Ugh..." Raye groaned as he felt the force of the Cannibal Tiger''s attack reverberate through his arms. But... -GRRR?! He successfully deflected the Cannibal Tiger''s attack! Its right claw was flung upward, leaving its body defenseless! And not missing that opportunity... "GRAAAAH!!!" Raye followed up and attack! SWOOSH¡ª He swung his flaming sword back down with all his might! SLASH¡ª! And cut open a big wound on the monster''s stomach! -GREAAAAAAHHHH!!! The Cannibal Tiger let out an ear deafening cry. BAM! And then it jumped back, putting distance between itself and Raye! ''You''re not escaping.'' Raye thought. "[Flash]" Bam! S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. And then he propelled himself toward the Cannibal Tiger! -Grrrah?! The Cannibal Tiger was surprised to see Raye appear in front of it. It hadn''t expected him to keep up with its speed! And because of that... -GRAAAA!!! It couldn''t defend itself from Raye''s attack! PHUCK¡ª! Raye stabbed his flaming sword straight into the Cannibal Tiger''s heart! And just to make sure... "[Lit on]" SWAAAAAA¡ª Raye burned the insides of the monster! ''I won.'' He thought. The Cannibal Tiger is sure to die soon. But out of desperation... -GRRAAAh!! It swiped its left claw horizontally, trying to kill Raye along with it! "Huh?" Raye was surprised by the sudden counterattack. But swiftly... Bam¡ª He let go of his sword and jumped backward! Swish¡ª Narrowly dodging the monster''s attack! And while he was mid-air... Clap¡ª Raye clapped his hands in front of him. "[Lit up]" And then he mumbled that! SWAAAAA¡ª A raging fire engulfed his hands! Fwip¡ª Raye pulled back his right hand, and the flames shaped themselves into a bow and arrow! And while aiming at the Cannibal Tiger''s head... "[Shoot]" Fwiiish¡ª Raye fired off the fire arrow! BOOM! And it exploded upon contact with its target! Swoosh¡ª A weak shockwave was produced by the explosion. Tap¡ª Raye landed safely on the ground. And when things had calmed down... -... Raye saw the Cannibal Tiger''s body on the floor, burnt and dead. ***** "That was easy." Raye mumbled to himself while retrieving his sword from the Cannibal Tiger''s body. He hadn''t expected to win this easily either. -Meep... Even Pyro was shocked, seeing how Raye had completely dominated the fight! -Umm, huh, I didn''t expect it to be that fast either... Zephyrus was the same, looking at the Cannibal Tiger''s body to make sure it was really dead. And then, smiling... "..." Raye looked at his hands. ''They are gonna be surprised when I come back.'' He thought. Raye was thinking about Old Man Rey, Jerusha, Devin, Kyle, and Lena back at the academy. ''I''ll probably catch the attention of the main characters, but who cares at this point?'' He added, shrugging his shoulders. "Anyway, it''s still too early to call it a day." Raye said to himself. And then, after that... "The mini-boss on the first floor will respawn today. Might as well kill it to get pig meat." Raye declared that casually. Chapter 62 - 62: 62 - Onto the Third Floor "Hmm, I haven''t had this for a while." Raye mumbled. He''s eating roasted Giant Boar meat! He had just killed the Giant Boar in under two minutes! And while he used up a lot of his mana... "I missed this taste." Raye was uninjured! -Meep! Pyro approached him happily. And with a smile on his face... "Here." Raye gave him a whole chunk of roasted meat, different from what he was eating. -Meep! Pyro excitedly started devouring it. And then, flying over to eat with Pyro... -You''ve really gotten strong. Zephyrus said that to Raye. Raye looked at him. And with a nod of his head... "Yeah, I didn''t expect this much of a change either." Raye responded. It''s been almost a month since he had left the academy. ''By now, Act II should be finished, meaning that classes will continue soon, and the filler arc will start.'' Raye thought, eating. "I wonder what the old man and the others are doing." And then he mumbled that, curious. He really misses them. And so, thinking about reuniting with them... "I should hurry up and get out of this place." Raye declared that. Fwip¡ª He stood up. Tap- tap- tap¡ª And then he started walking up to the 2nd floor again. And with a resolute expression on his face... ''I should train for the last time with Ivan.'' Raye thought that. -Wait for us! -Meep! Pyro and Zephyrus exclaimed, following after him. ***** At the academy, or to be exact... Back in the cabin. "..." Old Man Rey is silently sitting on a chair. And it''s not just him there... "..." Jerusha, Devin, Kyle, Lena, and even Lycus are also in the cabin! "..." They were silent, not talking and just looking at Old Man Rey with sad eyes. And as to why Lycus was here, well, when he heard about Raye''s disappearance... He stepped up and proposed to help find him. It was his way of repaying Raye for helping him with the goblin problem before. That''s right, the people inside the cabin had gathered with one goal. And that is to find Raye''s whereabouts and bring him back! Anyway, the atmosphere inside the cabin was solemn. It was quiet... And the first to break that silence... "The lower class stopped revolting now. The academy compromised with them, and a fair class re-evaluation will take place soon." Was Lena. "In three days, the academy''s security will return to normal, and so... We can finally leave and search for Raye outside." She added in a serious tone. Lena worked with Leon to stop the students from the lower class from destroying the classrooms and facilities. She also helped convince the academy to hear out the protests of the students and conduct another re-evaluation. And so, because of her, Act II ended much faster without a problem. Lena did all of this for their plan to search for Raye! They couldn''t leave Zion Academy with such chaos happening, after all. The staff decided to lock down the academy to prevent revolting students from getting help from the outside. "Thank you, Lena." Jerusha said, looking at Lena. And Lena just nodded at her. Just then... "I''ll handle all the expenses." Kyle spoke. "Don''t worry about the price, I can handle it." And declared that with confidence! Kyle, who was really worried about Raye, did his best to gather money. And in doing so, his superior business skills awakened, his store is blooming now! Anyway, Jerusha nodded at Kyle. And then, opening her mouth... "Me, Devin, and Lycus will go look for him." Jerusha said that. "I''m sure that guy is okay." Devin mumbled. "I agree, he''s not weak." And Lycus followed. "I''ll stay here and try to get help from the academy to search for Raye." Lena then declared. And so, with all their roles decided... "We''ll leave in three days, get ready." Jerusha said that. And looking at all of them... "..." A weak smile appeared on Old Man Rey''s face. ''Brat, you have good friends, so you better be safe.'' He thought. And then, opening his mouth... "Thank you." The old man thanked Jerusha and the others. S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Ah, it''s nothing." "We''re doing this because we''re Raye''s friends." "I''m just here to repay a favor." "..." They were flustered by Old Man Rey''s words. Then, just smiling at them... "Wait here for a bit. I''ll make rabbit stew for everyone." The old man said that. ... ***** The 27th day since he left the academy... "Fuuu..." Raye was now standing in front of a staircase that led up to the 3rd floor. -Meep... Pyro was perched on his shoulder, nervous. -Good luck, young human. And Zephyrus was sitting on top of his head, resting. ''Ivan said that the boss monster is a ghoul with its mind still intact, just like him.'' ''And that it''s using their family treasure, so I should be careful.'' Raye thought, remembering Ivan''s words. And after preparing himself... "Well, here I go." Tap- tap- tap¡ª Raye headed up to the third floor. ... Upon stepping onto the 3rd floor... -Grrrr... -Graaaah...! -Gruuu... "Huh?" Raye was surprised to see the hallway full of ghouls! They''re not inside the room, they''re just scattered all over the hallway! And upon sensing Raye''s presence... -GRAAAAH!!! -GRRRR!!! They mindlessly rushed at him! "Ugh, I need to fight as soon as I get here?" Raye grumbled. SLASH¡ª! And then he cut down two ghouls with a single diagonal slash! Ghouls are just F rank monsters. They''re fragile with their rotting bodies, and they are stupid too... Ivan was just a special case, retaining his sanity after turning into one. And so... SWOOSH¡ª SLASH¡ª! Raye handled them easily. He didn''t even need to use a skill, just pure swordsmanship! Ghouls are basically zombies. A corpse of a once-alive person gets exposed to too much contaminated mana, turning it into one. -These guys were the servants of the family. Zephyrus said while still on top of Raye''s head. SLASH¡ª! "I know." Raye said, cutting down another ghoul. He already got an idea that the ghouls were the servants of this mansion because of their ragged clothes¡ªthey were for maids and such. ''Ivan would be devastated to see his people like this.'' Raye thought. And with a frown on his face... Fwip¡ª Raye withdrew his sword and went into a back stance. Swoosh¡ª Gusts of wind covered his legs. -Graaa..hh! And looking at the tens of ghouls rushing at him... "[Flash]" Bam! Raye propelled himself at them! Swish¡ª His figure disappeared, leaving only an afterimage! And then... SLASH¡ª! He reappeared at the end of the hallway, at the very back of the horde of ghouls! His sword was now drawn, like he had just swung it! And without even looking behind him... "Time to clean up this place." Raye said that! And after that... Thud- thud¡ª Thud¡ª The ghouls started dropping to the floor like flies! And ignoring that... Tap- tap- tap¡ª Raye checked the rooms on the 3rd floor. Chapter 63 - 63: 63 - The Final Room -Oh wow, you just killed 12 ghouls in a flash. Zephyrus said to Raye as they were looking around. "It''s nothing special." Raye responded. He said this because ghouls are just slightly stronger than goblins, so he didn''t think he did anything impressive. In his mind, he just cleaned up a mess. -Meep meep! Still, Pyro was impressed by Raye''s prowess. He was excited by his growth! And smiling at him... "You''ll get stronger soon too." Raye said that to Pyro. -Meep! Pyro proudly puffed his chest out in confidence. "Haha..." Raye laughed, looking at the cute slime. Pyro sometimes made him forget that he was stuck in this dungeon. Anyway, after looking around... Raye discovered that there were six rooms on the 3rd floor¡ªthree on each side. "This will take a while." Raye mumbled. Tap- tap- tap¡ª And then he started checking the rooms one by one. ... ***** After about an hour... SLASH¡ª! "Ugh..." Raye was already in his third room. It''s taking him this long... Because every room on the floor was filled with ghouls! And so, Raye had been fighting non-stop for a while now! -There''s just no end to them... S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Zephyrus said. Then, looking at the dead ghouls on the ground, who were once the servants of this mansion... -May your souls rest in peace. He added. On the other hand... -Meep... Pyro was getting bored at the sight of the ghouls. He didn''t like them, they looked scary. Though, Ivan was an exception for him. "Looks like the servant that conspired with the demon and turned into the final boss of this dungeon collected all of the bodies back then and turned them into ghouls." Raye mumbled, seeing the sheer number of ghouls rushing at him. -GRAAAAH!! "Shush." SLASH-! -What a wicked man. Zephyrus said, pertaining to the final boss. And Raye agreed with his words. Especially after seeing a lot of child ghouls... Anger was building up inside him. SLASH¡ª So, after killing the last ghoul in the third room... "Onto the next one." Raye didn''t waste a second and immediately proceeded to the next. ''I''ll bring you good news, Ivan. I''m killing that fucker.'' Raye thought with a frown on his face. ... ***** And after about half an hour more... SLASH¡ª! "..." Thud¡ª Raye cleared the fifth room. The number of ghouls increased as he moved to each room. And in this room alone, he killed about forty ghouls! "The Wallace Family had a lot of servants, huh." Raye said. -Well yeah, they needed to take care of me. And Zephyrus casually responded. ''Oh right, he was treated as a deity back then.'' Raye thought, looking at the flying white chick in front of his face. And then... Thud¡ª "Haaaa..." He sat on the ground and decided to rest for a while. Raye hadn''t used much mana, but he burned plenty of stamina from fighting continuously for an hour and a half. Anyway... Raye used the tin jar where Zephyrus was sealed before, and stored spring water in it. He took it out, and with Pyro''s help... SWAAAA¡ª He started boiling it using his right hand. But Raye wasn''t done yet... "Here we go." He also brought out a good amount of the Giant Boar''s meat! And while holding it in his right hand... "[Ignition]" SWAAAA¡ª He started cooking it! ... ... After finishing the roasted Giant Boar''s meat with Pyro and Zephyrus... "Hup." Raye stood up. He was done resting now. -Time for the final battle, huh. Fwip¡ª Zephyrus said as he flew and landed on top of Raye''s head. -Meep! Pyro chirped excitedly, jumping onto Raye''s right shoulder. And seeing that they were both ready... "Let''s go." Creak¡ª Thud¡ª Raye left the room with them. ... ***** "This is the last, huh." Raye mumbled, standing in front of the final room he hadn''t entered yet. "..." He could feel a strong energy inside... "Are you guys ready?" Raye asked. -Meep. -Yep. Pyro and Zephyrus answered. And without further ado... Creak¡ª Raye opened the door to the room. Tap¡ª And then he immediately stepped inside! And there... -Oh, a visitor. You''re the first in a hundred years! He found someone sitting at the other end of the room. "Huh...?" Raye was confused, seeing the boss monster. Why? Because... He didn''t look like a ghoul! -Hi there, what''s your name? The boss monster asked. He had brown hair and blue eyes. The only thing that made him look monstrous was his bluish pale skin and the fangs growing out of his mouth! But other than that, he looked completely human! "So that''s what you got in exchange for working with the demon, huh." Raye muttered, frowning at him. And hearing that... -Hmm, you know about that? So you must''ve met the other rotting ghoul. The boss monster responded slyly, his tone as if he was teasing Raye. -Anyway, my name''s Chris. He introduced himself. And with a nod of his head... "It''s so not nice to meet you." Fwip¡ª Raye replied, taking a fighting stance. -Haha, you''re a funny one. Chris said, and then he continued talking to himself after that. Raye didn''t listen to him though... -Good luck, we''re gonna hide now. -Meep meep! Zephyrus and Pyro whispered to Raye. "Okay, stay safe." And after wishing them safety... Raye brought his attention back to the boss monster, Chris. And that''s when... "Huh?" He noticed that Chris wasn''t sitting on a chair. ''It looks like a person.'' Raye thought. "What''s that?" And then he asked, pointing the tip of his sword at what Chris was sitting on. -Oh, this? And with a smile on his face... -It''s the head of the now-forgotten Wallace Family! Chris declared that and pulled the hair of the person he was sitting on, revealing their face to Raye! "Ah..." ''He''s dead.'' Raye immediately noticed there was no life in the person''s eyes. ''Did the demon make it so that his body wouldn''t rot, just like with Chris?'' Raye wondered, looking at the human chair. Though, while he was doing so... -They are my toys. Chris muttered that. "Huh?" ''They?'' Raye thought. And immediately after that... Tap- tap- tap¡ª Tap- tap- tap¡ª Two more mindless ghouls with their bodies attached stepped out! And just like the head of the Wallace Family, there was no life in their eyes! The ghouls were females... -They are the wife and daughter of my chair. Chris said. "..." Raye stayed silent. Then, looking at the younger female ghoul... -I had lots of fun with them, especially with this one. Chris added. "..." Raye still didn''t say anything. Though, after that... -I''m starting to get bored with th¡ª "[Flash]" -Huh? Bam! Raye exploded in anger hearing Chris''s words and he rushed at him mid-sentence! And appearing in front of the seated Chris... SLASH¡ª! -GAAAHH?!! Raye opened up a huge wound on his chest! Chapter 64 - 64: 64 - The Final Boss SLASH¡ª! -GAAAHH?!! Raye opened up a huge wound on Chris'' chest. And immediately after that¡­ Bam! He kicked off the ground again and rushed at the two female ghouls behind Chris! ''These are Ivan''s mother and sister...'' Raye thought. And then¡­ ''You both can rest now.'' "[Blaze]" SWOOSH¡ª He swung his flaming sword horizontally at them! SLASH¡ª! And when it hit the two¡­ SWAAAA¡ª Their bodies started to burn! And seeing this... -YOU FUCKING BASTARD!!! Chris exclaimed in rage. Then, looking back at him... "You should really learn how to shut up." Raye declared that, frowning. -... Chris, staring at Raye angrily with his wide opened eyes, took something out of his pocket with his right hand. And after that... Fwish¡ª! A majestic white spear appeared in that same hand! And looking at it¡­ ''That''s the Wallace Family''s treasure.'' Raye immediately concluded that. -I''m going to kill you... Chris muttered in rage, standing up from his human chair. Then, bringing his attention back to Chris¡­ "Come on and try it." Raye provoked him! -Just as you wish! Bam! Chris rushed toward Raye because of that! And when Raye was within his range¡­ Fwish¡ª He thrust his spear with his right hand! Responding to that¡­ Swish¡ª Raye swung his sword upward with both hands from a back stance! THUNK¡ª! And he deflected the spear''s head upward! -Wha?! This surprised Chris, and before he could even process it... SWISH¡ª! Raye''s blade came back down, aiming for his head! -Urgh...! Bam! Chris jumped backward in urgency. Though, while he was midair¡­ "[Bang] [Bang] [Bang]¡ª!" Raye started shooting at him using his left hand! -Fucking¡­! Chris cursed. Thunk¡ª thunk¡ª thunk¡ª And then he began blocking Raye''s attacks with his spear! Though¡­ Psh! -Urgh?! Chris couldn''t block them all! And because he''s a ghoul with low durability¡­ Psh¡ª! -Fuck! The damage done by Raye''s fire bullets was pretty serious! Thunk¡ª thunk¡ª And so, Chris decided to focus on protecting his vital parts! A few moments later... Tap¡ª He landed on the floor. And immediately after he did¡­ "[Flash]" -Huh? Chris heard Raye''s voice! And looking back up¡­ Bam! -?! He saw Raye in front of him with his flaming sword! And without hesitation¡­ FWISH¡ª Raye thrust his sword with his right hand, aiming for Chris'' heart! -Not so fast! THANG¡ª! Chris deflected Raye''s attack to his left using the body of his spear! "?!" Raye was surprised. But then¡­ SWIISH¡ª He spun his body to the right in a full circle! And using the momentum of his spin¡­ SLASH¡ª! Raye swung horizontally! He followed up a counter! -Huh?! Chris was surprised, but on instinct¡­ Fwish¡ª He put his spear on the right side of his body! CLANG¡ª! And he managed to block Raye''s follow-up attack! Though¡­ -Wha¡­?! BAM! The force behind Raye''s attack sent him flying to the left! Tap¡ª -Gurgh¡­ Chris groaned after landing on the ground a few steps away from Raye. And then, while he was like that¡­ "Are you sure you''re a boss monster?" Raye asked him that. -What?! Chris shouted, looking back at Raye. But when he looked at Raye¡­ He saw him near his human chair! And with a clean cut¡­ SLASH¡ª! SWAAAA¡ª Raye slashed the ghoul of the former head of the Wallace Family and set his body on fire! -YOU FUCKER, WHY ARE YOU RUINING MY TOYS!!! Chris shouted in rage. BAM! And then he rushed at Raye again! Seeing Chris approach¡­ Fwip¡ª "..." Raye assumed an inner stance. And when they were within each other''s range¡­ FWISH¡ª Chris attacked first, thrusting his weapon again! Raye looked at the tip of the spear, and with a light frown on his face¡­ ''Too easy. Ivan''s was several times faster and precise.'' Raye thought. And by slightly turning his body to the side¡­ Swish¡ª He dodged Chris'' attack with minimal movement! And from there¡­ FWISH¡ª Raye countered with a thrust aimed at Chris'' head! -?! Bam! Chris retreated again, dashing backward. S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "..." Raye silently watched him. -... Chris stared at Raye, surprised. And then, amidst the silence¡­ "You''re pretty good at running away, huh." Raye spoke in a provoking manner! ***** (Chris'' POV) ''I don''t understand.'' I thought as I looked at the young man in front of me. I''m faster than him, that much I''m sure of. But why...? ''Why is it that I can''t land a hit on him, and he can counter me?!'' His first attack that cut me in the chest caught me off guard, so I didn''t think much of it. But as the fight progresses... I realized this human can see my attacks and go against with me! -... I was speechless. I was thinking of how to continue from now on... But just then... "You''re pretty good at running away, huh." I heard the young man say that. And hearing his words... -What? ''This fucker...'' Anger welled up inside me. ''I''m Chris Spanner!'' I thought. ''I''m the god of this place!'' I declare in my head. And with my mind filled with anger... -Shut up! BAM! I rushed at the human again, now with a much stronger intention to kill him! ***** (Raye''s POV) CLANG¡ª! Chris'' spear and my flaming sword clashed. Thang¡ª Clunk¡ª TING¡ª! We continued exchanging attacks. Chris was on the offensive, and I focused on deflecting and blocking his attempts. But whenever I saw an opportunity to counter... SLASH¡ª! -Urgh...?! I didn''t miss a single chance and attacked back immediately! ''He''s dodged every one of my counters, though.'' THANG¡ª! I thought as I clashed with Chris'' spear. But I had already expected as much... ''Chris is faster and probably two ranks above me.'' It wouldn''t be easy to land a solid hit on him. ''Still, this is doable.'' After all... I''ve been fighting monsters with higher ranks than me ever since I entered this dungeon. And with Ivan''s training... Clank¡ª! -?! "There''s just no way I''ll lose to you." I declared, flinging the spear''s head away from me. ***** Raye had learned how to deflect and block attacks properly from Ivan. He''d also mastered counterattacks under his teaching. And because of those skills... TIIIING¡ª -Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck! CLANG¡ª! -JUST FUCKING DIE!!! Raye could go toe-to-toe with Chris! Though, slowly... ''Urgh, fuck...'' He began losing strength! His mana was depleting rapidly too! And so... ''I should finish this quickly.'' Raye decided on that. Though, just then... Fwip¡ª "Huh?" Chris stopped attacking and took a few steps back. And as if he had the same thought... Swoosh¡ª! His mana began surging wildly! Chris was also thinking of ending the fight! And he planned to do so by going all out, even if just for a short while! "What the fuck...?" Raye cursed under his breath, feeling Chris'' overwhelming mana. It was far greater than his own. Then, as Chris charged his mana... Swiiish¡ª Raye noticed that his weapon, the Wallace Family Treasure, was charging up for something too! But before he could even think or wonder about it... Fwip¡ª Chris pointed the tip of his weapon to him. And just suddenly, out of nowhere... FWIIIISH¡ª A bright light was launched from the spear head and shot toward Raye! "?!" And out of reflex... Fwip- BANG¡ª! Raye raised his weapon and blocked it! ''What the fuck was that?!'' He exclaimed in his head. Raye was sure that it was a spell... But what surprised him is that there was no activation done there, it just shot toward him! No voice or whatnot! And as Raye was wondering about that... FWIISH¡ª Another one flew out from Chris'' spear, coming toward him! And because he knows they''re dangerous... "Urgh!" BANG¡ª! Raye blocked it again! Though... BAM¡ª! "GAHH!!!" Another came and it hit him in the stomach! FWIISH¡ª Another one came, but this time... BANG¡ª! It intentionally hit his sword! "Argh...!" Thump¡ª! Making Raye let go of it, it flew several meters away from him! FWIISH¡ª! Another one came! And to dodge it... "Ugh!" Raye rolled forward on the floor! And immediately after that... "[Flash]!" Bam! He rushed at Chris! -Haha, idiot. Chris said, looking at Raye come straight at him. He then properly aimed the tip of his spear to Raye. But before he could even shoot... "[Bang]!" Raye shot first, aiming at Chris head! -?! Thunk¡ª Chris decided to block it. But when he brought his attention back to Raye... Fwiish¡ª He saw a throwing dagger a few inches away from his face! -Argh, you fucker! Fwip- Chris squatted a bit to dodge it. And because of the two distractions he successfully pulled off... "Hello, motherfucker!" -?! Raye reached Chris! And immediately after doing so... BAM! He punched out with all his might and hit Chris on his nose! -GRAAA?!! Chris exclaimed, he was in pain. Fwip- Raye then clutched onto the handle of his spear with his left hand. And following that... THOMP¡ª! -GAAH?! Raye kicked Chris on the stomach! But despite the pain he was feeling... -You fucker... Chris didn''t let go of his weapon! And with a grin on his face... -You have no escape here! SWOOSH¡ª Chris exclaimed that as he launched a punch, aiming at Raye''s face with his left hand covered in mana! Though, before his attack could even reach Raye... "[Wind Blast]" Bam! -Keuk!? A strong gust of wind hit him in the stomach! And this time... Swoosh¡ª It sent Chris flying away! And with that... "Hmm..." "How do you use this?" Raye got his hands on the Wallace Family Treasure. Chapter 65 - 65: 65 - The Final Fight -... Chris was speechless, looking at Raye with wide eyes opened. And then, looking at the Wallace Family Treasure in Raye''s hand... -That''s mine, give it back! Chris exclaimed that. And looking at him with a frown... "The fuck are you talking about?" Raye responded to him. -Give it back! Chris shouted. Bam! And then he rushed at Raye! Chris'' nails then grew out and turned into claws, and his eyes became really red! And entering Raye''s range... SWISH¡ª He slashed his right claw diagonally down! "?!" Raye, holding the white spear in his right... THUCK¡ª! Had no choice but to block Chris'' attack using the spear''s body! ''Ugh, I don''t know how to wield a spear...'' He thought. All he could do was stab with it, but because Chris was too close, he couldn''t even do that! And so... "Hup!" Fwish- Raye decided to throw the spear in the air! And just an idiot he was... -Huh?! Chris looked up and followed it with his eyes! And as soon as his eyes were off him... "Fucking idiot." BAM! Raye went and punched Chris in the jaw with his right hand engulfed in mana! -Gurgh?! Chris stumbled back with that. Fwip- And Raye caught the spear again with both hands! And following that... FWISH¡ª He thrust the spear forward, directly at Chris'' face! -Ugh! Chris forcefully tilted his head to the side, avoiding it... Fwiit¡ª But it still hit his left cheek, completely destroying his skin there! It revealed the rotting flesh inside his face! -GRAAAHHH!!! Swoosh¡ª But Chris just ignored that and launched a counter with his left claw! And seeing this... Phuck¡ª "Urgh!!" Raye let himself be hit with it! -?! This surprised Chris, he noticed that Raye made no effort to avoid his attack! And then, with a devilish smirk on his face... "[Wind Blade]!" FWISH¡ª Raye cut off Chris'' left arm by casting that spell with his left hand! Thud- Chris'' arm fell on the ground behind him. And realizing what happened... -GRAAAWAHHH! He screamed in pain! Bam! Chris kicked off the ground and jumped backwards in order to retreat. But just like before... "[Flash]" Bam! Raye followed after him! -Fuck!! Chris cursed. And looking at him with cold eyes... "You''re a disappointment." Phuck¡ª! Raye said that and stabbed the spear in Chris'' chest! -Gurg...?! And as usual, to make sure he dies... "[Lit On]" SWAAAA¡ª Raye engulfed the spearhead with fire and burned Chris'' insides! -GRAAAAAAAAAAHHH¡ª! Chris shrieked in pain, he spasmed around, trying to get Raye and make him stop. Though, because of the length of the spear dividing them... "..." He wasn''t even able to reach Raye! And so, looking at Chris slowly dies with no remorse or whatsoever... "For someone weak, you did a lot of unspeakable things, huh." Raye muttered that. And seeing Raye''s emotionless face, right in front of him... ''Ah, I''m dead.'' Chris thought of that. "Rot in hell, if there''s one." He heard Raye said. And that''s the last thing in his memory. He lost consciousness after that... ... ***** (Raye''s POV) ''He''s dead.'' I thought, looking at the burning Chris in front of me. I didn''t take my eyes off him as undead monsters sometimes still rise from the dead. And so... "..." I just stood there, watching his body burn in cinder. "Ugh..." I groaned, holding the left side of my body with my left hand. It was where Chris stabbed his claw, the wound was shallow, fortunately. But I''m still feeling sharp pain and aching from it... I let Chris attack me earlier to keep him in place, and instead of dodging, I used the split second I had casting the spell. ''I let him wound me in exchange for his left arm.'' Not a bad exchange if you ask me. Anyway, as I was watching the final boss burn... -Meep! -... Pyro and Zephyrus appeared and approached me. "Oh, hello." I greeted them. -Meep meep meep! Pyro was singing my praises, hearing him do that put a smile on my face. "Haha, thanks." I said to him. On the other hand... -... Zephyrus was just quietly staring at me. "What?" I asked him. And then, slightly shaking his head... -Nothing, I just didn''t expect for you to kill the boss monster this fast and easy. Zephyrus said that. -How do I say this, it''s kinda anticlimactic? He added. Looking at him and shrugging my shoulders... "I''m sorry for not being flashy." I sarcastically said that. Though, I do get what he meant... I also think it''s kinda boring how things ended with the final boss. sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ''I trained so hard to face him, after all.'' I thought. Then, slightly opening my mouth... "Status." I opened my status window. Swoosh¡ª ===== Name: Raye Alvah Age: 18 Year Level: 1 Race: Human ----- Stamina: 38 Intellect: 37 Mana: 30 Strength: 39 Speed: 38 Talent: 39 Luck: 40 --- Wind Element: Level 14 (88%) Fire Element: Level 15 (12%) Spirit Magic: Level 13 (96%) Bow: Level 12 (73%) Dagger: Level 12 (50%) Sword: Level 11 (6%) Cooking: Level 11 (99%) ... ... ----- Overall Grade: E- Growth Rate: S ===== "Maybe I got too strong." I mumbled, looking at my stats. ***** After a few minutes... "..." Chris'' body became ash. And immediately after that... Swoosh¡ª A magic formula written on the floor appeared in the middle of the room. And seeing that... ''That''s the exit to this shithole, huh.'' Raye immediately concluded that in his head. He had seen this scene from numerous games, after all. Even in [Brave Hearts]. "I guess it''s finally over." Raye stood up from the ground and patted his clothes clean. He was resting while keeping an eye on the final boss'' body earlier. Anyway... "Hmm." Raye then looked at the white spear he was holding with his right hand. "What do I do with this?" He asked himself. He doesn''t know how to use a spear. But just then... -Why not transform it into a sword? Zephyrus butted in and asked him that. "Huh?" Raye responded in confusion. And to clear things for him... -That''s the family treasure of the Wallace family, it''s an artifact that can change its form into anything. You saw it earlier first-hand. Zephyrus simply explained. -Remove all the lingering mana in it. And then he followed. "Right." Raye immediately complied, trying to absorb out the mana inside the spear. It was Chris'' leftover mana in it. And then, as soon as he cleared off the mana from the spear... Fwish- It became small and turned into an elegant silver ring! "Wha..." Raye was surprised to see this. But there''s more to come! -Pour your mana in it and try to think of anything you want to transform it into. Zephyrus ordered. "Okay." And Raye immediately followed! He was completely fascinated by the artifact in his hand! Raye started giving his mana into the ring. And after a while... ''A sword.'' He thought of that. Swoosh¡ª And then the ring immediately transformed into an elegant white one-handed sword! Raye, holding the sword... "..." Stared at it in disbelief. But after a few seconds... "Hah..." A laugh escaped his mouth and his lips started bending upward into a smile! And silently... ''What a great reward.'' Raye thought of that to himself. ***** (Raye''s POV) Except for transforming itself to anything... The Wallace Family Treasure has a lot more abilities according to Zephyrus. And that fact excited me! Though, I decided to check and study about them later. Also, I didn''t step into the magic formula that leads outside yet. After all... ''I need to tell Ivan this good news.'' And so... Tap- tap- tap¡ª I started walking toward the door of this room. -Let''s go see Ivan! -Meep! Zephyrus and Pyro are with me, they''re resting on my body, on their usual place. Ando so with that... Creak¡ª Thud- We left the room. I retrieved my sword on the floor on my way out. ... ... Arriving in front of the room where Ivan is... A smile rested on my face. ''He will be so happy.'' I thought. Creak¡ª And then I opened the door. Inside... I saw Ivan sitting on a broken chair. "Hey, I have good news!" I shouted to him. -... But he didn''t respond. ''Did he not hear me?'' I asked in my head. Tap¡ª I stepped inside the room. And as soon as I did... -Grr? Ivan finally turned to look at me. "Bastard, so you did hear me." I grumbled with a slight frown on my face. -... But Ivan still didn''t say anything. Annoyed... Tap- tap- tap¡ª I started walking toward him. But before I could get close... -Something''s weird. Zephyrus said that. -Meep... And Pyro agreed with him. They''re both looking at Ivan. "What''s wrong with him?" I asked them, pointing at Ivan. Though, before I could even receive an answer... -GRAAAAAHH!!! BAM! Ivan rushed at me! And when he got near... Swoosh¡ª He swung his sword horizontally! "?!" I was surprised. Fwip¡ª THANG¡ª! But I was able to block Ivan''s attack by raising my own sword and clashing with him! BAM! I kicked Ivan away from me. And with an annoyed expression on my face... "What''s your problem?" I asked him. But then... -He''s not Ivan anymore, he''s just a normal ghoul now. I received my answer from Zephyrus. And after hearing his words... "Huh?" A stupid questioning noise came out of my mouth. I couldn''t believe it. And following his words... -Looks like this will be your final fight. Zephyrus said that. Chapter 66 - 66: 66 - Outside (Raye''s POV) -Looks like this will be your final fight. Hearing Zephyrus'' words... "..." I gritted my teeth and clenched my hands into fists. Then, I looked at Ivan. And after taking a proper look... -Grrrr!! I noticed that he wasn''t there anymore. What I was seeing now was just a ghoul with Ivan''s body. And realizing that... "..." I became silent. This situation... ''Fuck.'' It was so frustrating... He didn''t even hear yet that I avenged his family... He didn''t even know that I killed the traitorous bastard¡ªthe final boss! We haven''t had our celebration yet! "Why?" I mumbled to myself. "Why now?" I asked, my body shaking. -Meep... Pyro was conflicted by the situation. And even though he wasn''t showing it... -... Zephyrus was the same. It was to be expected, after all... He was the closest to Ivan out of us three. But still, even with that... -Raise your sword, human. Zephyrus said that to me. "..." I didn''t respond to him. -You''re basically his disciple. It''s your responsibility to let your master rest easy. He added. And hearing that... "Fucking hell." I cursed. No matter how angry or frustrated I was feeling at that moment... "Fine." Fwip¡ª I still raised my sword and prepared myself. "I''ll end your suffering." I said it with resolve. And after that... Bam! I lunged forward, ready to put Ivan to rest. ***** CLANG! Raye''s sword clashed with Ivan''s. And after that... THANG¡ª! CLANK! TING¡ª They continued to exchange attacks. "..." And amidst this... "Ivan would have defeated me by now." Raye went and said that. TANG¡ª! Then, he deflected Ivan''s sword upward! The ghoul Ivan and Raye were similar in strength. The only reason Raye couldn''t defeat him before... Was because Ivan was superior when it came to technique! But now that he''d become a mindless monster... CLANG¡ª! Raye was destroying him! Swoosh¡ª Ivan swung his sword down. And as a response... Fwip¡ª Raye raised his sword, slightly tilting it to the left! TING¡ª Their weapons collided. Swwwip¡ª Then Ivan''s sword slid down Raye''s blade! Swish¡ª Making it hit nothing but air! And following that... BAM! -Grargh?! Raye kicked Ivan away from him! "..." -Take this seriously. Zephyrus said. -I know you''re holding back. Then he added, his tone strict. Slightly nodding his head... "Don''t worry, I''m done now." Raye replied. ''He''s really not there anymore.'' He thought. He had been hoping for Ivan to suddenly regain his sanity. That''s why he hadn''t finished the ghoul immediately earlier. But now, Raye had accepted that Ivan was really gone. "Tsk." Frustrated, Raye clicked his tongue. And with a frown on his face... "[Blaze]" SWAAAAA¡ª Raye activated his skill. And immediately after that... "[Flash]" He activated another one. BAM! Raye disappeared from where he was standing... Swish¡ª And then he reappeared in front of Ivan. -Graah?! And heavily... SWOOSH¡ª Raye swung his sword horizontally. TING¡ª Ivan blocked his attack. -GAAARGH?! But his weapon was flung away from his hand by the swing''s force, exposing his defenseless body. And swiftly, not missing that opportunity... "I win." Fwish¡ª Phuck- Raye went and immediately stabbed Ivan through his heart. -GRAAAAAHHH¡ª! Ivan let out an ear-deafening cry. "..." But Raye just watched him, unflinching. -... Zephyrus, on top of Raye''s head, remained silent. -Meep... Pyro, unable to bear the sight, looked away. Slash¡ª! As a last effort, Ivan tried swinging his overgrown claws at Raye. "..." Raye made no effort to dodge these desperate attacks of his. SLASH¡ª He just stood there, even as small wounds began covering his body. Then finally, after a few minutes... ... -... Ivan stopped moving. And seeing that... Fwish- Raye pulled out his weapon from Ivan''s body. Immediately after doing so... Thud¡ª Ivan''s body fell to the ground. He was dead. And knowing he was responsible for this... "Rest in peace." Raye mumbled that under his breath. -Goodbye, Ivan. -Meep meep... Zephyrus and Pyro followed, sounding really sad. ***** "This should be enough." Raye said, looking at the makeshift grave outside the mansion. There was even a cross marking on it made from wood that was still in good condition. Raye had made all of this for Ivan.. -Thank you for doing this. Zephyrus said as he watched Raye put Ivan''s body into the grave. And simply... "There''s no need for thanks. Ivan at least deserves this." Raye replied with a forced smile. Seeing his expression... -Meep... Pyro became worried about Raye. He knew that neither Raye nor Zephyrus was okay with Ivan dying, and he felt the same way. But he was just a kid and didn''t know what to do. He was clueless about stuff like this. And so... -Meep. All Pyro could do was be with them. "..." Anyway, moving on... Raye put Ivan''s body into the grave. Though... "I''ll bring this with me." He decided to take Ivan''s sword for himself. ''It''ll be my remembrance of you.'' Raye said in his head. And after that... Swish¡ª He started burying Ivan''s body. Raye was using a wooden plank, one side of which he had cut sharp to make it effective for digging. ... It didn''t take long for Raye to bury Ivan. After doing so... "..." He closed his eyes and slightly bowed his head. And with that... Raye prayed for Ivan''s soul. -... -... Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Pyro and Zephyrus did the same. ... ***** After giving Ivan a simple but proper burial... Raye immediately headed back inside the mansion with Pyro and Zephyrus. He went to the second floor, to the library room, and started stuffing useful books into his spatial storage. Most of them were blueprints for artifacts and magic books. He also found some enhancement pills on the third floor. Zephyrus led him to them. And after that... "This is a lot." They got into the mansion''s secret treasury! And there... "Holy shit." Raye found roughly 100 gold coins along with some jewelry made from gold and rare gemstones! He immediately stuffed them in his spatial bag. Raye and Zephyrus made sure to milk the mansion dry of any useful items that could help Raye. They went from room to room to find anything with worth.... "This will take a while." Raye said. And he was absolutely right about that. ***** After a few hours... -That''s all of it. Zephyrus said that. And in response... "Got it." Raye nodded, more than satisfied with what they had gathered. And if you asked him what''s his biggest catch... ''It''s a no-brainer that it''s these two.'' Raye thought, looking at the silver ring on his left hand and Ivan''s sword in his right hand. He was excited to use them. Though, before that... "I should probably leave this place first." Raye said. And hearing his words... -It''s about time. -Meep. Zephyrus and Pyro responded. They were still not over Ivan''s death, but the idea of leaving this hell excited them. And it was the same for Raye. ''I can''t wait to see everyone back at the academy.'' He thought. And so, with that in mind... Tap- tap- tap¡ª He started walking back to the room where he had been resting on the second floor. ... It didn''t take long for Raye to reach the room. Creak¡ª Tap¡ª He immediately opened the door and entered. And there... Fwip¡ª Raye went through Ivan''s wardrobe. He was planning to change his clothes. ''I need to look presentable. It''s been about a month since I saw them, after all.'' Raye thought. He was trying Ivan''s outfit on him one by one. ... ... After a few minutes of searching for clothes... "Hmm, I''ll go with this." Raye decided on a simple but elegant white top with loose black pants. -Looks good on you. Zephyrus said, flying around Raye to check him out. -Meep! Pyro, of course, agreed. "Thanks." Raye replied simply. And after that... "Let''s go." Tap- tap- tap¡ª Creak¡ª Thud¡ª They left the room. ***** Back on the third floor, in the boss monster''s room... "..." Raye stood in front of the magic formula etched into the floor. He stared at it. -This is it... -Meep... Zephyrus and Pyro mumbled as they gazed at the magic formula too. And so, without further ado... "Let''s get out of this place." Tap¡ª Raye stepped onto it. And immediately after doing so... SWOOSH¡ª A strong wave of mana surrounded him and the others! And the next thing they knew... Fwip¡ª "..." -... -... They were already in the Misty Forest, in front of the hole where Raye and Pyro had fallen! "Haha..." Raye chuckled, realizing that. And with a crazed expression on his face... "COME OUT, YOU FUCKING ORC!!!" He exclaimed that! -Wha?! -Meep?! Zephyrus and Pyro were taken aback by that. But nevertheless... "SHOW YOURSELF!!!" Raye continued shouting! And soon enough... Rustle- rustle¡ª Raye heard movement. "?!" He immediately turned to look in the direction of the sound. And only a few seconds later... -Graah...? An orc entered his sight! It was the same orc that had attacked Raye''s group about a month ago! Realizing this... "I''m glad to still see you alive." Raye said. And following that... "[Blaze]" SWAAAAA¡ª He activated his skill. "[Flash]" And then Raye immediately rushed at the orc! BAM! -Graaa?! The orc was surprised seeing Raye immediately appear in front of him! And not missing that opportunity... SWOOSH¡ª Raye swung down his sword vertically with both hands! SLASH¡ª! And it cut the orc in its right arm when it tried to use it as a shield! -GAAAAH??! The orc screamed in pain. And with a devilish smirk on his face... "I''m here for my revenge." Raye declared that to the orc! Chapter 67 - 67: 67 - The Revenge After being cut... Swoosh¡ª The orc swung his left hand at Raye as a counterattack! Though, using the orc''s chest as a foothold... Bam¡ª Raye dashed back. Fwish¡ª And avoided the orc''s attack swiftly! Tap¡ª And after safely landing on the ground... BAM! He rushed at the orc again! But this time, the orc was prepared... SWOOSH¡ª The orc swung down his right hand, formed into a fist! He was intending to crush Raye! And seeing that... "Too slow for me," Raye said. Fwip¡ª BAAM! And then he just slightly turned his body to the side and avoided the attack! Following that... PHUCK¡ª Raye thrust his sword forward and stabbed the orc''s left thigh! -GRAAAAA??! The orc screamed in pain. And in response... SLASH¡ª Raye swung his sword down while it was still lunged in the orc''s thigh, opening a big cut wound there! ''Ivan''s sword is still sharp even after a hundred years, huh,'' Raye thought. -GRAAAAAH¡ª! The orc shrieked. BAM! BAM! BAM! And then it started raging, slamming its fists all over the place! "Shit!" Bam¡ª Luckily, Raye retreated quickly and wasn''t hit by any of them. BAM! BAM! BAM¡ª! The orc didn''t stop attacking everything in its vicinity. It was like a spoiled child having a tantrum. And seeing that... "Ugh." Raye groaned and frowned. Clap¡ª He clapped his hands in front of him... "[Lit up]" SWAAA¡ª Fwip¡ª And then he activated one of his skills¡ªthe fire bow and arrow! And after carefully aiming at the raging orc... "Fuuu..." Raye let out a deep breath. "[Shoot]" Fwoosh¡ª And then he released the fire arrow! BOOM! It hit the orc on its right shoulder and exploded on impact! Swoosh¡ª A small shockwave was created! The place where the orc stood before was covered in dust clouds! "..." Raye just looked at it, waiting for the dust to settle so he could see the orc''s condition. But as he was doing so... -GRAAAAAH!!! Raye heard an enraged scream inside the dust cloud! And after that... SWOOSH¡ª A tree trunk came flying in his direction! "?!" This surprised Raye! With his eyes widened... "Urgh!" Swish¡ª S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. He rolled to the side on the ground to avoid the tree! But as soon as he did... BAM! The orc came out of the dust cloud and rushed at him while he was still on the ground! "Fucking hell!" Raye exclaimed, trying to get up as quickly as possible. But before he could fully stand... -GRAAAAAHH!!! The orc reached him. SWOOSH¡ª And it launched a heavy right hook! Out of desperation... ''A shield!'' Raye thought, pouring mana into the silver ring on his left hand! And immediately after doing so... Swish¡ª It transformed into a beautiful small white shield! BANG! And it blocked the orc''s attack! Though... "Gurgh...!" Raye still felt the force behind the attack! Swoosh¡ª And it sent him flying away into the air! "Shit...!" Raye mumbled after being flung up. -GRAAAW!!! The orc roared with a crazed smile on its face. It was waiting below for Raye to come down! "..." Ignoring him... Swish¡ª Raye transformed the Wallace Family Treasure into a gauntlet covering his entire left arm while still in the air! And following that... Fwip¡ª He pointed his index finger at the orc... "[Bang] [Bang] [Bang]¡ª!" And then Raye started shooting randomly! And eventually... Psh¡ª -GRAAAAAHH!!! One of his bullets hit the orc''s left eye and destroyed it! And seeing that... "Hah!" Raye smirked! SWOOSH¡ª Then he swung his flaming sword vertically down with his right hand! In response... -GRAAAAAHH!! The orc punched upward with its right hand! TONK¡ª! Their attacks collided, making a weird sound! "Gargh...!?" Raye''s attack was deflected! He was pushed back... Tap¡ª So he landed on the ground awkwardly. "Its strength is such a cheat!" Raye exclaimed, glaring at the orc. "..." By now, his mana was nearing its limit. His left arm ached from blocking the orc''s earlier attack. He was starting to feel tired too. After all, Raye had just fought Chris and Ivan earlier... And so... Fwip¡ª Raye took a back stance. "I''ll finish this now..." He declared. Swoosh¡ª Gusts of wind surrounded his legs... -... The orc stood still, sensing something from Raye. It was watching him curiously. And while it remained like that... "[Flash]" Raye mumbled. BAM! And then he kicked off the ground! Swish¡ª His figure disappeared... Fwish¡ª And then reappeared right in front of the orc! But since the orc was ready... SWOOSH¡ª It predicted where Raye would reappear, punching its right fist downward in advance! "..." Watching the incoming fist aimed at his face... Fwip¡ª Raye raised his left hand, covered by a white full-metal gauntlet! He braced for impact with a grumpy look on his face... BAAAM!!! The orc''s fist collided with Raye''s left arm, producing a loud sound! Crack¡ª Raye''s left arm broke! "Urgh...!!!" He held back a scream. And while he did, from his back stance... SWOOSH¡ª He swung his sword upward with all his might! SLASH¡ª! He cut open the orc''s stomach and chest! -GRAAAAAAHHH!!! The orc screamed. And while his sword was still raised in the air... "Shut up!" Raye shouted. SLASH¡ª! Then he slashed diagonally downward! Opening a large wound on the orc''s neck! -GARGH?! The orc was shocked to feel blood gushing from his neck! And with its attention diverted... PHUCK¡ª! Raye immediately stabbed his sword into the orc''s heart! -GRRURGH?! Following that... "[Lit on]" SWAASHHH¡ª Raye set the orc''s insides on fire! And with a pained expression, Raye smiled... "I won, you fucking monster." And then he declared that! ***** (Raye''s POV) "Ugh, I got dirty again." Fwish¡ª I grumbled as I pulled my sword out of the body of the dead orc. The orc was like charcoal now. I burned its body pretty hard because of how annoyed I felt remembering what it did back then. Anyway... No blood spilled on my white shirt, fortunately. It was just soil and dust, so I patted it clean. The blood, well, it was caught by the cape Old Man Rey gave me. "Ugh..." I groaned in pain... "..." I looked at my left arm, where the pain was coming from. "Fuck." And then I saw it¡ªbent! Swish¡ª I transformed the gauntlet back into a ring. And obviously... My left arm was broken as fuck after blocking two direct attacks from the orc! And not just that... "Urgh...!" My left shoulder was dislocated as well! ¡ªThat looks like it hurts. Zephyrus appeared out of thin air and commented. ¡ªMeep... Then Pyro followed, agreeing with him. After that, Pyro looked at the orc I had just killed. And with a small, cute frown on his face... ¡ªMeep meep meep! Pyro started shouting at its dead body. ''Cute.'' I thought, watching him do that. Though, I understand why he was so angry at the orc. ... ***** After resting for a bit and popping my left shoulder back into place... "All done." I made small and simple graves for Timmy, Reggie, and the other escorts. And there... "..." -... Pyro and I prayed for their peaceful rest. -... Zephyrus joined us as well. And after finishing that... Bam¡ª I kicked off the ground and started dashing away from the area. Swoosh¡ª My legs were covered in gusts of wind that blasted the ground with each kick, significantly increasing my speed and letting me cover far distances in one step. Where was I heading? Back to the nameless village where we and the others rested before entering the forest. ''I need to find civilization.'' So, with that in mind... BAM! SWISH¡ª I increased my speed even more. ***** With how fast I was running... "..." I reached the village in under an hour. And now that I was back... "Haha..." ''There are humans other than me.'' I finally registered that I was really out of the shithole! ¡ªMeep meep! Pyro chirped excitedly, seeing other humans! And Zephyrus... -... He was speechless. He didn''t know what to say! He was really out in the world again after more than a hundred years! And so... -Haha... He just reacted the same way I did! ... ... Anyway, after entering the village... I immediately went back to the inn where we had rested before. "Ohh, it''s you again! I''m glad to see you alive!" The innkeeper greeted me as soon as I entered. And without further ado... "Your best room. I''ll take it for the night." I declared. "Also, bring me one of each of your meals to my room." I added afterward. And without waiting for the innkeeper''s response... Thud¡ª I threw a cloth bag onto the reception table. It had 15 gold coins inside. And once the innkeeper realized that... "Ah, gladly, sir!" Their treatment of me instantly became much better. I was even guided by the innkeeper himself into the biggest room on the highest floor of the inn. And there... "Please rest for a while sir, we''ll be preparing your orders now!" The innkeeper said that and left me in my room. I didn''t stop him because he left the reception table with no people, after all. Anyway... "..." The room was really big. It''s enough for three people to live in it comfortably. But I don''t really care about that at the moment... Swish¡ª I went and straight up lied down on the bed. And there... "..." I took a nap. I fell asleep fast because of exhaustion. Chapter 68 - 68: 68 - The Surprise! "Sir? Your orders are here!" Raye was woken up from his nap by the innkeeper. The food he had ordered was now at his door. "Ugh..." Raye immediately stood up when he heard that. And looking back at the bed... -meep... -mhmmn... He saw Pyro and Zephyrus sleeping peacefully. ''I should probably let them be for now.'' Raye thought, a smile on his face. Tap- tap- tap¡ª He walked toward the door of the room. Creak¡ª And after opening it... "Oh, did I disturb you?" The innkeeper greeted him. "Nah, it''s all good." Raye replied, slightly shaking his head. "I''m glad, then. Anyway, here are your orders." The innkeeper followed, handing Raye a big-ass tray with lots of food on it. "Well, half of your orders are still being prepared, but I''ll bring them up here as soon as possible." The innkeeper added awkwardly. "Thanks, I''ll count on you." Raye said as he took the tray from him, and after that... "Well then, see you later." "See you." Thud¡ª They finished their small talk. Looking at the tray in front of him... "..." Raye''s mouth started to water! Just the smell alone was already making him hungry! "Finally, properly seasoned and cooked food." Raye mumbled to himself. And after that... "Hup." He placed the tray of food on the table... Nom¡ª And then he started eating. -Meep...? -What''s that smell? Pyro and Zephyrus woke up not long after, they were smelling something delicious, after all. And after seeing Raye with a lot of food... -Meep! -Let me have some too! They joined him on the table. ***** Burp¡ª "Haaaa..." Raye was satisfied, his stomach was full as hell. -Meeep... -That''s good. Pyro and Zephyrus felt the same. They ate like savages. After all, it had been a long time since they ate something other than monster meat! That''s why Raye and the others didn''t care how they looked. They just stuffed food continuously into their mouths until they felt their bellies popping! Anyway, as they were sitting, stuffed... -How''s your left arm? Zephyrus asked Raye. And looking at him... "Shit." Raye replied. -Meep... Pyro was sleeping again, rolling on top of the table. He looks cute. And that''s when... -Why not use another enhancement pill? Zephyrus suggested that to Raye. -It won''t increase your strength that much this time, but it''ll make your condition better. He added, explaining. And hearing his words... "Really?" Raye asked. -Yep. Zephyrus nodded. And because he was annoyed at the aching he felt... "Okay, I''ll consume another pill." Raye immediately decided to take Zephyrus'' suggestion. And not wasting any second... He sat in lotus position on the floor and took out an enhancement pill from his spatial bag. And without further ado... Gulp- Raye swallowed it. ... ... After a few hours... "Huff... haaa... haaaa..." Raye successfully consumed an enhancement pill. His body was hot, and he was sweating a lot. -Wow, the effects of the enhancement pill on you was better this time than the last time... Zephyrus said, looking at him, surprised. But ignoring him... Raye looked at his left arm. And after opening and closing his left hand a few times... "Haha." He laughed. The pain was gone! And his left arm looked good as new! And as he was celebrating that fact... "Hello, sir?" The innkeeper called again from outside the room! Hearing his voice... "Good timing. I was hungry after absorbing the enhancement pill''s energy." Raye immediately stood up to open the door for him. -Food again! -Meep! Zephyrus and Pyro followed after him. ****** After eating the second batch of his orders... Raye, Pyro, and Zephyrus spent the rest of the day resting. They were just lying around, sleeping, and doing whatever they want. Pyro and Zephyrus played with each other... On the other hand, Raye meditated while lying down on the soft bed. Though, he got too comfortable and fell asleep while doing so... Then, after waking up, he took out some of the books he got from the mansion. ''I need to study, I don''t want to be left behind in academics.'' And with that in mind... "..." Raye started reading. And just like that... The next day arrived. ... ... "Have a safe trip, sir!" The innkeeper exclaimed happily as Raye exited the inn. Hearing him... "Thanks, it was a nice stay." Raye responded. -Their food is nice. Zephyrus commented. -Meep! And Pyro agreed with him. Though, the three of them enjoyed the comfortable bed the most, seeing how refreshed they are from sleeping a lot. Anyway... Tap- tap- tap¡ª Raye left the facility. And as soon as he did... "Oh, you were one of them." Raye saw the crazy looking old man who had warned him and the others before they entered the Misty Forest! "..." Raye''s eyes widened in surprise. He was speechless. "Where are the others?" The old man asked him. And hearing the question... Raye frowned. "..." He silently shook his head in response. Seeing that... "I''m sorry for your loss." The old man said to Raye. "They would still be here if we had listened to your warnings." Raye said, his voice was full of regret. And just then... Pat- pat¡ª The old man approached and patted Raye''s shoulders to console him. "Don''t worry. I understand why no one listens to me. I look like a crazed old man, after all." The old man stated. And following that... "I''m glad you survived." The old man added. His words felt magical. Hearing them... "Thanks." Raye felt his body lighten, as though a huge burden had been removed from his shoulders. He felt warmth in his heart. And though slightly, Raye let out a genuine smile. ... Raye and the old man talked for a bit. And after that... "I''ll be off now." Raye said his goodbye. "Stay safe." The old man said. "You too." And Raye replied. Thump¡ª Raye handed the old man a cloth bag. "Hm?" The old man was confused, but Raye just smiled at him. "I''ve taken care of the monster in the forest." Raye said. And after that... Bam¡ª He kicked off the ground and left the village! S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The bag had tens of gold coins in it, by the way. Raye gave it to the old man in hope it helps him live more comfortably. ... ***** After a couple of days... Back at the academy, in Old Man Rey''s cabin... Old Man Rey, Jerusha, Lena, Devin, Kyle, and Lycus were all together. Today was the day... The day they would venture out of the academy to find Raye! "Here, this is a communication device." Lena said, handing a pearl-looking artifact to Jerusha. "In case you miss him and he comes back, we''ll let you know immediately." She added. Taking the artifact... "Thanks." Jerusha replied with a smile. "We''ll be off now." She said. "..." Lena nodded in response. "Take care." Kyle said. "Be careful out there." Then Old Man Rey followed. "We''ll surely bring him back!" Devin exclaimed with a smile. "I''ll try my best to find him." Lycus then declared. They all exchanged words of goodluck and goodbyes. And after that... Jerusha, Devin, and Lycus were set to leave! They have this determined look in their eyes. Though, before they could even turn their backs... "Oh, everyone''s here." They heard a voice behind them. It was new yet familiar. They knew the voice so well! And when everyone turned toward it... "What''s the occasion?" They saw Raye, casually standing a few meters away from them! ***** "..." Old Man Rey, Jerusha, Kyle, Lena, Devin, and Lycus just stared at Raye. They were silent, their eyes wide. They clearly weren''t expecting Raye to just suddenly appear in front of them! Especially after preparing so hard to search for him! They''re not even sure if they were really seeing things right! Just then... "What?" Raye asked, seeing them just staring. It was getting awkward. But after a few seconds... "You brat! Where have you been?!" Old Man Rey exclaimed, smiling as he approached Raye. And seeing him do that... "Haha, it''s a long story." Raye replied with a laugh. After reaching him... "I''m glad to see you''re safe." The Old Man said that to Raye. "..." Raye smiled, hearing his words. And with a slight nod... "I''m glad to see you doing fine too." Raye responded. And after that... "Brother Raye!" Kyle exclaimed, rushing to hug Raye. "Oof." Raye received Kyle with open arms. And tapping his back... "How''s your business?" Raye asked. "Never been better!" Kyle answered, pulling away from the hug. Meanwhile, while Raye happily reunited with Old Man Rey and Kyle... "..." The others were still staring at him, wide-eyed. Because... ''The atmosphere around Raye has changed!'' They thought. And they''re not just talking about a small change, it''s similar to when Raye''s personality just changed one day! Also, just by seeing his confident stance and feeling the calm aura around him... Jerusha, Lena, Devin, and Lycus instinctively knew Raye had gotten ridiculously strong! ''What happened to him?'' They all wondered in unison. But then... "!" Raye looked in their direction. And with a calm smile... "I''m happy to see you guys here." He said. And hearing his words... "..." ''Ugh, fuck it.'' They stopped thinking and approached Raye. They have a lot of questions they want to ask him, but that''s for later. For now, they decided to be happy for his return. Chapter 69 - 69: 69 - Back to Normal After greeting everyone¡­ "Let''s go inside." Raye said that and entered the cabin with the others. And after sitting down¡­ "What happened to you?" Old Man Rey asked him. And with that... "Well¡­" Raye began recounting what had happened to him outside the academy. He thought they deserved to know. After all, they had tried so hard to help him. ***** After Raye finished telling his story¡­ "¡­" "¡­" "¡­" Everyone in the cabin went completely silent. They didn''t know what to say. They couldn''t believe what they had just heard. In the span of one month¡­ A lot of tragedies had happened to Raye! On the first day, he had to kill bandits in self-defense. And they realized how much he had suffered mentally because of it. Raye also made new friends during his travels¡­ And then he saw them die right before his eyes! Not even a week after meeting them! That wasn''t all¡­ He and his friends had been abandoned by the merchant group, left to die as bait for an orc while they escaped! On that same day, Raye had fallen and ended up stuck in a dungeon! He survived in that place for a month with almost nothing on him! Raye survived by eating monster meat and drinking warm spring water the entire time! During his time in the dungeon, Raye met a master¡ªIvan. He learned swordsmanship from Ivan, and the two grew close. But in the end, on the day Raye was about to leave the dungeon¡­ He was forced to kill Ivan with his own two hands! And finally, after escaping the dungeon¡­ Raye faced the orc that had caused his ordeal! All of this happened in just one month! When you think about it, it''s incredible that Raye was still alive at this point! Just recalling what he had gone through brought frowns to everyone''s faces. ''No wonder he''s changed.'' Jerusha, Lena, Devin, and Lycus thought in unison. Now they understood why Raye had grown stronger. Amidst the silence in the room¡­ "You had it rough, huh." Old Man Rey said softly. "I''m sorry for not being able to help you." He added. "No¡ª" Raye was about to protest, but the Old Man cut him off. "I''m glad you survived and came back here." He said. "..." Raye fell silent. Then, while sitting, he slightly bowed his head. And with a small smile on his face¡­ "Yeah, I''m glad to be back." Raye declared that. "Hmm, welcome back." Old Man Rey replied. And after that¡­ "¡­" Pat- pat¡ª He lightly hugged Raye, gently tapping his back to comfort him. Feeling the warmth of the embrace¡­ "¡­" Raye calmed down. And for the first time in a long while¡­ "Thanks." Raye let his guard down and allowed himself to relax. They stayed like that for a moment¡­ "Anyway¡­" Then Old Man Rey suddenly spoke, breaking the hug. And looking at everyone... "I''ll cook something. Everyone stay for lunch." He said that with a smile on his face. ***** -Meep meep! Pyro chirped happily, jumping into Jerusha''s hands. "Pyro, I''ve missed you!" Jerusha exclaimed, seeing him. "He looks rounder. What''s he been eating?" Old Man Rey mumbled, glancing at Pyro. ''Cute.'' Then Lena thought to herself, feeling a bit jealous of Jerusha for holding Pyro. Meanwhile, as the four of them interacted¡­ "I appreciate you guys trying to help me." Raye said as he saw Devin, Kyle, and Lycus off at the door. "I''m just repaying a favor." Lycus replied. "Same here." And Kyle followed with a warm smile. "I''m your friend, it''s obvious I''d help." Devin said proudly. Hearing their words brought a smile on Raye''s face. "Anyway, see you guys around." Raye said. And after that... "See you around." "Come visit the shop later, you''ll be surprised!" "See you tomorrow in class!" Lycus, Kyle, and Devin left the cabin. And after seeing them leave¡­ Tap- tap- tap¡ª Raye walked back to where the others were. -And here I thought you were friendless. Zephyrus suddenly appeared and commented. "Not gonna lie, I thought the same." Raye replied with a smile. Tap- And then he regrouped with the others. "Ohh, who''s that?" Jerusha asked, noticing Zephyrus sitting on top of Raye''s head. She could feel a strong spirit energy emanating from him. "¡­" Lena also felt the same energy from the white chick, observing it curiously. "Another one like this guy?" Then Old Man Rey asked, referring to Pyro resting in his hands. Hearing their questions... Zephyrus puffed out his chest proudly. -My name is Zephyrus! Then he declared that! -And I''m a great Wind Spirit! He added, attempting to be intimidating! "¡­" "¡­" "¡­" Everyone went silent after hearing him. And after a few seconds¡­ "How cute!" Jerusha exclaimed that! "Pfft¡­" Old Man Rey tried his best to hold in his laughter! "¡­" And Lena simply smiled as she looked at Zephyrus! ''He''s funny.'' She thought! No one took Zephyrus seriously. And seeing that¡­ "Hah¡­" Raye chuckled a little. -¡­ Zephyrus frowned deeply, visibly annoyed. -Meep! And Pyro consoled him, assuring him he was cool. ***** After a while, when it was getting dark¡­ "We''re heading out too." Jerusha and Lena announced. "Take care." Raye said to them. "Come again anytime." Then Old Man Rey added. Before leaving¡­ "Next week, there will be a class re-evaluation." Lena informed Raye. ''The filler arc starts next week, huh.'' Raye thought. "The academy will continue after that." Lena added. "Thanks for letting me know." And then Raye replied, grateful. "I''ll see you tomorrow, let''s catch up on your training!" Jerusha butted in enthusiastically. She was referring to their private spirit magic class. "Yeah, see you tomorrow." Raye responded to her. And after another exchange of goodbyes... Tap- tap- tap¡ª Jerusha and Lena left the cabin. Though, before they got far¡­ "Ah!" Jerusha turned back to look at Raye again. And while smiling... "I''m glad you''re back." She said that. Fwoosh¡ª Then she flew away using her wind spirit magic. "¡­" Lena watched Jerusha fly off, then glanced at Raye. And with a serious expression on her face... "You two dating?" She asked. "No." Raye answered immediately, straight-faced. "Hmm¡­" But Lena didn''t seem convinced. "Whatever." She said. Fwish¡ª Then she flew away as well. "¡­" ''I really want to fly.'' Raye thought, watching the two girls soar freely in the sky. "Hah! What a situation you''re in, huh." Old Man Rey then remarked beside him with a laugh. And frowning... "It''s not like that." Raye said that. "Sure, whatever." The Old Man replied, still smiling teasingly. "Ugh¡­" And Raye groaned, knowing he''d be hearing about this for a while. ***** Back inside the cabin¡­ "I''m going to sleep now. You should rest too." Old Man Rey said that. And with a nod... "Okay, goodnight." Raye replied. Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Rest well. Goodnight." The Old Man followed. Creak¡ª Thud- And then he entered his room. "¡­" Raye looked at his own room''s door. Then slowly¡­ Creak¡ª He opened it. And seeing the inside... "It''s clean." Raye murmured. Everything was spotless¡ªhis bed and the little furniture in the room. It was evident someone had taken proper care of it all this time. It was likely Old Man Rey. And knowing that¡­ "¡­" Raye smiled silently. Tap- After stepping inside, he let out a tired sigh. "Haaaa¡­" Then Raye laid down on his bed. "This is the most comfortable bed ever." He mumbled. -Meep¡­ And Pyro agreed! -Hmm, this is strangely comfy for something this small. Even Zephyrus agreed! "Mhmm¡­" Raye closed his eyes. And then he thought of today... ''Today was nice.'' His reunion with Old Man Rey and the others brought a smile to his face. And with that thought¡­ ''I''m finally home.'' Raye said that to himself. ''The rabbit stew earlier was great too.'' He added, smiling. And after a while¡­ "¡­" Raye fell asleep. -... -... Pyro and Zephyrus too. ***** The next morning¡­ "Wow." Raye woke up early, feeling fully refreshed. -¡­ -¡­ Pyro and Zephyrus were still sleeping, so he left the room quietly. Outside the cabin, Raye grabbed a piece of bread. And after eating it... "Time to chop." He began chopping logs immediately! In the middle of his work¡­ "You brat! You should be resting!" Old Man Rey came out of the cabin, yelling at him. "Haha, don''t worry, I''m all good!" Raye replied with a grin. "Tch." The Old Man clicked his tongue but didn''t stop him. Instead... "I''ll cook breakfast, let''s eat later." And with that¡­ As if he hadn''t disappeared for a month, Raye returned to his normal routine! ''I don''t want to dwell on the past.'' Raye thought as he continued chopping logs. Though, as he was doing that... "Hmm..." Raye started to wonder about his next step. Especially... ''The class re-evaluation.'' Lena said it was next week. It''s just a filler in the game. But it was still a significant event that would make the main characters shine. In this event, it will show that the main characters got stronger too, not just Leon¡ªthe protagonist. So, Raye had been wondering... "Maybe I should show them that I got stronger too." He plans to go all out in the class re-evaluation! Chapter 70 - 70: 70 - A Day After Returning After hunting with the Old Man again in the Northern Forest after a long time... "Time for a bath." Raye washed himself in the nearby river. He hadn''t taken a bath even once when he was stuck in the dungeon mansion... But he had managed to take some on his way back to the academy, making stops at inns. Even so, Raye still felt dirty, so he was really excited about taking baths now. And he figured it would probably stay that way for a while. Anyway, after taking a long bath... "Let''s eat." Raye returned to the cabin and ate lunch with Old Man Rey. And while they were eating... "The cape you gave me became ragged. Sorry." Raye said that. The Old Man had already seen the cape. After all, Raye had come back wearing it yesterday. It wasn''t in good condition, that was for sure. Glancing at Raye... "Did it help you?" The Old Man asked. And pausing his meal to respond... "Yeah, a lot." Raye replied. The Old Man nodded his head. Then, before returning to his food... "Then it''s all good. Don''t worry about it." He said that reassuringly. "..." Raye smiled. And after that, they both continued eating. -This is some nice deer meat! Zephyrus commented in the background as he ate with Pyro. -Meep meep! Pyro replied, agreeing with him. ***** After lunch... Raye headed to the library immediately. ''It''s been a while.'' He thought on the way. And when he reached his destination... Everything seemed normal. The students, the place, the atmosphere¡ªeverything. ''I bet they didn''t even notice I was missing.'' Raye thought as he stood in front of the library entrance, looking at the students. And then... Tap¡ª He entered. And as soon as he walked through the entrance... "Oh, I haven''t seen you in a while. I thought you went missing or something." Someone greeted him! It was the library receptionist. "..." Raye was surprised. He hadn''t expected anyone to notice his absence. Though, acting casually... "Erm, something unexpected happened." He replied. "Well, I can see that. This month has been pretty chaotic, after all." The receptionist responded, shaking her head. "Anyway, glad to see you back. I enjoy watching students like you who are diligent about reading." Then she added quickly. "See you around." She said with a smile. "Yeah, thanks." Raye responded. And with that... Tap- tap- tap¡ª Their small talk ended. ''I didn''t expect someone to approach and talk to me. That''s new.'' Raye thought. Tap- tap- tap¡ª Then he continued toward his usual table. ... At his usual place... "Hello." Lena was there. S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Pretty shocking to see you here. I thought you wouldn''t be around for a few days." She said. After sitting opposite her... "Meh, I''m pretty behind with studies, and I don''t have anything else to do anyway." Raye replied. "Hmm..." Lena looked at him for a few moments. And then... "Ask me anything if you get stuck. I''ll help you." She said that casually before returning to her book! "..." Raye was silent. He didn''t expect her to offer help. But then, nodding his head... "Okay, I''ll do that. Thanks." He replied, grateful. ***** Raye studied with Lena for over four hours. He frequently asked her questions, knowing the opportunity to study with one of the most intelligent main characters didn''t come by often. So he took full advantage of it... Oh, and by now, he''d stopped worrying too much about interacting with the main characters. His life had already been threatened too many times for the butterfly effect to scare him anymore. Not that he intended to change the story. He just figured if it was beneficial to him and the relationship was good, why not, right? Anyway, that''s that... Currently, Raye was on his way to Kyle''s shop. "I wonder how he''s doing." He mumbled while walking. ''I''ve been gone for a month, so the shop has probably changed a lot.'' Raye thought curiously. And feeling expectant... Tap- tap- tap¡ª He hurried his steps. And after a while... Tap- He reached Kyle''s shop. ***** "..." Raye was speechless as he looked at Kyle''s shop. The small stand that had been there a month ago was gone. Instead... There was a full-on bar standing in front of him! ''Am I in the wrong place?'' Raye wondered. But as if to answer his question... "Brother Raye!" Kyle came out of the building and ran toward him. "..." "Welcome! Let''s go inside!" Kyle said after reaching him. "This is the shop?" Raye asked, surprised. "Heh." And proudly... "Yep." Kyle replied with a smile. And as if that wasn''t enough of a shock... "Surprised?" Devin suddenly came out of the bar and approached Raye! ''What the fuck is going on?'' Raye asked in his head. ... ... Sitting inside the bar, Kyle and Devin explained everything. Apparently, after Raye went missing, Kyle became desperate to find him. He tried risky trades and partnerships for money. Money that he would use to search for Raye. But then Devin, hearing about this, stopped Kyle. Devin understood Kyle''s feelings but knew nothing good would come from his actions. Luckily, as a noble¡ªeven from a declining family¡ªDevin had connections to merchants. And so, he teamed up with Kyle. Kyle used his family''s resources, while Devin reached out to his contacts. At first, people were reluctant to partner with or invest in them because of their age. But they changed opinions with their performance. And knce given the opportunity, they expanded the business rapidly! "So now, Devin and I own the shop." Kyle concluded. "Crazy..." Raye mumbled, stunned by their story. Then looking at them... "So this place isn''t fully paid off yet?" Raye asked. Devin nodded. "Yeah, we mortgaged some of my family''s land to get a loan. We need to pay it off by the end of the year." Then he explained. "I told him he didn''t have to do that, but he insisted." Kyle added. Looking at Devin... "Thanks." Raye thanked him. "It''s nothing." Devin replied casually. But then... Fwip¡ª Raye took out a cloth bag from his spatial bag. Thud¡ª And then he tossed it onto the table. "...?" Kyle and Devin were confused. Before they could ask... "Pay off the loan." Raye said that. Hearing his words... "Huh?" Kyle''s eyes widened. Fwish¡ª The be quickly grabbed the bag and opened it! "Wha..." Revealing rare gemstones worth up to 100 gold coins each¡ªand there were over ten of them inside! "..." Kyle was speechless. "Are these from the dungeon you got stuck in?" Devin asked, astonished. "Yep." Then Raye replied. "We can''t accept this. You risked your life for it." Kyle protested. But with just a shrug... "Just consider it my investment in the business." Raye said that. "And as thanks for helping the Old Man, I heard you guys took care of him a lot." He added with a soft smile. "..." Kyle and Devin frowned, exchanging glances. But after thinking about it... Devin nodded his head. Then finally... "Fine." Kyle said that! He wasn''t confident about taking this much from Raye before. But now, it''s different. "I''ll make sure you profit from this. I''ll make you rich." Kyle said, his voice filled with resolve. And with a smirk on his face... "Great, that''s exactly what I''m expecting for you guys to do." Raye replied casually. ***** After that, Raye ate together with Devin and Kyle. They also gave him a tour of the shop... It was just a one-floor building, but to Raye, it was still impressive¡ªespecially since he knew where this shop had started. ''This didn''t happen in the game.'' Raye thought to himself. Something outside the original game scenario had occurred, but nevertheless... "Haha..." He couldn''t help but chuckle softly, feeling genuinely happy about it. ''The shop became a tavern, huh.'' Raye mused, looking around. The place was lively and filled with people. Some were drinking ale, while others enjoyed roasted meat. ''The atmosphere is nice.'' The customers looked cheerful, and the shop was spotless. "..." Raye smiled silently. Then, as he turned his gaze toward Kyle, he felt a sense of pride well up inside him. His eyes shifted to Devin, and a wave of gratitude followed. ''These guys weren''t significant in the game, but look at them now. They''re this talented.'' He thought with admiration. ... ... After eating for a bit... Raye left the shop and immediately headed back to the cabin. And by the time he got there... It was already about 7 PM. In his normal routine, Raye would''ve started his repair of the cabin as soon as he came back. But today... "Ehhh..." He''s feeling kinda lazy to do it. Like, he''s not just feeling it... And luckily for him... "Hello!" Jerusha arrived early! "Oh, you''re not working?" She asked, seeing Raye just sitting on a tree stump. "Nope, I don''t have the energy to." Raye replied, shaking his head. "Well, you do need to rest." Jerusha said. "..." Then Raye frowned. Just thinking about resting and not doing anything... It''s already boring him. So instead... "What if I just show you the new skills that I created?" He suggested that. And hearing his words... "What?!" Jerusha''s eyes shone brightly. And excitedly... "Yes, show me!" She exclaimed that. Chapter 71 - 71: 71 - Skill Showcasing [1] Raye and Jerusha immediately headed into the Northern Forest. To where they usually hold their private lessons on spirit magic. -Meep! -Hmm... Pyro and Zephyrus were with them, of course. -There''s a lot of spirits here, huh? Zephyrus said, looking around. Then, astonished... "Yeah, there are." Raye replied to him. He could see them all now! All the spirits! "You can see them?!" Jerusha asked, hearing his words. And, excitedly... "Yeah, I can." Raye responded with a smile. -Ohhh, you can see us now! -Hello again, Raye! -You got a lot stronger, huh! The spirits talked to Raye. They were all gathering around him. Right now, Raye looked like a princess from an animated movie! ''I guess I did get a lot stronger.'' Raye thought to himself. And with a small smile on his face... "Hello there." He started interacting with the spirits. -Meep! Pyro started playing with the younger ones. -Pleasure to meet you. And Zephyrus socialized with the older ones. And happily... "Hehe." Jerusha joined them. ***** After a while... Raye and Jerusha continued on to the main reason they were in the Northern Forest in the first place. The spirits were now watching Raye from the sidelines, curious. Anyway, moving on... "What''s the first skill you''ll show me?" Jerusha asked Raye. Then, Raye, after thinking for a bit... "The Flash Step." He answered. "Hmm, what is it?" "It''s a mobility skill, inspired by your wind-flying thingy skill." Then he explained. "Ohhh, so it''s a skill you made with Zephyrus?" Jerusha asked. "Hm." And Raye just nodded his head in response. "I wanna see it!" Jerusha exclaimed. And after that... "Sure thing." Raye responded. Tap- tap- tap¡ª Then he started walking away from Jerusha. And when there was about 15 meters of distance between them... Tap¡ª He stopped and looked at her. "You ready?" Raye asked. "Yep." Jerusha replied, nodding her head. Fwip- And then Raye crouched down, ready to take off. ''I wonder what he would do.'' Jerusha wondered. And as soon as she did... "[Flash]" She heard Raye''s voice. And the next thing she knew... Bam¡ª "?!" "Sup." Raye was standing in front of her! "..." Jerusha was speechless, looking at Raye with widened eyes! And seeing her reaction... "Heh." A twisted smirk appeared on Raye''s face! He didn''t say anything, though. Jerusha was really shocked. She knew she hadn''t been paying proper attention earlier... But she''s still a sophomore who participates in combat classes! Meaning that she wouldn''t normally miss things that get near her, unless they were super fast! That just showed how fast Raye was! Anyway, after breaking out of her stupor... "Do it again, I didn''t catch it!" Jerusha exclaimed. And casually... "Sure." Raye responded. He didn''t walk away this time. Instead, he turned his back to Jerusha... Fwip- And after crouching down... Swoosh¡ª Gusts of wind covered his legs! Jerusha saw that and was immediately amazed. And after that... "[Flash]" Bam¡ª Raye disappeared from his spot! Fwish- And he reappeared meters away from Jerusha! "..." Jerusha was silent again. Though this time... ''I saw it.'' She saw how Raye''s skill worked! ''He''s really amazing.'' Jerusha thought, looking at Raye. ''He creates absurd skills that don''t use a lot of mana.'' She added. And with a frown on her face... "He would''ve been super strong if he had a big mana pool." Jerusha mumbled that under her breath. ***** After showing off his Flash Step... Raye was planning to show Jerusha the Blaze next. Though... "I forgot my sword." He hadn''t brought any weapon with him. "Do we go back to the cabin and get it?" Jerusha asked. And immediately... "No, I''ll figure it out." Raye responded. He was too lazy to go back and forth from here to the cabin. And so... "..." He looked around, curious. And after a while of searching... "This could work." Raye found a stick, it was as long as Ivan''s sword that he used now. Swish- swoosh¡ª He swung it a few times. And seeing that it didn''t break... "Yep, this would work." Raye said that. "Ohh, so you''re using that?" Jerusha butted in and asked him. "Yeah." Raye simply replied, looking at her. And without asking her any further... "[Blaze]" Raye muttered! SWAAAAAAA¡ª Then a violent, raging fire came out of his hand and swallowed the stick he was holding like a sword in his right hand! Watching this... "..." Jerusha frowned in surprise, she was silent again! Though, while she was like that... "Can you like, provide a target for me?" Raye asked her. "Oh..." Jerusha was surprised, but after that... "[Rock Pillar]" She used one of her skills! GRRRR¡ª The ground shook! "?!" Raye''s eyes widened. And only a few seconds later... FWISH¡ª A five-meter-tall pillar rose from the ground in front of Raye! ''She''s really amazing.'' Raye thought. SWOOSH¡ª And then he proceeded to slash his flaming stick horizontally! SLASH¡ª Cutting the pillar straight in half! THUD¡ª Watching the pillar she made fall... "..." Jerusha didn''t say anything. Then, turning his attention to Raye... ''He''s really amazing.'' She thought of that. ***** "Just how do you create skills like these?" Jerusha asked, approaching Raye and observing his flaming sword. Though, as she was doing so... Psh- The stick Raye was holding crumbled into dust. "Oh..." Raye mumbled. "Hmm, so it consumes your weapon''s durability, huh." Jerusha said, noticing what happened. "Yeah, that''s the downside of the skill." Raye responded. Looking at him... "..." Jerusha squinted her eyes. "With this, you have three skills with Pyro and one skill with Zephyrus." Then she said. Though... "I actually have two skills with Zephyrus, I just couldn''t use the other one very well at the moment." S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Raye corrected her. And hearing him... "Huh?" Jerusha was in disbelief. Then, curiously... "What''s the other one?" She asked. "I don''t know what to call it, so I just named it Tear." Raye casually responded. "Can you show me?" Jerusha requested to see it. And with a smirk on his face... "That''s why we''re here in the first place, right?" Raye responded. Chapter 72 - 72: 72 - Skill Showcasing [2] Raye prepared himself. He hadn''t used Tear much because there had been no opportunity back in the dungeon. Also, since his proficiency with it was still low, its damage was low compared to its mana consumption. So, Raye had deemed it unsuitable for combat back then. Anyway... Tap¡ª Raye stood in front of a tree. Jerusha was beside him, watching expectantly. Pat¡ª Raye put his left hand on the trunk. And with his eyes closed... "..." He started concentrating. After a few seconds... SWOOSH¡ª A very compressed, sharp gusts of wind covered his entire left arm! "...!" Jerusha stayed silent, but her eyes widened. Then without further ado... "[Tear]" Raye mumbled that word! And immediately after... SLASH¡ª The tree Raye was touching was cut in two! Thud¡ª "Wha..." Jerusha was unable to finish her words after seeing that. Looking at the fallen part of the tree, Jerusha saw the area where Raye had been touching earlier. And there... "..." She saw many small but deep cuts in the trunk! ''He''s really good at this.'' Jerusha thought, pertaining in creating skills. Having missed Raye''s Flash Step earlier, she watched closely so she wouldn''t miss Blaze or Tear. And because of that... Jerusha saw what happened to the tree! ''After compressing sharp gusts of wind, Raye activated his skill, and immediately after doing so...'' ''The winds shot forward at the tree trunk, cutting it cleanly!'' Jerusha thought, recalling what she had seen. ''After that, the other small sharp gusts of wind scattered and cut the tree all over the trunk!'' She added, explaining. Anyway, cutting off her train of thought... "What do you think?" Raye asked her. "Hm?" Jerusha looked at him. And she just stared at his face. Then, after a while... "The name is boring, change it." Jerusha said that. "Ugh, I know." Raye responded, slightly hurt by her blunt words. (Help Raye name his skill; he can''t find a suitable name. Definitely not because of the author.) ***** After Raye finished showcasing his skills... "You can see spirits now because your mana sensitivity increased a lot. Though, I can''t say the same for your mana pool." "You can''t get contracted with your third spirit yet." Jerusha started teaching him again about spirit magic. -She knows a lot of things, huh. Zephyrus said, talking to another spirit. -Yeah, she knows a lot about us. That''s why we like her. Then, a blue eagle-looking spirit responded to him. Meanwhile... -Meep meep! -Kyu! -Beep boop! Pyro was playing with the other young spirits. Anyway, going back to Jerusha and Raye... "I''ll teach you how to summon your contracted spirits." Jerusha declared that. And being interested to learn... "..." Raye listened properly. "Hmm." Jerusha nodded her head, seeing him like that. "As you can see, I''m not always with my spirits. After all, I''m contracted with many of them, unlike you." And then she said that innocently! Raye frowned. ''The last part was uncalled for.'' He thought but didn''t say anything. Continuing... "And this time, I''m gonna show you how to do this." Jerusha said. Then opening her mouth... "[Phobos]" Jerusha mumbled that. And Raye recognized that name! SWOOOOOSH¡ª A strong gust of wind surrounded Jerusha. "Urgh...!" Raye felt like he was being blown away! -Meep?! -Kyu?! -Ugh, this mana...?! And it was the same for the spirits! ''What the heck?!'' Raye cursed inside his head, feeling the strong wave of mana overwhelming him. And after a while... Fwish¡ª The wind disappeared, but the strong mana remained. "..." Raye looked in Jerusha''s direction. And there... -Greetings, Raye. He saw a white Griffin, standing over 5 meters tall! Acting unfazed... "Ah, hello." Raye responded. He was nervous. And luckily for him... "Now, let''s start!" Jerusha butted in, cutting his interaction with Phobos short. "Right, let''s start." Raye said awkwardly. ----- In the background... Raye and Jerusha didn''t notice. -Phobos? -Zephyrus? But it seems like Zephyrus and Phobos know each other! ***** Even after trying for a few hours... "Ugh." Raye was unsuccessful in learning spirit summoning. And now, their private lesson had ended... "It''s okay, you''ll get it later." Jerusha said, reassuring Raye. With a slight nod... "Yeah." Raye responded, frustrated. And with that, they headed back to the cabin after saying goodbye to the spirits. -Meep! -See you tomorrow. Pyro and Zephyrus said. Oh, and Phobos left earlier, going back to rest deep in the forest. ... ... After getting back to the cabin... "Oh, you two are back. Let''s eat." Old Man Rey greeted Jerusha and Raye. And with that, the three of them had dinner together. -Meep! -Mhmm... With Pyro and Zephyrus, of course. ***** After eating, Jerusha quickly excused herself. Old Man Rey and Raye saw her off. After that... The two of them went to their rooms, saying their goodnight to each other. And now, lying on his bed... "..." Raye stared at the ceiling. ''I should probably fix that next.'' sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. He thought. Then... "Not all butterfly effects are bad, huh." He muttered that to himself! His proof of this statement was Kyle and Devin! Something good had happened because of him existing. And knowing that... "..." Raye smiled silently. ''Hmm, if my existence is gonna bring change anyway, let''s just make it a good change.'' And then he thought! Raye had been thinking about this for a while now. Seeing Kyle and Devin succeed, he decided to go with it now! ''I''ll just use my knowledge from the game and use it to my advantage.'' He added. Then Raye started planning and thinking about things. He still wasn''t directly messing with the main scenarios, though. And after a while of that... "..." Raye fell asleep. -... -... Pyro and Zephyrus were already fast asleep long ago. ***** The next day... Raye''s daily routine continued as normal. This time, he started fixing the cabin again after getting back from Kyle and Devin''s shop. After that, he trained spirit summoning with Jerusha in the Northern Forest. Phobos visited them. Giving Raye pointers, which he was thankful for. And this routine of him continued for days. And just like that... A week passed. And the day of the class re-evaluation arrived. Chapter 73 - 73: 73 - Class Re-evaluation Day On the day of the Class Re-evaluation... Raye woke up early. He cleaned his room and the cabin, then cut some logs to be used as firewood. And afterward, he took a bath in the nearby river. After taking a bath... Raye started preparing to leave. "Hmm, I need new sets of uniforms." He said, feeling the tightness in his body after wearing the jacket and trousers. His muscles were now bulging out of it. -That looks uncomfortable. Zephyrus said, looking at him. -Meep meep... Pyro agreed. Looking at them... "Yeah, I feel really restricted." Raye responded. But it''s not like he could do something about it right now. And so... "I''m leaving now." Raye just let it be for now. "Take care, good luck." Old Man Rey said to him before he left. "Thanks, I will." And after that... Tap- tap- tap¡ª Raye headed to Xapham Hall. ***** "Hmm, this is a weird feeling." Raye thought, standing at the entrance of Xapham Hall. There were students everywhere. He wasn''t getting weird looks anymore. And also... ''I don''t feel like I need to prove myself to anyone anymore.'' Raye was freed from the others'' opinions about him! Being exposed to danger for a month, where he could lose his life at any moment... "Hmm." Raye''s thinking changed by a lot compared to when he just got transmigrated here! He didn''t care if he was hated or not this time. After all, it''s not like it''ll kill him to be hated! Not just that, Raye came to realize that just because the game proceeded like in the game, didn''t mean he''d survive. Given that he had almost died in a completely different area, outside the game scenarios! "I guess there''s really no need to follow the plot." Raye declared. His goal was to survive in the first place, not to finish the game scenarios! And so, with that in mind... ''Okay, let''s go get that scholarship now.'' Raye said that in his head! ***** This time around, the Class Re-evaluation wouldn''t have a stats screening. Instead, it''d be just a full-blown physical examination and written exams. And currently... Raye was standing in front of the door of the designated room for the written exam. Creak¡ª He opened it. And upon doing so... "Oh, hello." Sariel saw and greeted him. "I haven''t seen you in a while. Where have you been?" He asked Raye. Sariel knew there had been chaos in the academy the whole month, but he still thought it was weird not seeing Raye even once during that time. Anyway... "Something happened, so yeah..." Raye responded. And hearing his words... "Hmm..." Sariel nodded his head. "Well, I''m glad to see you''re doing fine. Good luck on the exam." He added. "..." Raye was silent. And looking at Sariel... "Thanks, I''ll do my best." Raye replied, smiling at him. "You''re a really good professor, you know that?" And then he went and added that! Tap- tap- tap¡ª Raye left, finding himself a seat in the front row. And on the other hand... "..." Sariel was left flustered at the door. It was his first time being told that he was a good professor, and he didn''t expect to hear it from none other than Raye! "Haha, he''s really changed." Sariel laughed, feeling genuinely happy. And with that, after a while... The examination started. ***** "How did you do?" Sariel asked Raye, taking his answer sheets. And with a smirk... "Can''t you see it in my face?" Raye responded while handing his papers. It had been three hours since the examination started, and with five subjects to take, each having 60 questions... Raye finished them all with an hour to spare! Anyway, seeing his confident smile... "Hmm, you did a lot better than last time, huh." Sariel said that, remembering the time when Raye didn''t finish the exam on time and he had to stay a little longer to wait for him. Raye remembered that too and smiled. Then, shrugging his shoulders... "I''ve learned my lesson there and studied really hard for this." Raye said that. And after that... "Okay okay, you''re dismissed now." Sariel excused him with a smile. And so... "See you later, Professor Sariel." Tap- tap- tap¡ª Creak¡ª Thud¡ª Raye left the room. ***** "Hmm, I''m early." Raye said, standing in front of the door of the indoor training ground where the physical examination would take place. But given that he had nowhere to go... "Meh." Creak¡ª Raye entered the room anyway. And inside... "Huh, I guess I''m not the only one who''s early." He saw five other people, and all of them were characters from the game! "..." They were all looking at Raye. "..." Raye just looked back at them, unfazed. But after a while... "Meh." Tap- tap- tap¡ª He ignored them and sat on the wooden bench in the resting area, sitting pretty far away from them. -They are still looking. Zephyrus said, resting on top of his head. "Just let them be." Raye responded, totally unbothered. Though, unlike him... "Tch." It seemed like someone was bothered. Raye looked at the guy who clicked his tongue. And there... "..." Raye saw a guy with long white hair similar to him. His eyes were red, and he was undeniably handsome. You could tell he was a fierce person. The young man kept looking at Raye... "..." Raye just stared at him. Then after a while... "Tch." He frowned and clicked his tongue too! Fwip¡ª And then turned away from the guy! The guy was provoked by this! And seeing this scene... "Pfft..." "Bruh." "Raye''s too funny." "Heh." The other four in the room chuckled! Annoying the other guy even more! Anyway, Raye knew the white-haired young man... It was Allen Iverson¡ªLeon''s rival and another student from the S Class! ''What''s his problem? As far as I know, the original Raye didn''t do anything to him.'' -meeeeep... Raye thought, holding the sleeping Pyro with both hands. He could still feel Allen staring straight at him intently. It was uncomfortable as fuck. But still... "..." Raye just ignored him. ''Ugh, I just know he''ll do something annoying later.'' He thought, slightly frowning. ***** After an hour... "Oh, you''re here already." "Hello, Raye!" Lena and Devin arrived in the room, immediately approaching Raye. sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Sup, you two." Raye casually responded. Fwip¡ª Then Lena and Devin sat beside him. Devin was on his right side, and Lena was on his left. "I thought you''d be here earlier. I know you finished the test fast." Raye said, turning to Lena. Lena shrugged her shoulders. "I just went to the library and double-checked my answers." She said. ''Uwahhh... She''s really serious about her studies, huh.'' Raye thought as he glanced at Devin to his right. "I didn''t get to finish the exam, hehe." Devin stated with a laugh, scratching his head. ''He''s totally different from Lena.'' Raye frowned. Just then... "Is Pyro sleeping?" Lena asked Raye. "Hmm? Ah, yes." Raye replied, bringing his attention back to her. Seeing Lena looking at Pyro silently... "Want to hold him?" Raye asked. And immediately after doing so... "Can I?" Lena''s eyes widened, her excitement was evident from her voice and facial expression. Seeing her reaction... "Haha..." Raye laughed softly, finding her cute. "Of course you can." He said. "Here." Fwip¡ª Then he stretched his hands, offering Pyro to her. "Erm..." Lena wiped her hands on her clothes, ensuring they were clean. And after that... Fwip¡ª She carefully took Pyro from Raye. -meeeeeep... And looking at the sleeping slime in her hands... "Cutie." Lena mumbled softly, making sure not to wake Pyro. She held him so gently, as if he were a precious treasure. ***** After another half an hour... The room was filled with first-year students. The noise inside was deafening, with conversations overlapping and tension rising between the A Class and the lower classes. Raye, Devin, and Lena were waiting quietly for the physical examination to begin. And fortunately, not long after... Creak¡ª The double doors of the room opened. And just like before... Tap- tap- tap¡ª The headmaster, Bryan Blackwood, entered the room. Tap- tap- tap¡ª And the other professors followed closely behind him, their presence were really intimidating, making the students quiet down. ''Finally, I was starting to get bored.'' Raye thought, stretching a little. Of course, there was a speech again from the headmaster. Raye, however, wasn''t interested and didn''t really listen. But Bryan mostly repeated the same points, that students should take their studies seriously and not let distractions deter them. He also announced the format for the physical examination, which would have two parts. First, a practice match with one of the combat professors. Second, a sparring match, where the opponent would be decided based on their performance in the first bout. Raye didn''t really listen to the details, he figured he''d learn everything he needed as it happened. After all, he knows it from the game too. And so, with the formalities over... "Okay, let''s begin." Sariel announced that, and the physical examination began. Chapter 74 - 74: 74 - First Part Of The Physical Examination [1] Immediately after the physical examination began... Two of the four combat professors stood in the arena. One specialized in close combat, while the other one excelled in fighting with magic. They were the head professors of D Class and C Class, respectively. But to Raye, they were unremarkable. In fact... ''Umm, who?'' Raye didn''t even know their names! In the game, they were just called Combat Professor C and Combat Professor D! Anyway... ''Hmm, how about the order of fighting them?'' Raye asked himself, already wondering how this would play out. Then... The answer for his question came from Sariel. "The order is from the D Class up to the S Class. It doesn''t matter if students don''t go alphabetically, as long as it''s your class''s turn, you''re free to volunteer." Sariel announced, noticing the confused expressions on the students'' faces. They had been wondering the same thing as Raye. "Oh, so it''ll be a while before our turn, huh." Devin commented, glancing at Raye and Lena. "Yeah, it''s going to be a long day." Lena replied. "Hmm, let''s just rest and wait for our turn." Then Raye said casually. And with that, the first part of the physical examination officially began. ... ***** "Ugh..." Raye groaned in boredom. It had been over an hour since the sparring with the combat professors began, and so far... The D Class had just finished, and the C Class was only now starting! ''The professors take about six minutes of break after fighting five students. There''s no time limit or anything... That''s why it''s dragging on so long.'' Raye grumbled internally, frustration clear on his face. ''In the game, there would be a cutscene so you wouldn''t have to wait, why can''t that just be the case here too?'' He asked in his head with a frown. So far though, Raye had seen some notable characters from the D Class perform well, showcasing their skills. But that was all... For him, it was still boring as fuck! S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. -Ugh, when will this end? Zephyrus complained, flying lazily above Raye. "Ughhhhhhh..." Devin was equally frustrated, sitting beside Raye with a bored expression. On the other hand... "The fighting is too loud." Lena muttered, cradling the sleeping Pyro in her hands. She didn''t seem that bored, taking care of Pyro. ''He''s been sleeping a lot lately.'' Raye thought, observing Pyro''s peaceful state. ''Hmm, probably because he didn''t get to rest properly for a month.'' Then concluding that, Raye decided to let it go. After all, it was good to see Pyro finally getting the rest he deserved. And so with that... Raye, Devin, and Lena continued waiting for their class to be called by Sariel. ***** Another hour crawled by... "B Class, it''s your turn now." And Professor Sariel finally announced that! As soon as the words left Sariel''s mouth... "I''ll leave Pyro to you." Raye said that to Lena and immediately stood up! "Sure, good luck." Lena replied with a small smile. "Thanks." Then Raye nodded before turning away. -I''m gonna stay here. You don''t need me up there. Zephyrus chimed in, fluttering lazily above Raye. Raye merely nodded in acknowledgment and began walking toward the arena. Tap- tap- tap¡ª "Yes, at last!" Devin exclaimed, following closely behind Raye, practically bouncing with excitement. Then as they walked together, Raye''s mind wandered... ''Should I choose close combat or magic combat?'' He asked himself. Being a mage who excelled in close-range combat, it wasn''t an easy decision. But as he was wondering about that... "..." Raye noticed the close combat professor staring at him. The man''s expression was a mix of disdain and barely concealed hostility. And seeing that... ''Hmm, close combat it is.'' Raye decided! A smirk tugged at his lips... ''I''m much more confident in my close combat skills, anyway.'' And then he thought of that! ***** The rest of B Class hesitated, still too nervous to step forward and challenge the professors. Taking advantage of the moment, Raye decided to go first. So after reaching the arena... Tap¡ª He immediately climbed the stairs without hesitation. "I''m next after you!" Devin called out from behind him. Raye simply nodded in response. Then stepping onto the platform, he was greeted by Sariel. "You''re the first one, huh." Sariel said, looking at him. And with a slight frown on his face... "Honestly, I just want to finish this and leave." Raye replied. "Haha, I get you." Sariel chuckled. "So, what type of combat sparring will you choose?" Then he asked Raye. And without hesitation... "Close combat." Raye responded! "Hmm, an unusual choice, but I kind of expected it, for some reason." Sariel mused. "Well then, get ready and good luck." "Thanks." Raye replied, flashing a confident smile. And with that, he started preparing for the match... ***** Standing at the far end of the platform, Raye faced his opponent. "My name is Charles Abalos, Close Combat Professor for C and D Classes." The man introduced himself, his voice sharp and authoritative. "My name is Raye, first-year, Magic Course." Raye responded, keeping his tone even. The room buzzed with quiet murmurs as students and even the main characters watched intently. Among them was Leon Lightbringer, the protagonist. "Hmm, I haven''t seen him in a while." Leon commented, narrowing his eyes at Raye. Beside him, Allen Iverson grimaced. "Ugh, and I thought he was gone." Allen muttered. "Did he do something to you too?" Leon asked, his curiosity piqued. Startled, Allen stammered... "Ah! Yeah! I''m sure he did..." He awkwardly said. Leon raised an eyebrow, staring at Allen''s awkward reaction. But after a brief pause... "Meh." He just shrugged it off. Then he turned his attention back to the arena. ''This is Raye we''re talking about. I''m sure he did something to Allen.'' Leon thought. Meanwhile, Raye examined the wooden sword in his hand. "Do I need this?" He asked, his tone indifferent. "You''ll need it if you want to get out of here quickly." Charles replied confidently. "Though, I won''t make it easy for you." He added, his voice dripping with disdain. "Haaa..." Raye sighed. ''Great, another one with a grudge.'' He thought. "...What''s your problem?" Raye asked Charles directly, frowning at the hostility radiating from the professor. Charles didn''t reply immediately. Instead, with an angry expression etched across his face... "I''m going to make sure you''re expelled from this school. For the sake of the students." He declared that! ''Ugh, seriously?'' Raye thought, exasperated. But before he could respond... "Raye?" Sariel walked up, interrupting the tension. "Yeah?" Raye answered to his call. "See that circle marking under Professor Charles'' feet?" Sariel asked, pointing at the arena floor. Looking down, Raye noticed a one-meter-wide circle under Charles'' position. "Yeah, I see it." He said. "Your only goal is to make him step out of that circle as fast as you can." Sariel explained. Raye blinked, processing the instructions. Then nonchalantly... "Oh, okay." He said that and nodded his head. "Good. Now, get into position." Sariel instructed, stepping back to give them space. "Fuuu..." Raye sighed again, casting a glance at the clearly furious Charles. And after that... "I don''t need this." Fwip- He threw away the wooden sword in his right hand! "?!" This made Charles frown, and even the others who were watching! "..." Raye just ignored them. Fwish- Then he crouched slightly, readying himself to take off! "..." "..." "..." The room fell silent, anticipation thick in the air. After all, Raye had a reputation¡ªnow students knew he was capable of pulling off incredible, unthinkable moves in combat! Anyway, as the tension was rising... Swoosh¡ª Gusts of wind covered Raye''s legs! And with a serious expression on his face... ''Let''s go finish this quickly.'' Raye thought of that! Sariel raised his hand and called out... "Ready!" The tension climbed higher. Everyone leaned forward, eyes fixed on the arena. "Start!" Then Sariel''s voice echoed throughout the room, announcing the start of the match! Raye''s gaze sharpened as he locked onto Charles, who was standing defenseless in the circle about eight meters away from him. And with a quiet mutter... "[Flash]" Raye activated his ability! BAM¡ª! And then he kicked on the ground and launched himself forward with explosive speed! Fwish¡ª His figure disappeared from where he stood! Swish- And then the wind howled in his wake as he reappeared right in front of Charles! "?!" Charles barely had time to register what was happening! TAP¡ª Raye planted his left foot firmly on the ground! Then twisting his body to the left... SWOOSH¡ª Raye threw out his right hand that was clenched into a fist! And using the force of his speed and rotation... BAM!!! Raye punched Charles straight into the stomach! "Urgh?!" Charles'' eyes bulged in shock, veins popping along his temples! His face turned beet red as the force of the blow lifted him off his feet! SWOOSH¡ª The professor was sent flying out of the circle and off the arena entirely! And following that... BOOM¡ª! He was slammed onto the wall! Fwooosh¡ª The sound of his impact echoed throughout the room! The wall cracked from the force and a dust cloud was created! And looking at that dust cloud... "Hmm, still not fast enough." Raye mumbled that! He just finished his match with a professor in under a second! And watching him do that... "..." The whole room was silenced! Chapter 75 - 75: 75 - The First Part Of The Physical Examination [2] "..." An ear deafening silence engulfed the room after Raye and Charles'' match. Everyone was shocked and speechless. Especially the students from the C Class and D Class. After all, they had just fought Charles too! And so, they know just how absurd the scene they had just witnessed! Charles isn''t weak, he''s a combat professor for a reason! Anyway, after seeing what happened... "What the heck was that?" Leon mumbled that to himself, he was in disbelief. ''I didn''t even see his movements.'' He thought, pertaining to Raye. He was just looking at Raye at the end of the arena, then a split second in after the match started... ''It was already done!'' Raye was suddenly on the other side, and Professor Charles was slammed onto the wall of the room! ''Just how strong did he get in a month...?'' Leon asked himself, frowning. Then, beside him... "..." Allen was just as surprised as everyone, he was speechless! ''What the fuck was that?!'' He exclaimed in his head, completely in shock. Allen took pride in being fast... But Raye''s speed just now was in a whole another league compared to him! He saw what happened, but Allen wasn''t confident that he could block Raye''s attack if he was in Charles'' position! Allen hadn''t seen Raye fight before, he just heard rumors about him and he knows that he fought Leon once. So he expected Raye to be at least a decent fighter or some sort... But he didn''t expect him to be this strong! "Is he already this strong when you fought him a month ago?" Allen asked, turning his head to Leon. And looking back at him... "No, he''s nothing like this." Leon answered in a serious tone. "..." Hearing his words made Allen shut up. Then with a frown on his face... "..." Allen just stared at Raye, thinking about things. Then, not far away from them... "I didn''t expect him to be this strong." Lycus commented that with his eyes wide open! He was looking at the arena. Raye was dusting off his clothes with his hands... "Wow, so he was this strong, huh?" Sofia, who was sitting beside Lycus, asked innocently. And slightly shaking his head... "He was strong, but not this strong." Lycus responded to her. "Oh, is that so?" Sofia followed. "Mhm." Lycus just nodded his head as a response. Then, looking back at Raye... ''Just how much did he grew in that dungeon?'' He asked that in his head. Lycus remembered the story of what happened to Raye outside the academy. The time when Raye got stuck in a dungeon and faced a lot of challenges... Lycus frowned just recalling Raye''s hardship. But after that... "I need to put more effort into my training." Lycus whispered that under his breath! There''s a resolute look in his face right now! Meanwhile, Lena... "..." She was just looking at the arena completely dumbfoundedly. "He had become much stronger." She said. -And that is thanks to me. Then Zephyrus followed that proudly. Lena looked at him, and looking at the cute white chick... "That''s true." She said that and nodded her head, just agreeing with Zephyrus. "Hmm..." Then she went back into taking care of the sleeping Pyro in her hands. ''This little guy is really tired, huh.'' Lena thought with a smile on her face. ... ***** On top of the arena platform... "..." Raye stood in silence. He was looking at the wall where Charles was slammed. And after a few seconds of doing so... "Urgh..." He heard a groan. And after that... "Fuuu..." Charles came out walking of the dust cloud! ''I think I broke a rib or two.'' Charles thought, turning to look at Raye with a frown on his face. ''He''s a monster.'' He added! Charles was surprised by Raye''s speed earlier and wasn''t able to respond... But he was able to reinforce his stomach with a little bit of mana before being punched! And because of that, he didn''t suffer that much damage! Raye knows this... "..." He looked at his right hand. It was slightly tingling, he was sure he hit a mana reinforced skin. And so... "..." Shifting his attention back to Charles... ''Still not fast enough, huh.'' Raye thought of that! Following that, he turned to Sariel. And opening his mouth... "Did I pass?" Raye asked him. "Ah!" Then, getting out of his stupor... "Raye passed!" Sariel announced that! And with that... Tap- tap- tap¡ª Raye started walking down the arena! And watching him as he goes... ''What happened to him in a month?'' Sariel asked that in his head. ... "Shit." Charles cursed, feeling a pain in his sides and stomach. And just then... "You okay?" Sariel approached him and asked that. "I might need a healer." Charles responded, annoyance can be heard in his voice. He was frustrated and embarrassed to be put in this condition, especially by a first year student, and by Raye of all people! ''Ugh, I hate this.'' Charles thought. "Here, let me help you." And then Sariel assisted him in going to the resting area, where the healers were waiting. "Thanks." Charles said. Then, on their way, he glanced at Raye. And knitting his brows together... ''I really hate him.'' Charles declared that in his head! He hates Raye for a simple, but valid reason... The reason is well... The original Raye was bullying and tormenting a lot of his students, just because they were from the lower class! He was making promising commoners lose trust in themselves, and ultimately, they leave the academy! And so in Charles eyes... Raye destroyed a lot of life and a lot of bright futures! The original Raye was someone who steps on others'' dream because he feels threatened and jealous of their talents! Charles was supposed to go hard on Raye, giving him a low score in this part of the examination. And he was hoping it''ll get Raye kicked out of the academy! After all, Raye was on the verge of being expelled! But not only did Charles fail... Raye was also able to pique the Headmaster''s attention with his performance! And knowing this... ''Fuck.'' Charles cursed himself. ***** (Raye''s POV) Going down the arena... "..." I felt a lot of eyes looking at me. The room was silent, the only thing I could hear were my footsteps and the quiet murmurings from the crowd. And seeing this... ''Hmm, this is satisfying.'' I thought of that. It was a delight to see everyone''s shocked face after looking at me with doubtful eyes before! So with confidence... Tap- tap- tap¡ª I silently climbed down the arena. And as I was doing so... "WHOOOAAAAHH!!!" "DID YOU SEE THAT?! I DIDN''T!!!" "THAT WAS INSANE!!!" "HE JUST DEFEATED A PROFESSOR IN A SECOND!!!" Cheers started emerging from the crowd. And hearing them... ''This is nice.'' I said that in my head. Then, arriving at the end of the stairs... "..." Devin greeted me. He was looking at me with wide eyes. He keeps opening his mouth, wanting to say something, but no words came out of it. He looks funny. So with a smirk on my face... Pat- I placed my right hand on his shoulder. "It''s your turn now." And then I told him that. Immediately after hearing my words... Devin broke free from his shock. Then with a smile... "The audience would be super bored with my fight after you pulled that stunt." He jokingly said that to me. And shrugging my shoulders... "Do something about it." I responded to Devin. "Ugh, curse you." He said. And after that... Tap- tap- tap¡ª He walked past me and climbed up the arena. "I''ll try my best." He said on his way. "Good luck." I followed. And after looking at his back for a few seconds... Tap- tap- tap¡ª I started heading back to where I left Lena, Zephyrus, and Pyro. ... ... "Good work out there." Lena said as soon as I came back. "Thanks." I replied and sat beside her. -meeeeep... Pyro was still sleeping in her hands. Then, landing on top of my head... -It''s that boy''s turn, huh. Zephyrus said that, looking at Devin at the arena. And opening my mouth... "Yeah, watch. He''s good too." I replied to him. -Hmmm... Zephyrus looked at Devin expectantly. I did the same. I was waiting for Charles to go back into his circle so that the march could start. But instead of that happening... sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Ehem." Professor Sariel stepped up and did a fake cough. And after catching everyone''s attention... "Professor Charles wouldn''t be able to do the matches for a while." He declared that, he was looking at me! And hearing his words... "..." "..." Everyone''s eyes shifted back to me! "..." I just ignored them. And then, continuing... "In the meantime, I''ll be the one fighting for the close combat section." Professor Sariel announced that! "Oof, that''s rough." I said as I saw Devin turn to look at me with an annoyed expression on his face. After all, Professor Sariel was a lot stronger than that Charles guy! ''Sorry Devin.'' I apologized in my head. "He''s unlucky, huh." And then Lena said that with a small, mischievous smile on her face, looking at Devin up on the arena. Chapter 76 - 76: 76 - The First Part Of The Physical Examination [3] On top of the arena... "..." Devin stood in silence, nervous. After all, on the opposite side of him... "You ready?" There stands Sariel, standing in the one meter wide circle! Opening his mouth... "I''m ready." Devin responded with a resolute expression on his face. "Mhm." Sariel nodded his head. And without further ado... "Let''s start, then." He declared that! ***** "..." Everyone was silent, watching Devin on top of the platform, waiting for something to happen. "Let''s start, then." Sariel calmly said to Devin. And as a response... "Okay." Devin said. And immediately after that... "[Fire Fist]" Devin muttered. SWAAAA¡ª And then both his hands that were clenched into fists were engulfed with fire! And with that... BAM¡ª! Devin kicked onto the ground and dashed toward Sariel! And upon getting near the professor... Swish¡ª Devin launched a straight right punch! Bam- And Sariel easily caught his fist with his left hand! Sariel''s hands were reinforced with mana to avoid them being burnt. Anyway, after that... Swoosh¡ª Devin followed up an uppercut with his left! But the professor just backed away for like an inch... Fwish- And he narrowly avoided the attack! Seeing this... "Tsk." Devin clicked his tongue, then with all of his might... Swish¡ª He spun his body to the right! And while using the force of the spin... SWOOSH¡ª Devin performed a spinning back fist! "?!" This surprised Sariel. Fwip- But he just raised his right arm and covered it with mana to block the attack! BAM! And after blocking it... Fwish¡ª Sariel launched a fast left jab, with his hand enhanced by mana! Bam- And it hit Devin right in the face! "Urgh...?!" Devin groaned in pain, he was surprised. But as he was like that... Fwip- Devin raised his right foot, covered it with mana... FWOOSH¡ª And then he performed a side kick with it! BAM-! Sariel crossed his arms and blocked it! "...?!" But the force behind the attack made him frown, it was stronger than he had expected! And slightly... Fwip- His feet were lifted off the ground and he was sent backwards! Devin didn''t miss that chance. Tap- And when Sariel landed at the edge of the circle... "Urgh..!" Bam- He immediately dashed forward toward him! And with only a few inches between them... Fwish- Swish- Swoosh¡ª Devin started unleashing light, but fast jabs with his both hands! He''s just trying to make Sariel stumble out of the circle! Though... Fwip- Bam- Swish¡ª Sariel dodged, blocked, and deflected all of his attacks with ease! And when he got the opportunity... Bam- Sariel threw a quick right jab straight into Devin''s nose! "Gurgh?!" Devin didn''t see that again. But nevertheless... Swoosh¡ª He didn''t stop attacking! ''He''s persistent, I''ll give him that.'' Sariel thought while deflecting the fierce barrage of Devin. ''But that''s not enough.'' And then he added that! Swish¡ª After turning his head to the side to avoid an attack aimed at his nose... SWOOSH¡ª Sariel threw a heavy, fast straight with his right hand! And seeing his fist getting close to his face... "..." Devin went silent. And then after a few moments later... ''Now!'' Devin exclaimed that in his head! Fwish- And then he twisted his head to the side and let Sariel''s fist slide through his face, avoiding being hit directly! And as a counter... SWOOSH¡ª Devin launched a heavy right hook, aiming at Sariel''s temple! "?!" This shocked Sariel, he didn''t expect this from Devin! Looking at Devin''s fist closing in... Fwip- Sariel forcibly raised his left arm! And because he was faster than Devin, although his response was a bit late... BAM-! Sariel still successfully blocked it! "Urgh...!" Sariel groaned and frowned, he felt a tingling pain in his left arm! And then, with a smile on his face... sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "That was really good, but still not enough." Sariel said that! "I know." And Devin replied with a smirk! BAM! Devin then performed a push kick with his right foot! Fwish¡ª "?!" Pushing Sariel out of the circle after being hit in the stomach! "..." And seeing him outside the circle... "Haha, it worked!" Devin exclaimed that with a laugh! "..." Sariel was speechless, Devin''s last attack was a perfect ambush. He didn''t expect nor see it coming. So with a smile on his face... "Good job, you passed." Sariel announced that! And hearing his words... "YEAAAAHHHH!!!" Devin shouted that with all his might! ***** Watching Devin celebrate on top of the arena... "What a weirdo." Raye mumbled that, he was smiling. He''s glad that Devin passed. ''His last two attacks were good.'' Raye thought, as someone who specializes in attacking from blind spots, those two attacks were noteworthy for him. ''I would''ve had a hard time dodging those.'' He said in his head. And then... -Hmm, he''s good for his age. Zephyrus commented that while resting on top of his head. -He just needs to learn more moves and enhance his fists and feet with stronger spells. He said. "I think the same." Lena, sitting beside Raye, followed that with a straight face. Even Raye agrees with Zephyrus words. So after thinking about it for a while... "Maybe we could train together." Raye mumbled that! "..." This made Lena look at Raye, slightly surprised. And just then... "Can I join in if ever?" Raye and Lena heard a voice behind them! And looking back... "Hello!" They saw Lycus and Sofia together! "Oh, hello." "Sup." Lena and Raye responded. Then Lycus and Sofia sat side by side on Raye''s right side... "What do you mean join in?" Raye asked, looking at Lycus. And looking back at him... "I meant it literally like that, I want to train with you too." Lycus answered with a straight face. "..." And after thinking about it for a while... "Sure, that doesn''t sound so bad." Raye casually said that! He thinks that training with Lycus, one of the strongest main characters in the game, would surely boost his strength! And Lycus... ''Training with him will help get me into an another level.'' Was thinking the same thing too, that he''ll get much stronger if he trains with Raye! ***** "Wow, he won against Professor Sariel!" "Who''s that?!" "He''s better than he looks!" Cheers emerged from the crowd after Devin''s match. After all, his performance was good! And he was up against Sariel at that! Hearing the cheers... "..." A proud smile appeared on Devin''s face. And after that... Tap- tap- tap¡ª He started walking down the arena with confidence. ... After getting down... "Hey guys!" Devin immediately went back to where Raye and the others were. And noticing that Lycus and Sofia were there... "Oh, you two are here. Hello." Devin greeted them. "Good job passing." "Congrats!" Lycus and Sofia responded to him. "Good work." Raye followed. "You did great." And then Lena. Then smiling ear to ear... "Thank you!" Devin happily replied to them. Fwip- And then he sat down beside Raye. Lycus and Sofia moved and gave space for him. Anyway, after that... The physical examination continued. Though... Raye, Devin, Lena, Lycus, and Sofia were not really interested in watching them anymore. And so... "He''s sleeping peacefully, huh... Cute." Lena just babied the sleeping Pyro. "Hello, mister chick!" -I''m not a chick, young lady. Sofia talked to Zephyrus, finding him adorable. And the three boys... Well... "We should train in the northern forest." Raye suggested that. They were talking about their plan of training together! Though, as they were doing that, without them knowing... "..." "..." Students started looking in their direction! After all, the members of their group were eye catching! There''s Lena, an already full fledged mage despite still being a first year student! She''s also one of the smartest in the academy. Then there''s Lycus and Sofia, they''re known for being a power couple! (Though, they are not dating yet...) Lycus is one of the strongest in the academy in terms of combat, he''s comparable to those who are in the S Class! And he''s expected by everyone to be transferred there after this class re-evaluation! Sofia on the other hand, is known for her kindness and versatility, she''s an all rounder that does well in all subjects! And then Devin, he''s getting attention now too because of his match just now. Also, his way of fighting was unique so the students are getting curious too! But the most eye catching for them all was... Raye Alvah. He was known as a scum with no actual power! After being kicked out of his family, everyone expected him to be expelled from the academy because of how weak he was. But contrary to their expectations... Raye changed and became stronger! Now, he''s one of the most hot topics in the academy, and not because of his scumness... But because of his growth speed! His academic record was doing good, his stats growth rate was phenomenal, and his fight with Leon was incredible! Also, they know that he''s contracted with two spirits by now! And so, the students are wondering... ''What are Raye''s current stats right now?'' And just like that... These five continued to attract attention from everyone... "..." "..." Especially from the main characters. Chapter 77 - 77: 77 - In The Northern Forest After Raye and Devin... Nobody from the [B Class] passed from the close combat section anymore. Sariel just demolished them all and made the students give up! On the other hand, Sofia fought in the magic combat section, and she passed with ease! And then, when it was the [A Class]''s turn... The main characters then started proving that they were strong! They all passed without breaking a sweat! Especially Lycus, he pushed Sariel out of the circle in under half a minute! Putting him in second place in terms of speed of passing the examination! In first place was Raye, then Devin was in third place! Also, as everyone had expected... All then scum nobles in [A Class] failed miserably! They were shamed on and laughed at by the students from the lower classes... Garin Lothar and Erick Hutchins were included in those who failed. (Nobles that Raye fought in Chapter 17 & 26.) Raye scoffed at them pretty hard, he was happy to see them fail! Anyway, after that... Sariel just finished the [A Class]. And then, Charles went back into being the person in charge of the close combat section. And following the [A Class]... It was finally the [S Class]''s turn. And they... They demolished the exam. They all passed without a hitch! And the highlights? The matches of Lena, Allen, and Leon! Lena passed as soon the test started, making her the fastest to pass in the magic combat section! Then there''s Allen and Leon, both of them were worked up after seeing Raye''s match against Charles. And so... They tried their hardest in the exam, they finished it as fast as possible! And in doing so... Leon matched Raye''s time in the physical examination! And Allen dethroned Lycus from being in second! He finished it in under 5 seconds! Charles was utterly destroyed by the two of them! And with that... The first part of the physical examination ended. And everyone was dismissed. ***** Around 7 PM... "Tomorrow is rest day, I should continue with the cabin''s repair." Raye said that, he was walking back to the cabin. He had already separated ways with the others earlier, and so right now... He''s only with Zephyrus and Pyro. It was announced earlier that the second part of the physical examination would take place the day after tomorrow. And that''s because the sophomores are scheduled for the re-evaluation exams tomorrow and on 4th day. Freshmen are today and on the 3rd day, then tertiaries are on the 5th and 6th day. And on the 7th day... The examination results would be out. And the new class placement would be announced! ''I wonder what class I would be in...'' Raye thought to himself. And then, as he was walking... -Watching adults demolish kids is kind of entertaining, I''m up to watch some more of it. Zephyrus suddenly mumbled that. He was smiling and resting like a parrot on top of Raye''s left shoulder. "What a weird hobby you''ve discovered." Raye said, responding to him. And just then... -meeep...? Pyro, who had been sleeping in Raye''s hands, finally woke up! Seeing him opening his eyes... "Oh, did you sleep well?" Raye immediately asked Pyro. Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. And with a small smile... -meep! Pyro answered, he said yes. Then, slightly worried... "You''ve been sleeping too much these past few days. Are you feeling unwell?" Raye followed another question. Pyro had been sleeping for more than half a day lately, it was concerning for him. It was like he was hibernating or something. -meep meeep... Pyro said that he was fine, he just hasn''t had much energy since last week for some reason. And hearing that... -Ah. Zephyrus thought of something. "What is it? Do you have an idea of what''s happening to him?" Raye asked, seeing Zephyrus'' reaction. And without beating around the bush... -He''s probably evolving. Zephyrus declared that! "Huh?" -Meep? Raye and Pyro shared the same confused reaction. And so, to explain it... -Raye, as you grow stronger, the quality of your mana increases. Since Pyro is connected to you and feeds off your mana... He''s bound to evolve and become stronger too. -Pyro''s body is currently preparing for evolution, storing the mana and energy needed to reach the next stage. Zephyrus said all of that! And at his words... -... "..." Pyro and Raye looked at each other. And then smiling... "Did you hear that? You''re getting stronger!" -Meep meep meep! The two of them started celebrating! They were delighted to hear such good news! And watching them like that... -Congratulations, young ones. Zephyrus said that, smiling too! He was happy for the two of them. After all, Zephyrus knows that they both started from the lowest of the low! He fully understands why they were so happy. ***** Nearing 8 PM... "We''re home." Raye stepped into the cabin with Zephyrus and Pyro. And immediately after doing so... "Welcome home, you three hungry?" Old Man Rey greeted them. "Hmm, yeah." Raye replied to him. -I''m hungry. -meep! And then Zephyrus and Pyro followed. Hearing their words, a smile appeared on Old Man Rey''s face. "I made dinner, let''s eat." He said. Then after that... The four of them started eating dinner. They ate roasted potatoes that the Old Man harvested, and roasted beef from Kyle''s shop. ... ... After eating dinner, around 10 PM... "I''ll be going now, good night." Old Man Rey went to bed. "Good night." Raye said to him. And after that... -I''m tired. -meep... Zephyrus and Pyro went inside Raye''s room, they want to rest now too. "..." Raye still has some energy left to spare, and considering that there''s no school tomorrow... ''Off to train.'' He decided to head to the Northern Forest alone. ... ***** In the Northern Forest... "Oh." "Ah." Raye met with Jerusha. They don''t have a private lesson today, so their meeting wasn''t planned. It was a total coincidence. "I thought you wouldn''t be here, tomorrow''s your class re-evaluation exams, right?" Raye said, looking around. And then after a while... Fwip- He sat on a big, fallen tree trunk. "Meh, I''m just passing the time. It''s not like I have anything better to do right now." Jerusha replied with a smile, sitting beside Raye. "Is that so...?" Raye asked. "Mhm." And then Jerusha simply nodded her head as a response. "How about you, what are you doing here?" She followed. Then casually... "I''m just here to train, I have nothing to do too." Raye responded, shrugging his shoulders. "Haha, guess we''re the same then." Jerusha laughed. "How did you do in the re-evaluation exams?" And then she asked that, curious. Hearing her question... "Heh..." Raye smirked. And then confidently... "It was easy." He declared that. "So I know you''ll pass it with ease." And then he followed, looking at Jerusha with a smile! "Is that so? Guess I don''t have to be nervous!" Jerusha exclaimed with a wide smile. And following that... The two of them continued talking. It was the first time they were alone with each other. No spirits around, no old man, and no schoolmates! "Haha, that happened?" "Yeah, Devin looked really happy dancing on top of the arena after passing." Their conversation flowed smoothly. "Hahaha!" "I heard he''s a really scummy-looking noble!" They laughed and gossiped together. Raye the mentioned to Jerusha that Pyro was about to evolve. And hearing that... "Wow, congratulations! I''m so happy for you two, really!" Jerusha became excited for them! They talked and talked, moving from one topic to the next. And before they even knew it... It was already late. ... ... Around 12 AM... "The head maid is going to scold me." Jerusha said that, noticing the time. "Sorry, I didn''t notice too." Raye mumbled apologetically. "Nah, don''t worry. I really enjoyed talking to you that I lost track of time. It''s not your fault." Then Jerusha responded, casually waving her hand and smiling. "Well, I enjoyed it too." Raye replied. ''I didn''t get to train, but it''s fine.'' He thought. "Haha, see? We both enjoyed ourselves." Jerusha said, laughing lightly. "..." Raye just remained silent, unsure of what to say. And as he was like that... "Well then, I''ll excuse myself now." Jerusha declared that. "Bye, Raye!" And after saying her goodbye... Tap- tap- tap¡ª She started walking away. "Wait." Though, Raye called for her before she could even go far. "Hmm?" Jerusha stopped on her track and looked back at Raye. And looking at her... "Good luck tomorrow, and rest well." Raye said that! "..." His words flustered Jerusha for some reason, it caught her off guard. But with a smile on her face... "Thanks, rest well to you too!" Jerusha brightly responded! "Goodbye." Raye said. And after that... SWOOSH¡ª Jerusha immediately flew away! ''Ugh, I''m glad that it was dark outside right now...'' She thought, blushing slightly. And Raye... "..." He just watched Jerusha until she was out of sight. And when he can''t see her anymore... Tap- tap- tap¡ª Raye started heading back to the cabin. ''Why did I say rest well to her?'' And then he thought of that, slightly embarrassed of what he said earlier to Jerusha. Chapter 78 - 78: 78 - Good luck The next day... "Haaaa, I''m still sleepy." Raye woke up and immediately fixed his side of the bed. "Hmm?" -... -... Zephyrus and Pyro are still sleeping, so he just let them be. And with that... "Breakfast." Raye went out of the cabin. SWAAAA¡ª And then he started preparing a rabbit stew for everyone. ... After a while, Raye finished cooking. And just on time... "What''s that?" Old Man Rey came out of the cabin, smelling something nice. Then, looking at him with a smirk... "You''ve been cooking for me ever since I came back, so I woke up early to return the favor." Raye responded. "Come on, it''s still hot." And then he invited Old Man Rey to eat with him. Old Man Rey smiled... "Okay, I''ll help you prepare the table." He said. "Thanks." Raye replied. And after laying the table and the utensils... "Let''s eat." "Thanks for the food." They started eating. -Hmm, that smells nice. -meep... Zephyrus came out of the cabin with Pyro riding on his back shortly afterward, and they joined Raye and the old man for breakfast. ***** Immediately after eating... Raye washed the dishes and started doing his chores, like chopping logs and whatnot. Also, he doesn''t plan to go with the old man in the Northern Forest today. And so, Raye made Zephyrus accompany Old Man Rey in his stead to make sure he''s safe. -Hmm, well, I do like the forest so I''ll go. Zephyrus has no problem with it. Though... "I don''t need it, I''m not that old!" Old Man Rey didn''t like the idea that much. He''s 71 years old. "Zephyrus can use [Wind Blade] too, he''ll be useful." Raye argued. And hearing his words... "Ugh... Fine." The old man finally agreed to go with Zephyrus. He doesn''t like wasting arrows after all. And with that sorted out... "I''m going now." -See you later. Old Man Rey and Zephyrus headed to the Northern Forest. "Take care, you two. I''ll be going now as well." Raye said to them, and then he left to go to the library. And lastly... -meeep... Pyro was left alone in the cabin, sleeping on Raye''s bed. ... ... Around 8 AM... Raye got into the library... And inside, he sat on his usual spot. There were barely any students in there, it was quiet. Anyway... Raye picked up books about artifacts and the history of the Rakon Empire from the shelves on the way. He''s planning to study about the Wallace''s Family Treasure, which he obtained from the dungeon, hoping to uncover its other abilities. So without wasting any more time... "Hmm, let''s see..." Fwip- Raye got into reading. ... ***** Four hours later... "Haaaaa...!" Raye stretched his body after reading three whole-ass books. "Ugh." His body was kinda sore... "Well, that was interesting." Fwip- Raye mumbled, closing the last book he just read. He didn''t learn much about the other abilities of the Wallace''s Family Treasure. But he did learn its name! It was written in the Rakon Empire''s history book. More than a hundred years ago, the Wallace Family was blooming and was becoming strong, they were known for their spirit guardian, Zephyrus... And their family treasure, the Celestria! The people in the past believed that the Celestria changes its form to reflect the heir''s personality. ''They didn''t know that the wielder actually had complete control over its form.'' Raye thought to himself, slightly shaking his head. Also, apparently... Ivan''s sword was a treasured sword that was granted to the Wallace Family by the twenty-seventh emperor of the empire when they became a noble! "No wonder it was sturdy and fancy looking." Raye muttered. And then, with a sad smile on his face... ''I''ll use it well, Ivan.'' Raye said that in his head. ... ... "Lena didn''t come, that''s weird." Raye said, walking out of the library. Normally, Lena would join him as he was reading or she would be there waiting before him. But there was no sign of her in the library today. Which is weird... "Hmm, where should I go now?" But Raye didn''t put much thought into it. ''Lena could take care of herself.'' Raye thought. Anyway... "..." Raye stood silent outside the library, thinking where he should go next. He''s done studying, but he''s not in the mood yet to head back to the cabin. After all, it''s only 12 noon... Raye initially thought of visiting Kyle and Devin in the shop, but they are currently doing a deal this time around. He knows of this because the two of them had filled him in on their schedule and plans for this week. So that''s a no go. But just then... "Ah." Raye thought of something else. He looked in the direction where the Xapham Hall is. Then opening his mouth... "I could go and watch the sophomores'' practical examination." Raye mumbled that. Their physical examination would start at 1 PM. So without further ado... Tap- tap- tap¡ª Raye started heading there. ***** Arriving in Xapham Hall, inside of one of the indoor training grounds where the Physical Examination would take... "Oh, I can see some freshmen students as well." Raye said that after looking around. "..." He received a few glances from the students, but no one really talked about him anymore. ''It seems like my bad reputation is disappearing, that''s nice.'' Raye thought as he tries to find a place to sit on. And as he was doing that... "Raye?" Someone called his name. Raye recognized the voice, so looking in their direction... "Sup." Raye greeted Jerusha with a smile. "What are you doing here?" She asked him. "I''ve got nothing to do." Raye replied simply. "Also, to cheer for you." And then he added that with a grin. Hearing his words... "Is that so?" Jerusha raised her brow. "Mhm." Raye just silently shrugged as a response. And seeing him do that... "Whatever." Jerusha said with a smile on her face. "Come take a seat with me." And then she invited him. "Where? You''re standing too, just like me." Raye said. And while smirking... "Just follow me." Jerusha responded to him confidently. Tap- tap- tap¡ª She started walking away before Raye could even respond. "Meh." So Raye just followed after her. Tap- tap- tap¡ª ... After walking for a bit... "Here, see!" Jerusha stopped in front of an empty resting area. Which was strange... Considering that the room was packed, with some even standing! And the resting area had benches that could seat six people! "..." Raye immediately noticed that something was weird. So he looked around. And just as he expected... "Ugh, who''s that?" "That''s that bastard freshman, right?" "What was his name, Roy?" He saw a lot of male students glaring at him! ''Ugh, so they''re reserving this whole area for Jerusha, huh.'' Raye thought, frowning slightly. "For some reason, I can always find myself an empty place to sit on." And then he heard Jerusha proudly and innocently declared that. Bringing his attention back to her... "Come sit." Raye saw Jerusha sitting on a bench. Pat- pat- She was signalling him to sit beside her. ''Is she doing this on purpose?'' Raye thought, feeling the stares at him. But then, shaking his head... ''Nah, she just really doesn''t know most of the students like her.'' Raye said that in his head. Jerusha''s character is like that, after all. "Haaa..." So after just letting out a sigh... Fwoop- Raye sat down beside Jerusha. "Hehe." Jerusha laughed lightly when he did so. ''Well, at least she''s happy.'' Raye thought. He decided to just focus his attention on Jerusha, ignoring the prickling stares at him. ***** After a while... The first part of the sophomores'' practical examination began. The task was the same as the freshmen''s. They also need to make the professors leave the circle beneath them, but the only difference was that the professors had a much larger area to move in! Anyway, just like yesterday... Sariel handled the event with the other professors, the headmaster was just watching... And with that, the order started with the [D Class]. Jerusha, well, she''s in [S Class]... It was obvious. And so, it''ll be a while before her turn. "You sure you''ll wait with me?" Jerusha asked, looking at Raye. "Yeah, why?" Raye responded. "Well, it''s just that... Isn''t it a waste of your time?" And then Jerusha followed that, slightly embarrassed. "It''s not a waste." Raye casually answered. And then to reassure her... "You can just teach me more about spirit magic while we wait." Raye added that. "Hmm, okay." Jerusha smiled, hearing his words. "Thanks." She said. And Raye just shrugged his shoulders as a response. ... Raye and Jerusha talked the whole time, passing by time. They mainly talked about spirits and academics, but they had fun. And then suddenly... "S Class, it''s your turn." They just heard Sariel announce that! "Oh?" "Huh?" Raye and Jerusha were shocked. "I didn''t notice." Raye mumbled. "Me too." And Jerusha replied. "Anyway, I''ll be going first!" Then she added that, immediately standing up. Though, instinctively... Fwip- Raye grabbed Jerusha''s hand! "Huh?" Jerusha was surprised. "Huh?" Raye was surprised as well. He doesn''t know why he did that! But then, looking at Jerusha... "Umm, good luck." Raye said that, letting go of her hand. And meekly... "Thank you..." Jerusha responded. And after that... Tap- tap- tap¡ª She hurriedly walked toward the arena! After she was gone... "Ugh... Why did I do that?" Raye cringed in embarrassment. He''s feeling a lot of intense stares at him, but he just ignored them all. On the other hand... "..." Jerusha was slightly blushing. Thump- thump- thump¡ª Her heart was beating quite fast. She doesn''t know why... Raye''s words of encouragement played in her head again and again. S§×arch* The Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. She was grinning ear to ear. And while she was like that... Tap- Jerusha stepped onto the arena. "Fuuu..." And then, she volunteered first in the magic combat section! ... ... ... BOOM!!! Jerusha won immediately as soon as the match started. Her time was even faster than Raye! She even sent the professor fighting for the magic combat section into a time out because they needed healing! ''Oh no, I got too excited.'' Jerusha thought, worried. But when she looked around... "..." And saw Raye looking at her with thumbs up... Jerusha''s worries disappeared. "Hehe." And a smile appeared on her face. Chapter 79 - 79: 79 - Hardheaded The next day. At around 10 AM... The second part of the physical examination for the freshmen began. It was held in one of the outdoor training grounds. "Everyone, listen," Sariel announced with a mana-enhanced voice. He was calm, but his presence was authoritative. ''Hmm, I wonder who my opponent is.'' Raye thought, looking over at the platform where Sariel was speaking. -I''m excited to watch the kids fight. And then Zephyrus said that, sitting on top of his head. Raye was alone with Zephyrus. Pyro was left behind in the cabin today as well so he could sleep in peace. Old Man Rey was taking care of him. Moving on... "Me and the other professors analyzed your performance from the first part of the physical examination." Sariel continued talking after confirming that everyone was paying attention. "And based on that, we matched you with other freshmen students who have similar strength to you." He declared. And after that... "Step onto the arena when your name is called." Sariel followed with a serious expression on his face. ''He looks pretty intense today.'' Raye thought. Then, Sariel started calling names... And the matches began. ***** The second part of the physical examination was just as it was described. Students with similar performances in the first part were paired to duel each other. It didn''t matter which section they fought in before, as long as they were deemed similar in strength. Anyway, Sariel started calling the names of the students who performed worse in the first part, going upward. So, in short... It would take a long time again before Raye''s turn! And knowing that... "What the actual fuck?" Raye couldn''t help but curse with a frown on his face. -So, we''ll be here until the end? Zephyrus asked. And annoyed... "Unfortunately, yes," Raye responded. He was already getting bored. On the other hand... -Hmm, okay. Zephyrus didn''t seem to mind at all! "Ugh." Raye sat on a bench. And then... "I hate this." He muttered that, waiting for his turn. ... Later on, the others joined Raye. Devin, Lena, Lycus, Sofia... and even Jerusha! She came to cheer them all on. And so, together... "..." They waited for their turns, talking to each other to pass by time. ... Sofia was called after an hour, and she won the fight fairly easily. Everyone congratulated her, and she thanked them all with a sweet smile on her face. Though, they started waiting again after that... ***** There were roughly 130 freshmen students, from [D Class] to [S Class]. So, there would be about 65 matches. Considering the five-minute time limit per match and the fact that there were only two arena platforms available for combat... "Devin Dustin." It took roughly three hours of waiting before someone from Raye''s group was finally called! "Ugh..." Devin groaned as he immediately stood up. And looking at him... "Good luck." Raye and the others wished him luck. They were really bored by now. "Do your best!" Jerusha was the only one with energy left at this point. "Thanks, guys." Devin said. Tap- tap- tap¡ª And then he started heading to the arena, his steps were confident, but there''s a hint of impatience in them. Anyway, his opponent was called... "Aria Themis." And it was one of the main characters! It was Leon''s childhood friend and the main heroine! Seeing that... ''Oof, this isn''t in the game,'' Raye thought and frowned. Though... "Meh, Devin can hold his own against her." He still rooted for Devin. And also... "Lycus Fenrath" Lycus was called now too. "I''ll be right back." Lycus confidently said, standing up. And without waiting for the others'' response... Bam- He dashed forward toward the arena! ''Guess he''s really bored, huh.'' Raye thought. Then, looking at Lycus'' opponent... "Bruh." Raye unconsciously mumbled that. His opponent was just a male extra from the game. ''Devin and Lycus should really change opponents.'' Raye thought to himself. ***** Raye focused on Devin''s match. After all, he already knew the outcome of Lycus''. "..." Devin was crouching at the end of the arena, ready to dash off. And on the opposite side of him... "Fuuu..." Aria was concentrating, holding a big wooden staff. And after a few moments... "Start." Sariel announced, beginning their match! Bam- Devin immediately rushed toward Aria! "[Flame On!]" He exclaimed. SWAAAA¡ª And then his fists and arms were engulfed with raging fire! SWOOSH¡ª Even his feet and legs! And upon getting near Aria... "Hup!" Swish¡ª Devin threw a right straight without hesitation, aiming for his opponent''s nose! Though... "..." Calmly looking at Devin. "[Barrier]" Aria muttered that. Fwip- BAM! Then a mana shield appeared in front of her face, blocking Devin''s attack! And following that... "[Water Ball]" Aria cast a water element spell! It was just a basic spell, a concentrated water in size of a baseball... But Raye frowned when he saw that from where he was! After all, in the game... Aria was known as a character with out-of-this-world mana control and mana output! Swiish¡ª Three small, but fast water balls flew out from Aria''s staff! "Hm?" Devin saw them coming. Fwish¡ª And so, he swiftly avoided them! It wasn''t that fast for him, after all. Though, when Devin thought he had completely dodged them... "Heh." Aria let out a smile! SWISH¡ª And then, the water balls changed trajectories, aiming for him again! It was faster this time, and because Devin couldn''t see it coming... BAM! "Urgh?!" He was hit in the back! PSSSH¡ª And then the other two water balls hit each of his arms, extinguishing the fire engulfing them! "?!" Devin''s arms tingled in pain. He was shocked and confused. And as he stood like that... "[Water Cannon!]" Aria cast another spell! In shock, and at point-blank range... BAAM!!! Devin was hit right in the chest before he even knew it! "ARGH...?!" He didn''t know what hit him, but he felt like a small boulder had been dropped on his chest! "Ugh..." Devin was blown backward, struggling to stand straight or even breathe. Then looking up at Aria... "[Water Blast!]" Devin saw her cast another water-based spell! SWOOSH¡ª A pillar of water was launched at him! And to dodge it... "Graaa!" Devin forced his body to move, jumping to the side! Boom! A small explosion occurred as Aria''s spell collided with the ground. And seeing that... ''I would''ve been done for if that hit me!'' Devin thought of that! So, with new vigilance... "Fuuu..." Devin let out a heavy breath, looking at Aria. "I guess I was naive, thinking I could take her on by rushing ahead and pulling her into close combat." He mumbled. Then, with a serious expression on his face... Fwip- Devin took a defensive stance. And opening his mouth... "[Rock Gauntlet]" He muttered that! And immediately after doing so... Tssh- tssh- tssh¡ª Small, solid rocks started appearing around his arms! And soon, they covered his arms and fists, forming gauntlets! And with that done... "I''m ready again." Devin whispered that under his breath! ***** "[Water Ball!]" Aria cast that spell again, launching four water balls! Swiish¡ª They all flew toward Devin. And looking at them... ''They''ll just come back and target me again if I avoid them.'' Devin thought! So instead... Psh- Fsh- Ssh- Pash¡ª! He punched them with his rock-coated fists, making them explode! "..." Aria saw that and frowned. Devin had adapted faster than she''d expected. And so, to respond... "[Water Ball]" She cast the same spell?! Though, this time... SWOOOOSH¡ª More than thirty water balls appeared! They all floated around Aria. And seeing that... "Wha..." Devin was speechless! "..." Raye, who was just watching, frowned at the sight of it as well. Fwoosh¡ª A water ball flew toward Devin. Psh¡ª Devin just punched it. Fwoosh¡ª But then, two more flew toward him! Pash¡ª Swish¡ª Devin blocked one with his left arm, then avoided the other. Though... Fwish¡ª The one he dodged changed its trajectory, flying at him again faster! "Shit." Devin cursed in frustration. Fsh¡ª And then he punched it with his right fist, making it explode! Devin immediately looked back at Aria. But as soon as he did... Swish¡ª Swoosh¡ª Tens of water balls flew toward him! ''You''ve gotta be kidding me!'' Devin exclaimed internally! Psh- Pash¡ª Psh- And then he punched and blocked most of the water balls! Though... "Ugh...!" Swish¡ª He had no choice but to avoid the others! This forced him to watch out for those coming back while dealing with the incoming water balls! Psh¡ª Devin glanced at Aria, far away. She was looking at him calmly. "Ugh." Devin bit his lips in annoyance. He knows that he''ll lose if this goes on. And so... Tap- He planted his feet onto the ground! BAM¡ª And then he rushed at Aria again! "HAAAH!!!" Devin just crossed his arms and hoped for the best! Bam! "Urgh...!" Water balls hit him all over his body... "GRAAAAAHHH!!!" But Devin just focused on protecting his face and front! And seeing him getting close to her... ''Is he a bull?!'' Aria exclaimed that in her head! "Finally!" Devin got close to Aria! And with just a few inches between him and her... "HAAAA!!!" SWOOSH¡ª He threw a heavy, right uppercut! "Shit...!" Bam- Aria jumped backwards to avoid it... Fwish¡ª "Ugh?!" But she was cut by the stone of Devin''s gauntlet on her right cheek! "..." Aria then focused her attention on Devin... "[Water Ball!]" And she started launching more and more water balls at him! Though... "HAAAAA!!!" Devin just continued rushing at her like a wild animal! And seeing that... ''You''ve gotta be kidding me!'' Aria shouted internally! ***** After five minutes... "Time''s up!" Sariel stopped Devin and Aria''s match. And because the time ran out, it was a draw! "That''s enough." Sariel said. And hearing his words... "Tsk." Aria clicked her tongue, she was covered with small cuts. Then silently... Tap- tap- tap¡ª She started climbing down the arena. Sariel then looked at Devin. He saw him smiling. "Good job." Sariel complimented him. And with a smile... "Thanks." Devin responded. Thud¡ª And then he fell on the ground, unconscious! Devin was covered with bruises, small and big! Every part of his body! He continued fighting recklessly for five whole minutes, after all! Rushing while just protecting his vital spots! ''He really didn''t give up, huh. What an idiot.'' Raye thought, seeing Devin passed out on the arena. And although he''s thinking of that... "..." There''s a smile on his face. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. He was happy for Devin. Chapter 80 - 80: 80 - A Bit Faster Devin was carried into the resting area where Raye and the others are. And there... Fwooo¡ª He was healed by the healers. Not long after... "Ugh..." Devin regained his consciousness. And seeing him awake... "Good work out there." Raye said that. Following him... "Good job!" "That was a great fight!" The others started praising Devin''s performance as well. "You got a lot stronger, huh." Lycus said, he finished his duel in under a minute. He won, obviously. Anyway, looking at the others... "Hehe, thanks." Devin awkwardly, but happily responded. And then... "..." He went silent immediately after. "The match was a draw, but it was clear that I lost." Devin mumbled, feeling kinda down. "..." Raye and the others didn''t say anything. Though, they''re worried that Devin might lose confidence in himself... "..." Devin stayed silent for a few seconds, recalling his match. He was frustrated. But contrary to everyone''s expectations... "I''ll do better next time." Devin didn''t lose hope! "Next time, I''ll win for sure." He declared with a resolute expression on his face! "Phew..." Raye smiled, seeing that Devin didn''t succumb into depression. "Mhm..." The others were relieved as well. "You''ll need to train a lot to be as strong as her." Raye suddenly said that. "I know." And Devin replied. Then, looking at Raye... "Let''s train together later." He followed that! "I want in too." And Lycus joined in! Raye shrugged his shoulders, then with a smirk... "Sure, why not?" He replied to the two. And just as their conversation finished... "Lena Dravenhart." Sariel called Lena''s name! "Oh, it''s my turn now." Lena mumbled, standing up. "Good luck." Raye said, looking at her. "Do your best out there!" Jerusha added. "Ehh, don''t you feel bad for her opponent? Lena is crazy strong, you know?" Then Sofia followed. Devin and Lycus just wished her luck normally, like Raye. "Thanks, I''ll do my best." Lena replied to them. And then... "Leon Lightbringer." Her opponent was called, it was the protagonist! ''Oof, this wasn''t in the game too.'' Raye thought. But still... "Meh." He was cheering for Lena. Though, suddenly... "Raye Alvah." His name was called too! "Huh?" Raye uttered with wide eyes. ... ***** "Finally." Raye mumbled to himself, standing up and stretching his neck. "Demolish your opponent!" Devin exclaimed. "I''m excited to watch your fight." And then Lycus commented. "Good luck!" Sofia cheered on him too. And looking at them three... "Thanks." Raye simply replied to them. And then... "Hm?" He saw Jerusha at the corner of his eyes. She kept wriggling, unable to sit still, her fingers fidgeting in her lap. Jerusha keeps on glancing at him, her gaze darting away whenever he noticed And seeing her like that... "What is it?" Raye directly asked her that. "Ah!" Which surprised Jerusha, she almost panicked. "..." But after collecting herself... "Do your best, I''ll be cheering for you!" She said that brightly with a smile on her face! "Oh..." Raye doesn''t know what to say back to her. Though, a wide smile was threatening to appear on his face. He was happy to hear such words aimed at him. "I guess I need to take this seriously then." Raye said, just smiling softly. And after that... "I''ll be right back." Tap- tap- tap¡ª He started walking toward the arena. "..." "..." "..." Devin, Lycus, and Sofia just silently watched their interaction just now with such great interest. And with a sweet smile on her face... ''Is that what I think it is?!'' Sofia exclaimed that internally, looking at the slightly blushing Jerusha. ***** "We''ll be fighting at the same time, huh." Raye said, walking beside Lena. They''re both headed to the arena. "Looks like it... Good luck for both of us." Lena mumbled. "Yeah, good luck to us." Raye responded. Tap- tap- tap¡ª Tap- tap- tap¡ª And then the two separated ways. ... ... Tap- Raye climbed onto the arena. And looking at the other side... "..." He saw his opponent. A handsome young man with white hair and red eyes... That''s right! It was Allen Iverson! "So we''ve been paired, huh." Allen said, glaring at Raye. "..." Raye just ignored him, he doesn''t want to talk to Allen. So instead... ''Hmm, this weight is fine.'' He started choosing a wooden sword to use in the match. "Tch, he''s really a scumbag." Allen grumbled to himself, realizing what Raye was doing. But then, opening his mouth... "Just let me ask you one thing." He said that. "Hmm?" This made Raye look at him, curious. And with his attention now on him... "What''s your relationship with Lena?" Allen asked that with a serious expression on his face! "..." Raye was silent, unmoving. ''What...?'' He was making sure that he heard the question right. And just then... "Are you not going answer?" Allen followed, feeling impatient! "Oh." And Raye finally realized what was happening! So basically, Allen likes Lena. And he''s jealous of Raye for being close to her! That explained the hostility Raye was feeling from Allen, even though, as far as he knew, the original Raye shouldn''t have had any beef with him in the past! ''Ugh, teenagers.'' Raye thought with a frown on his face. "..." He then opened his mouth to explain things to Allen. But before he could even let out a word... "Get ready." Sariel instructed that! And Allen... "No answer, huh." Fwip- He immediately took a stance! "Wait, no." Raye tried to explain again. "..." But Sariel and Allen just stared at him, waiting for him to get ready. "Haaaaa..." So after letting out a defeated sigh... Fwip- "Fine, whatever." Raye took a stance too! ''Why can''t they just fucking listen for a second?'' He thought in frustration. ***** Raye stood at the end of the arena. He''s holding a simple, one-handed wooden sword. Allen has the same weapon, he''s on the opposite side. Anyway, seeing that they''re both ready to fight now... "Start!" Sariel started their match! Fwish- Raye immediately pointed his left hand at Allen, doing a finger gun. And with deep concentration... "[Bang]- [Bang]- [Bang]¡ª" He started shooting at him! "?!" Allen saw three small fireballs flying at him. Swish¡ª And they are crazy fast! "Ugh...!" Fwish- Allen moved his head to the side to avoid one of the fire projectiles. And following that... Bam- He dashed sideways to avoid the others! ''I don''t know what skill he''s using, but I feel like they''re dangerous despite their size.'' Allen thought, frowning. Tap- And after landing softly on the ground... Swoosh¡ª He immediately sent a huge amount of mana to his legs! BAM¡ª! And then he kicked off and rushed at Raye! Fwish- Allen''s figure disappeared from where he was standing! His speed was no joke, the students didn''t see his movements! The next thing they knew... Swish- He was standing in front of Raye! SWOOSH¡ª And he swung his sword horizontally! It was a swift, heavy attack! "?!" The students were surprised, it all happened very fast! Though... TWACK¡ª "..." Raye just raised his wooden sword in his right hand and easily blocked Allen''s attack! "Wha?!" This surprised Allen, he thought his attack and timing were perfect! And as he was in shock... "Try a bit faster, then maybe you could hit me." Raye said that to him, face to face! "?!" Allen felt a shiver run down his spine. He knew that Raye wasn''t provoking him but was simply telling the truth! ''Ugh, this monster!'' BAM¡ª! Allen leaped backwards to get away from Raye! Tap- But just when his right foot barely touched the floor... "[Flash]" Allen heard that. Swish¡ª And then Raye just appeared in front of him! "?!" Allen''s eyes widened! SWOOSH¡ª Then he saw Raye''s wooden sword already close to his face! "Fucker!" Swish¡ª Allen exclaimed as he forcibly raised his sword! And because of his desperate response... TWOCK¡ª! He blocked Raye''s attack! "Urgraa...!" But his entire arms tingled with pain¡ªthey had been blown away and were now completely numb! And not missing that opportunity... BAM¡ª Raye launched a side kick at Allen! "KEUK!!!" And Allen was hit in the stomach, he felt like puking! Swoosh¡ª Thud- S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Allen was sent backwards and fell on the floor... And what did Raye do when his opponent was in that state? "..." Nothing! He just stared at Allen with cold, expressionless eyes! Though... ''Allen is persistent, I need to be careful.'' He was just actually being cautious. But the students didn''t know that. And seeing what just unfolded on the arena... "WHOOOAAAAHH!!!" "WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT?!!" "THAT WAS SO FAST, ARE YOU SURE THAT WASN''T TELEPORTATION?!!" The students erupted in cheers, their excitement echoing through the room! They didn''t see what happened because the two were moving so fast. But suddenly... They just saw Allen on the floor and Raye calmly staring at him from a distance! That scene was enough to know that Raye won an exchange against an [S Class] student! "What the fuck...?" Lycus cursed, dumbfounded. He normally stays calm, but Raye''s speed just now was too ridiculous even for him! "..." Devin was speechless, his eyes were wide open in disbelief. "..." Sofia was the same. And then, Jerusha... ''He''s really awesome...'' She couldn''t help but think of that, looking at Raye! Actually, not just her... Every student in the room right now is feeling the same awe for Raye! And his match with Allen... It was completely overshadowing Lena and Leon''s fight! ''That man is really flashy, huh.'' FZZZT¡ª Lena thought as she fired a lightning bolt at Leon! Chapter 81 - 81: 81 - Cheers Erupted [1] "Ugh..." Allen groaned as he slowly stood up. "WHOOOAAAAHH!!! RAYE IS AWESOME!!!" "SOMEONE FROM THE B CLASS JUST BODIED SOMEONE FROM S CLASS!!!" "STOP SHOUTING IN MY EAR, DUMBASS!!!" He heard the students cheering for his opponent... "..." But he paid no attention to them. Instead, he looked up. And there... "..." He saw Raye just staring at him! ''This asshole...'' Allen grumbled in his head, pissed off. But he couldn''t say a word. After all... ''He''s faster than me.'' Raye had just completely demolished him! He was able to react earlier and block the attack, but that was just a fluke! ''If I lose sight of him again, I''m done for.'' Allen thought, getting into a fighting stance once more. And this time, he was more cautious of Raye... "..." Seeing Allen so focused... ''He''s getting serious now, huh.'' Raye said that in his head, preparing for what was about to come. "Fuuuu..." Allen took a deep breath, not taking his eyes off Raye. Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. And with his newfound concentration... SWOOSH¡ª He covered his hands and feet with mana! And after that... BAM¡ª! He dashed toward Raye again! Fwish¡ª Allen appeared in front of Raye in a matter of seconds! And seeing Allen standing in front of him... ''He''s really fast.'' Raye thought that. TWACK¡ª! Then he parried Allen''s wooden sword with his own by swinging vertically upward! "Urgh...?!" Allen''s arms were flung away! But with his hands still tightly clenching the handle of his weapon... "HAAAA!!!" SWOOSH¡ª He forcibly swung his sword down, aiming at Raye''s head! Swish¡ª But Raye just stepped back and completely dodged it! BOOM!!! Allen hit nothing but air and the floor! And then, as a response... SWOOSH¡ª Raye swung his sword down too, aiming for his opponent''s head! But with Allen focused now... "..." He saw the attack coming! Bam¡ª Swish¡ª He jumped back and avoided the attack with ease! "..." Allen''s eyes stayed glued on Raye, making sure not to miss any of his movements! And just then... Fwip¡ª "?!" He saw Raye aim his left hand at him again, forming a finger gun! ''It''s that long range skill!'' Allen exclaimed internally. And immediately... SWAAA¡ª He covered his sword with sword aura! "[Bang]" Fwish¡ª That was the moment Raye took his shot! But then... Swish¡ª Psh! Allen swung his aura-coated weapon horizontally and just parried it! "Huh?" Raye was slightly surprised by this. But the students... "Is that sword aura?!" "I can''t believe it, a freshman is using a complete weapon aura!" They were in disbelief! ''So he can use aura now, huh.'' Raye thought, looking at Allen glaring at him. "What a pain." And then he whispered that under his breath. ***** Sword Aura, it''s a manifestation of a swordsman''s energy, willpower, and mastery channeled through their blade. It enhances the sword''s power, extends its range, and can imbue it with unique effects like cutting through magical barriers or unleashing energy attacks! It''s far better than just covering your weapon with mana! And people say, when you reach the top mastery over it... You''ll be able to cut anything! ''Though Allen''s aura is only in the early stage, so I''m fine.'' Raye thought, looking at Allen''s wooden sword. But still, aura could cut through mana... That meant Raye''s spell would easily be nullified, considering his magic proficiency wasn''t even that high. And knowing that fact... "So it''ll be close combat, huh." Raye mumbled that to himself! Though... Raye couldn''t use aura. That meant his wooden sword would immediately break upon making contact with an aura-coated weapon! And just imbuing it with mana wouldn''t cut it! Allen was aware of this. And so, with a small smile on his face... ''What are you gonna do now?'' He asked that in his head, watching Raye stand in silence. "..." "..." The students watched the match expectantly, waiting for Raye''s next move. "..." Lycus, Sofia, and Devin glanced at Raye, their expressions tinged with worry. On the other hand, Jerusha... "..." She calmly observed the arena. And going back to Raye... "Hmm." He calmly examined his wooden sword, checking its durability. And after a while... "A minute, huh." Raye suddenly said that. "Hmm?" Hearing this, Allen became confused. He didn''t know what Raye was talking about. But then... "[Blaze]" Raye muttered! And following that... SWAAAAA¡ª A raging fire, as if intent on burning everything in its path, engulfed his wooden sword! "..." And seeing it... "What the fuck is that?" Allen asked that with a frown on his face! ***** Blaze, a special skill Raye created with Pyro. It''s literally inspired by weapon aura! So Raye thought that with this, he could clash with Allen''s sword aura! ''Is that aura too? But it feels a bit different...'' Allen''s mind raced as he looked at the fire covering Raye''s weapon. And it wasn''t just him... "Huh? What''s that?" "Aura...?" Every student in the training ground was just as confused as him! ''Is that really...?'' Even Sariel couldn''t tell what he was looking at! "..." Jerusha was smiling at everyone''s reaction. She was the only one besides Raye who knew what skill he was using. And because of that fact... "Heh." She felt a little proud! Anyway, time was ticking. Blaze consumes a lot of Raye''s mana and destroys the weapon over time. And so... BAM¡ª! Raye immediately dashed toward Allen! "?!" Allen''s eyes widened as he saw Raye close the distance. And after getting near him... SWOOSH¡ª! Raye swung horizontally! FWOOSH¡ª Allen swung his sword too in response! TWACK¡ª! Their weapons collided! FOOSH¡ª And sparks flew everywhere as if metals had clashed! ***** THUNK¡ª CLAK! WHACK! Raye and Allen continued clashing, exchanging attack after attack! They dodged, deflected, blocked, and countered... TWACK¡ª! But neither could land a proper hit on their opponent! Though... "Urgh?!" Allen couldn''t believe Raye was fighting him toe-to-toe! And what''s more... The Blaze was actually on par with his sword aura! ''What''s with this monster? He''s so unfair!'' Allen exclaimed in his head. "HAAAAAA!!!" Swoosh¡ª! And then he launched another attack! TWOCK¡ª! FOOOSH¡ª Raye swung his sword too, and their wooden weapons collided once more! "Ugh...!" Raye groaned, his arms trembling in pain. ''Main characters are really no joke, huh.'' He thought. FWISH¡ª Then, he thrust his sword forward, aiming at Allen''s chest! "Gurgh...!" Fwip¡ª Allen desperately turned his body to the side... Fwoosh¡ª And he avoided the attack! Then, from that position... Swoosh¡ª He launched a diagonal upward strike as a counter! Fwish¡ª Raye ducked down, dodging it! Allen''s arms were still raised in the air, gripping his sword. And so, looking down and seeing Raye''s back of the head... SWISH¡ª Allen swiftly changed the trajectory of his sword, bringing it down heavily! "?!" Raye sensed an attack coming from behind him! Bam¡ª He dashed backward. Boom! And Allen''s attack barely missed him! ''That''s crazy.'' Raye thought. Tap¡ª Then, landing on the ground... "[Flash]" He muttered! Fwish¡ª And his figure disappeared! "Fuck!" Allen exclaimed, his eyes wide. And just as he expected... Swish¡ª Raye appeared in front of him! "YOU FUCKER!!!" Allen shouted at the top of his lungs! SWOOOOSH¡ª And he swung horizontally with all his might! FWOOSH¡ª Raye swung too! And in doing so... TWOOCK¡ª!!! Their weapons clashed again! Though this time... Crack¡ª Something cracked from Raye''s weapon! And hearing that... "HAAAAAHHH!!!" Allen put more force into his arms! Snap¡ª And Raye''s weapon split into two! Allen''s eyes lit up, seeing that. ''I won.'' He thought excitedly. But just then... Pat¡ª "Huh?" He felt a touch on his chest. It was Raye. And then, opening his mouth... "[Tear]" Raye said that! The next thing Allen knew... FWOOSH¡ª He was flying through the air! Swish¡ª swish¡ª swish¡ª And he felt his whole body being cut! "GRAAAAAHHHH!!!" Allen screamed in pain! And then... BOOM!!! He slammed into the wall of a nearby facility! "ARGH...!!" And the impact caused Allen to pass out, shutting him up! Thud¡ª His body fell flat onto the ground. Then looking down at him from the arena... "I''m not a pure swordsman. I won''t be helpless just because I lost my sword." Raye said that, wiping dirt off his face! "..." "..." The place fell silent. "Huh?" "..." Even Leon and Lena paused their fight for a moment. "..." "..." Sofia, Lycus, and Devin were at a loss for words. And Jerusha... "...!" She was too excited but didn''t know what to do! "Ah!" Then finally, snapping out of his stupor... "Raye Alvah wins!" Sariel announced! And with that... "RAAAAHHHHH!!!" "WHOOAAAAHHHH!!!" Cheers erupted from the crowd! The students were ecstatic, adrenaline coursing through their veins! "WHAT THE FUCK HAPPENED AT THE LAST PART?!!" "I DON''T KNOW, AND I SAID STOP SHOUTING IN MY EAR!!!" They couldn''t stop shouting! "YEAAAAAHHHH!!!" And Jerusha was among them, jumping up and down happily! "..." Raye saw her. "Heh." He smiled, seeing how happy she was for him. And with that... Tap- tap- tap¡ª He started walking toward the edge of the arena. "THAT WAS AWESOME, RAYE!!!" "YOU''RE SO COOL!!!" The cheers continued as he descended the stairs. And Raye, well... "..." He wasn''t exactly hating this situation. Chapter 82 - 82: 82 - Cheers Erupted [2] "I''m back." Raye said, calmly walking over to Jerusha and the others. And as soon as he got there... "What the heck?! You''re a lot stronger than before!" Devin exclaimed that. "Haha, well... I didn''t just laze around in the dungeon, you know." Raye responded, smirking. And then... "No, we know that. It''s just that you''re stronger than we had expected, and by a lot." Lycus suddenly followed. "Huh?" Raye looked at him. "Is that so?" He asked. "Mhm." Devin and Lycus just nodded their heads in unison as a response. ''it''s probably because of the two enhancement pills that I took.'' Raye thought to himself. But then, shrugging his shoulders... "Meh, who cares?" He just said that and casually sat beside Jerusha. ''We care! Tell us!'' Lycus and Devin exclaimed internally, dying in curiosity! Though... "..." They didn''t actually say anything. "Congrats on your win." Sofia said to Raye, smiling sweetly. "Thanks." Raye simply replied, smiling back. And then, looking to his right... "Congratulations! You were so cool out there!" Jerusha greeted him, her smile stretching ear to ear like she was the one who had won. "I was cool?" Raye asked her, raising a brow. "Yup!" And Jerusha answered immediately. "Haha..." Raye smiled, hearing her quick answer. "Thanks." He said. And after that... The two continued talking. "I didn''t worry that your opponent could use weapon aura because I know you have the Blaze." Jerusha declared, feeling proud. "You remembered, huh." Raye responded, smiling. He thought Jerusha was cute. Fwip¡ª -... Zephyrus then quietly landed on top of Raye''s head, not wanting to interrupt the conversation between the two. He knew what was going on, and so... S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. -''Youth, huh.'' He just stayed silent and watched the ongoing match. On the other hand... "..." The other three¡ªSofia, Devin, and Lycus¡ªremained silent. Though... Their ears perked up, and they kept glancing at the two secretly! ***** Meanwhile, back at the test... Allen was immediately brought to one of the resting areas. And there... "There''s no serious damage, just a few cracked ribs. He''ll wake up later." He was healed. Allen had a huge cut on his chest, it''s not deep so it''s not bleeding a lot. His uniform was destroyed, though. He also had small cuts all over his body, like he''d been sliced by knives. But just like the cut on his chest, they weren''t deep, so he didn''t bleed. Raye''s [Tear] isn''t that strong yet. He''s not proficient enough in using it. He had really just used it to blow Allen out of the arena. Though Allen''s small wounds would sting a lot once he woke up. Anyway, on the other arena... "[Lightning Strike!]" FZZZZT¡ª! Lena and Leon were still fighting! And Lena had just unleashed a fast, lightning spell! "Gurgh...!" FWOOSH¡ª Leon slashed horizontally and parried it... Bzzt¡ª "Urgh!" But the lingering lightning still coursed through his body and shocked him! ''If only I could use aura...'' Leon thought, his body feeling numb! He was paralyzed! And as he was like that... "[Skies alight, thunder''s call, strike with might¡ª]" Lena started chanting! "[Thunder Storm!]" She exclaimed! FWOOSH¡ª And then a huge magic circle appeared above the arena! ''What the hell...?!'' Leon frowned at the sight of it. He had now recovered from his paralysis. Though... FWOOOZZH¡ª That was when lightning strikes started raining down from the magic circle above, aiming directly at him! "Shit!" Leon cursed. Bam- And then he started darting around the arena to avoid being hit by lightning! ZZZZZZ¡ªCRACK! Explosion occurred whenever the lightning hit the floor. And seeing that... ''If one of them struck me, I''m done for!'' Leon became nervous. FWOOOZZ¡ª SWIIZZ¡ª FZZZH¡ª And that was when three lightning bolts came from above, crashing down at him! "GRRGH...!" Bam- Leon leaped back, avoiding one of them! Boom-! It struck the floor and destroyed it! FZZZ¡ª But another bolt was coming at Leon! He was still in the air... "GRAAAHH!!!" SWOOSH¡ª So he has no choice but to just swing his sword to block it! CRACK! The lightning collided with his wooden sword and dissipated! BZZZT¡ª But fragments of it shot directly through Leon''s body! "URGH!!" Leon groaned, he felt his body freeze up! And looking ahead... FWOOZZH¡ª He saw the last lightning closing in! ''FUCKING MOVE!!!'' Leon exclaimed internally, forcing his body to move! He circulated mana throughout his body, and because of it... "HAAAAA!!!" Fwish- He broke free from his paralysis faster and managed to turn to the side! BOOM-! Making him successfully dodge the last lightning! But before he could even feel relief... "[Heaven''s Wrath]" He heard Lena''s voice! She just finished chanting! "?!" Leon immediately looked up at the magic circle. And there... FWOOZZHHH¡ª!!! He saw a massive pillar of lightning, covering about half the arena, coming down toward him! (The arenas in the academy are 30 meters x 30 meters big.) "Wha...?!" "What''s that?!" "Hey hey hey... Wouldn''t that kill Leon?!" The students screamed, fear evident in their voices. Even Raye... ''Uwahhh... Isn''t that a bit overkill?'' He thought, frowning. Not just him¡ªLycus and the others couldn''t help but feel sorry for Leon too! Meanwhile... "..." Leon was speechless, staring at the incoming lightning. FWWOOOZZH¡ª The giant pillar of lightning bolt was just meters away from him now. ''I can''t dodge it.'' He thought. Ever since his match with Lena had started, Leon had been running around, dodging every one of her spells. He hadn''t managed to attack her. He couldn''t even get near her! "Shit..." Leon mumbled. He''s exhausted now. The difference between him and Lena is just that big. Leon knew that he was gonna lose... He''s gonna lose... And so... "GRAAAAAAHHHH!!!" Leon just decided to follow his guts! ''If I''m gonna lose anyway, I might as well try everything!'' He thought, tightly grinding his teeth together! BAM! He planted his feet onto the ground! And looking up at the incoming giant lightning bolt... "HAAAAAAH!!!" SWOOOSH¡ª! Leon swung his sword upward with all his might, both hands gripping the hilt tightly! ''I''m going to pour everything I have left into this attack!'' Leon declared in his head! And then... BOOOOOOOM¡ª!!! The giant pillar of lightning crashed down on him! FWOOOSH¡ª! A powerful gust of wind erupted from the impact of Lena''s magic hitting the ground! "KYAAAA!!!" "URGH...?!" The students shielded their eyes from the flying debris and dust! Thud- "Ugh!" Some of them even fell on their butts as the ground shook violently! Bzzt¡ª "Ouch! What the fuck?" Those closest to the arena were hit by wild lightning fragments scattering from the impact! It was utter chaos! "Ugh, she''s really strong." Raye muttered, blocking the debris with his arm. But he wasn''t worried. ''Leon is fine, I''m sure.'' He thought. Raye can confidently declare this because of three reasons... First, Lena could control her power¡ªshe wasn''t a murderer. Second, every student at Zion Academy received a special artifact ring upon enrollment. It''s not just for checking one''s stats, it also has a special function that when a life threatening attack hits you... A mana barrier would activate and protect you! It''ll lessen the damage you took from the attack by 50%! Thus is why the Zion Academy could do extreme duels like this! And lastly... ''If Leon''s life were truly in danger, the professors or headmaster would''ve intervened by now.'' Raye thought calmly. And after a few moments... Swish- "..." The situation calmed down. Raye, and everyone else immediately looked up at the arena... "..." The arena began to clear. Everyone eagerly watched as the dust clouds faded. And when it finally disappeared... "..." They saw Lena standing casually on her side of the arena. "What about Leon?!" Their gazes shifted to the opposite side. And there... "..." They saw Leon, still standing on both feet! "!!!" Gasps filled the air as everyone widened their eyes. They were speechless. Leon was barely conscious, his legs trembling. The top part of his uniform had been completely destroyed, leaving him topless and exposing his well-toned body. His muscles, a testament to his rigorous training, drew admiration from the onlookers. But when they saw his hands... "Huh?" They were surprised. After all... "Wait..." "...Is that aura?" Leon''s wooden sword was glowing brightly with golden light¡ªhe had manifested sword aura and blocked Lena''s spell with it! ''Haha, I did it...'' Leon proudly thought to himself. Thud- But then he collapsed face-first onto the ground! ''Ugh, I can''t move anymore.'' Leon has no strength left in his body! And looking at him... "I''ll finish this now." Lena declared that! Fwip- She raised her right hand and aimed it at Leon. But before she could even start chanting... "Times up!" Sariel exclaimed that! The five-minute time limit had passed! The match was a draw! And realizing that... "WAAAHHHH!!!" "WOAAAAHHHH!!!" "LEON SURVIVED AGAINST LENA!!!" The students erupted into cheers, adrenaline surging through their veins once more! "THE LAST TWO BATTLES WERE INSANE!!!" They couldn''t stop shouting. Leon heard their shouts. "Haha... lucky." He weakly mumbled with a smile on his face. And then... "..." He passed out. Chapter 83 - 83: 83 - Scholarship! After the match... "Quick, follow me." "Yes, sir!" The healers rushed to Leon, immediately beginning their work on him right there in the arena. Out of everyone, Leon had suffered the gravest injuries. If the fight had taken place outside the academy, he wouldn''t have survived. ''As expected of the protagonist, always pulling off something cool at the end.'' Raye thought, recalling the last moments of Leon and Lena''s match. Meanwhile... Tap- tap- tap¡ª Lena quietly returned to the resting area where Raye and the others were waiting. "Good work out there." Raye greeted her casually. "I didn''t even win." Lena replied, her tone sharp. But just shrugging his shoulders... "He got lucky, manifesting his aura at the last second. Everyone knows you had that match won." Raye said that. "That''s right." Devin followed, looking at Lena with a serious expression. "Mhm." The others murmured, nodding in agreement. "..." Lena''s lips curled into a small smile as she glanced at her friends. And then, slightly embarrassed... "Thank you." She replied to them. ***** After a while... Once Leon was healed and both he and Allen regained consciousness... Tap- tap- tap¡ª The headmaster, Bryan Blackwood, walked toward the arena where Raye had fought earlier. "..." All eyes turned to him, the students falling silent as they watched his measured steps. Finally... Tap¡ª Bryan stopped in the center of the arena. "First of all, I would like to congratulate you all." He declared, his voice enhanced with mana so everyone could hear clearly. "You performed admirably in the physical examination. Witnessing your growth in such a short period has been inspiring." Bryan added, a proud smile on his face. "..." Raye frowned slightly. He noticed that Bryan glanced at him when he said that. Anyway... "Blah blah blah blah¡ª" The headmaster continued talking. But Raye didn''t listen to him. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. After all, Bryan was just saying pleasantries, praising the students for completing the Class Re-evaluation. Then, after a few minutes... "I will ensure that this time, class placements are fair." Bryan stated that firmly. ''Finally, it''s over.'' Raye thought, he was about to stand up. But then... "Before I dismiss you all, I have one more thing to add." Bryan suddenly announced that, halting Raye in his tracks. "Huh?" Raye was confused. And what followed that left him even more surprised! "One student''s performance during the physical exam caught my attention." Bryan began, a smile playing on his lips. "They''ve shown remarkable growth¡ªliterally from zero to a hundred." He continued. "He was once a troublemaker, but he''s clearly turned things around." Bryan then paused, letting the weight of his words settle... "And so, I would like to take this opportunity to commend his hard work with a scholarship." And then he declared that! "?!" The announcement sent shockwaves through the crowd! After all, at Zion Academy... A scholarship is a mark of excellence! Awarded only to the most talented students like Jerusha, Lena, and Leon! And the students, without even hearing the name, already knew who Bryan was referring to! Fwish¡ª "..." All their heads turned to one person. And at the end of their collective gaze... "..." Raye stood confidently, his calm demeanor unwavering. And as they had expected... "Raye Alvah, please join me here in the arena." Bryan called out to him! ***** (Raye''s POV) Tap- tap- tap¡ª I walked toward the headmaster, my steps steady despite the weight of everyone''s stares. Their were looking at mr with envy, awe, anger, and more. Whispers buzzed around me, but I ignored them, maintaining a composed expression. "..." Zephyrus wasn''t with me. He was back with Jerusha and the others. Anyway, not long... Tap¡ª I reached the headmaster. I''m standing beside him now. "Nice to meet you again." He greeted with a warm tone in his voice. "It''s nice to see you well, Headmaster." I replied politely, giving him a slight bow. "..." The headmaster just nodded his head in acknowledgment. Then, without further delay... "To honor your dedication and remarkable progress, I, Bryan Blackwood hereby award you a third-tier scholarship." He declared that, handing me a rolled-up certificate! "..." I quickly accepted it, a small grin forming on my lips. "Thank you." I said, my voice steady. And then... Clap- clap- clap¡ª Applause erupted from the crowd! "Congratulations!" "You deserve it!" I heard some of them cheering for me. Then, I saw Professor Sariel at the corners of my eyes... "..." He was clapping and smiling while looking at me. Professor Jacqueline too, and the other professors that I''m under in are doing the same. "..." It made me smile. And when I turned to Jerusha and the others... "CONGRATS!!!" "GOOD JOB!!!" They were cheering wildly, jumping in excitement. And seeing them like that... "Haha." A soft chuckle escaped my lips. ***** Moments later... As the applause faded, silence settled over the arena once more. I thought it was over¡ªthat the headmaster would finally dismiss us all and I could leave. But then... "Raye." He called, drawing my attention again. "What is it?" I asked, slightly nervous. "I have a small favor to ask." The headmaster replied. Thump- thump- thump¡ª My heart slightly raced. ''Is this the catch? The price for the scholarship?'' I wondered. But before my thoughts could spiral further... "Can you show us your current stats?" The headmaster requested that. "Huh?" His request caught me off guard. "Is that all?" I asked. "Yes, that''s all." The headmaster confirmed. And then, feeling relived... "Okay." I replied with a smile on my face. ''I thought it was something serious.'' This is no problem for me. After all, it''s not like I''m trying to hide my stats. ... ... A few minutes later... The academy staff brought out the artifact used to measure stats and set it up in the arena. The headmaster informed the students they could leave if they wished. But strangely... "..." No one moved. They all stayed, eyes fixed on me. Anyway, now... Tap¡ª I''m standing on the platform. It was the same artifact used to measure my stats before. "Ready whenever you are." The headmaster said, watching me intently. "..." I gave a brief nod. Then, without beating around the house... "Status." I muttered that. Chapter 84 - 84: 84 - A Rabbit Stew Please "Status." Raye calmly muttered. Swoosh¡ª And then his stats were projected up in the air for everyone to see! ===== Name: Raye Alvah Age: 18 Year Level: 1 Race: Human ----- Stamina: 41 Intellect: 45 Mana: 37 Strength: 43 Speed: 44 ----- Overall Grade: E Growth Rate: S+ ===== "..." "..." The whole area went totally silent. The students, the professors... "..." Jerusha and the others were speechless as well. ''What the fuck...?!'' Especially Leon, Devin, and Lena! After all, they saw Raye''s stats about more than a month ago in the stats screening! And his stat points back then were barely double digits! "What the hell happened to him...?" Leon mumbled to himself. ''He''s seriously awesome...'' Devin admired in his head. ''He must''ve really suffered a lot in that mansion dungeon...'' And then Lena frowned, thinking that. "Raye..." Jerusha was thinking something along the line as her, so she''s feeling a bit sorry for Raye too. "..." Even Lycus is feeling complicated. After all, he knows what happened to Raye to have those stat points! On the other hand... "Haha..." Bryan laughed, looking at Raye''s status window up in the air. ''His growth is out of this world!'' He exclaimed internally. And then, looking at Raye again... "You can close it now." He said that. "Okay." Raye replied. Fwip- And then he immediately closed his status window! "You''ve really grown a lot, good job." Bryan praised Raye, patting his shoulders. "Thank you, Headmaster." Raye replied. And on this day... Raye earned the nickname, [The Risen Phoenix]! ... ***** After that, Bryan dismissed everyone and the physical examination ended... "See you guys." Raye said. He was in front of Xapham Hall with the others. "See you." "Later." "See you tomorrow!" Jerusha and the others replied to him. And after that... Tap- tap- tap¡ª They separated ways. ''I need to train more.'' Devin thought as he walks away with a serious expression. "..." Lycus was thinking the same. Raye''s stats were still in their minds. And even though Lycus has higher stats than Raye... ''I''m not sure I''ll be able to win against him.'' He thought. ... ... On his way to the cabin... "I wonder what did the old man cook for lunch." Raye mumbled. It''s only about 2 PM. -Hmm, a roasted deer meat would be nice. Zephyrus said, rested on top of Raye''s head. "You already had that yesterday." Raye said. -So what? It''s delicious. And then Zephyrus responded. "Hmm, fair." Raye muttered. "Well, I hope it''s a rabbit stew." Then he added. Anyway, the two of them are hungry now. And so... Swoosh¡ª Raye covered his legs with gusts of wind. Bam- SWISH¡ª And then he started dashing in a hurry! ''A third-tier scholarship, huh.'' Raye thought as he runs. This tier of scholarship just pays for his tuition and nothing else. But for Raye... ''It''s everything that I need!'' He declared in his head with a smile on his face. SWOOSH¡ª Then he started running faster! ***** Not too long after... Tap¡ª "We''re home." -Hello. Raye and Zephyrus arrived in the cabin. Though... "..." Nobody greeted them. "Hmm?" Raye looked around... Nothing. "Old Man!" He called. "..." But there were no response. "Pyro?!" "..." Still nothing. -Wait, let me check. Zephyrus said. Fwish¡ª And then he flew around a cabin! He was fast so it only took him seconds to check every nook of it and room. Though, when he came back to Raye... -... Zephyrus just shook his head with a slight frown on his face. ''What the fuck?'' This is when Raye started to worry. Old Man Rey doesn''t hunt in this time around, after all. Thump- thump- thump¡ª His heart was beating faster than it ever did. He tried to think positively that maybe the Old Man and Pyro just went somewhere for a while... But his mind was still in shambles! And then... -Meeep! "?!" He heard a familiar chirping. It was so weak, it''s from somewhere pretty far. That if he has no connection from it... Raye wouldn''t have been able to hear it! ''It''s Pyro!'' Raye thought. Bam- Swoosh¡ª And then he immediately rushed to where he heard it! -?! Zephyrus was surprised by his sudden movement. -... FWOOSH¡ª But he decided to follow after him! ... ... Raye was running just outside the Northern Forest, at the entrance. ''I can feel Pyro''s presence here!'' Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. He thought. He''s now actually near the river where he always bathes. SWOOSH¡ª Raye was running very fast, he was faster than a cheetah right now. FWISH¡ª -... Zephyrus was calmly following after him. Raye was frowning, looking around while he runs. And then... "?!" He saw something far away! Figures of something big and a human! Raye can also see something bright flying between them! "It''s Pyro!" Raye exclaimed! -!!! Zephyrus saw it two! And with that... BAM¡ª! SWOOSH¡ª Raye took a big leap toward the figures! And upon getting near them... "?!" -!! Raye and Zephyrus saw Old Man Rey butt-first on the ground! And in front of him... -Grrr... Is a mutated bear towering over 3 meters tall! -GRAAAAAHHH!!! The bear roared, trying to attack the Old Man! And seeing that... Swoosh- Raye immediately imbued mana in the [Celestria]! Fwish- It transformed into an elegant, white sword! "[Flash]" Then Raye activated a skill! SWISH¡ª He disappeared... Fwish- And reappeared in front of the bear! Then with an angry expression on his face... SWOOSH¡ª Raye swiftly slashed horizontally! But just before his sword touched the bear... "[Blaze!]" Raye activated another skill! FWISH¡ª! And he cut the bear''s neck with his flaming sword! Tap- "..." Raye softly landed on the ground... -... The bear was silent. But after a few moments... SPLASH¡ª Blood gushed out of its next neck! Thud- Then its head was decapitated from its body! And following that... Boom! The bear''s headless body fell on the ground! It''s dead, of course. Fwip- Raye then turned around and looked at the Old Man. "..." Old Man Rey was looking back at him. "Brat..." He mumbled, it was evident from his face and voice that he was still in shock. Fortunately, Raye saw no wound on his body or whatsoever. So after seeing him safe... "Haaaaa..." Raye let out a relieved sigh. Thud- Then he fell butt-first on the ground too. ''I''m glad he''s safe.'' Raye thought, looking up in the sky. Then he looked at Old Man Rey again... "Old Man." Raye called. "Huh? What?" Still in stupor, the old man asked. And then opening his mouth... "I got a scholarship, let''s eat rabbit stew." Raye declared that. Hearing his words... "?!" Old Man Rey snapped out of his stupor. "Bah! I don''t have rabbit meat left!" He exclaimed with a fake frown on his face. "Haha, let''s catch one on our way back then." Raye laughed seeing him back to his normal self now. Chapter 85 - 85: 85 - The Results -Hmm, that was the fastest flash step I''ve seen you do. Zephyrus said, flying toward Raye and the Old Man. "Well, I was panicking..." Raye awkwardly responded. And after that... "Thanks." Old Man Rey approached and suddenly said that! "..." Raye looked at the Old Man. Then while smiling... "Meh, it''s nothing." He just shrugged and replied. Though, he''s really glad Old Man Rey was safe. Anyway... -Meep! Raye heard Pyro. "Hmm?" But he can''t see any slime around. ''Where is he?'' Raye asked in his head, looking around. And then... -Up here, Human. Zephyrus spoke. "Huh?" Raye looked up at him. And there... "?!" He saw Pyro flying beside Zephyrus! "Wha...?" Raye was surprised seeing him. After all, Pyro is not a slime anymore! His whole body is now made of fire! And Raye immediately know that Pyro had evolved now! "Ah yeah, he turned like that just a while ago after he woke up." Old Man Rey casually said. -Meep meep meep! And then Pyro chirped as he happily and proudly flew around Raye. Looking at him... "Haha, congrats Pyro!" Raye said that, feeling proud amd happy for Pyro. -Meep! ***** Anyway, not long after... Raye, Old Man Rey, Zephyrus, and Pyro started heading back to the cabin. On their way back... The Old Man started telling Raye what happened. Apparently, after Pyro evolved... He woke up feeling hungry. Old Man Rey knows that he feeds on Raye''s mana. But because Raye wasn''t there... He decided to catch fish from the nearby river to feed Pyro. Every living being has mana residing within them, so the old man figured that feeding Pyro a live fish might lessen his hunger. This actually works, but the spirits would be hungry again just a few minutes later. Anyway, with that... Old Man Rey and Pyro headed to the nearby river. But when they got there... They saw the mutated bear catching a bunch of fish with its bare hands! (Not pun intended.) Its eyes landed on them... And then the mutated bear started chasing The Old Man! Old Man Rey, only having a fishing rod with him, tried his best to run away! But after a while... He tripped and fell on the ground! The bear reached him not long after, and it tried charging at him! Though... Pyro fought it off for a while, protecting The Old Man! He started firing a bunch of fire arrows to the mutated bear! But because he''s low on mana... Pyro''s attacks didn''t do much damage! And his mana hit rock bottom only after about 10 shots! Luckily... Raye appeared at that moment and killed the bear in a flash! "Hmm, so I was just on time, huh." Raye mumbled after hearing the whole story. Swoosh¡ª Then he started imbuing mana to Pyro. -Meep! Pyro is rested on top of his right shoulder. ''It''s amazing how he doesn''t burn anything he touches, even though he''s literally made of fire.'' Raye thought, looking at him. Anyway... "Yeah, I thought I was gonna die. I should''ve bought my spear or even the bow." The Old Man replied to Raye. "Start bringing at least a machete or an axe with you all of the time in case something like this happens again." Raye said. And seeing how worried he is... "Okay." Old Man Rey simply agreed. This made Raye sigh in relief. But then... "..." Tap- tap- tap¡ª He suddenly looked up in the sky and frowned. ''The serious part of the story is starting, I need to get ready.'' And then he thought of that! Raye''s face was all serious, and nervousness was filling up his body! Everything that has happened until now... It''s all just the beginning! The easy part of the game! -Old Man, what did you cook for lunch? "Roasted deer meat." -Sweet! ***** Raye and the others got back in the cabin not long after. They also hunted 3 rabbits on their way back. With Raye''s speed, it was a piece of cake. Anyway, Old Man Rey made a rabbit stew with it. And after that... "Let''s eat." "Thanks for the food." -I want that part of the roasted deer meat! -Meep! The four of them ate lunch together. ... ... After that... Raye''s day continued normally. He just rested and only trained the sword techniques Ivan taught him for a bit. He''s still worried about the upcoming game scenarios, but Raye can''t do anything about it right now, so he didn''t dwell on it. And so like that... The day ended. ***** The next day... Raye, Lena, Devin, Lycus, and Sofia all came to watch the second part of the sophomores'' physical examination. Zephyrus and Pyro were with them. They all came to cheer for Jerusha... "Wow! Pyro evolved!" Jerusha exclaimed, seeing the flying flame around Raye. She was so excited about it. -Meep! Pyro proudly chirped, circling around Raye. ''Cute.'' And then Lena thought of that, looking at him. "He''s not a smile anymore, huh." Devin mumbled to himself. "Still small and cute though." Then Lycus followed. "..." Sofia was just following Pyro with her eyes, she was shaking... She wants to grab Pyro and pinch his cheeks! ''No, that''d be rude, I need to control myself.'' Sofia thought. And just then... "Jerusha Amethyst." Sariel called for Jerusha. And without beating around the bush... "I''ll be right back!" Jerusha stood up and exclaimed that. "Good luck!" Raye and the others responded to her. And not long, Jerusha''s match started! Though... BOOM¡ª! She won her fight easily, ending it the second it started! ''Bruh.'' Raye was feeling sorry for her opponent. ***** "Bye, see you all later!" Everyone separated after the sophomores'' physical examination ended. Raye immediately headed back to the cabin. He ate with the old man and trained all day. Nothing much really happened... And so does in the next two days! Raye has no interest in watching the Tertiaries'' Class Re-evaluation Exams.. There are important characters in that year... But he doesn''t really care. ''They''re important to the story, not to me.'' Raye thought. So for two days... He was focused on training, studying, repairing the cabin, and helping Old Man Rey with the chores. Raye also continued his private learning sessions about spirit magic with Jerusha in the Northern Forest. And just like that... Sunday arrived. And the result of the Class Re-evaluation Exam came out. ***** "..." Raye is currently at the entrance of Xapham Hall. "Ugh, I''m so nervous..." "I wonder what class I got this time." "I bet I got high results!" He''s hearing murmurs all around from the students. The area was packed with people. So... "..." Raye just stood at the back, away from the crowd. He''s waiting for the number of people to go down. -Want me to just fly over there and see what you got? Zephyrus asked, sitting on top of his head. "No." And Raye immediately replied. "Don''t take the excitement out of it, I want to see it myself." He added. -''Humans are really weird sometimes.'' Zephyrus thought, hearing his response. -Meep meep! Pyro was just flying around, he''s clearly having a lot more fun ever since he got the ability to fly. Moving on... "..." As Raye was silently waiting for the crowd to dwindle in number. "Yo!" Devin spotted him. "Oh, hello." Raye greeted. "You''ve seen what class you''re in?" And then Devin asked, approaching him. "Not yet, I don''t want to squeeze in the crowd." Raye said. "How about you?" Then he asked back. "I haven''t seen mine yet either, I just got here." Devin said, looking at the crowd. "Mind if I wait here with you?" He asked. "You don''t need to ask me, feel free to." Raye replied with a shrug. "Sweet." And with that, the two of them silently waited for the other students to leave. They''re not in a hurry, after all. ***** Raye and Devin waited for a while... "Hi guys!" "Hello." Lycus and Sofia joined them later too. They didn''t see Jerusha nor Lena around. But that''s not really a surprise to them... After all, those two are certainly in the [S Class]! No need to check. Even Leon and Allen are not here, that''s how confident they are! And so... ''Why is Raye here?'' Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Sofia, Lycus, and Devin are wondering about that! For someone who did well in the Class Re-evaluation Exams, defeated an [S Class] student, and received a scholarship directly from the headmaster... Isn''t it obvious that Raye would be in [S Class] now?! Though... "..." The three didn''t say anything about it. And not long after... "Finally." The number of students in the area decreased significantly. With that... Tap- tap- tap¡ª Raye and the others casually walked to the front. "..." "..." The students went quiet, looking at them. Tap¡ª Raye stopped in front of a large billboard displaying the Class Re-evaluation results. And there... "..." He began searching for his name. And not long after... "There." He found it at the very top of the billboard. ===== {Freshman Ranking} 1. [Raye Alvah - S Class] Written Examination Rank: 2/1047 Physical Examination Rank: 1/1047 2. [Lena Dravenhart - S Class] Written Examination Rank: 1/1047 Physical Examination Rank: 2/1047 3. [Leon Lightbringer - S Class] 4. [Allen Iverson - S Class] 5. [Lycus Fenrath - S Class] ===== Chapter 86 - 86: 86 - Worries ===== {Freshman Ranking} 1. [Raye Alvah - S Class] Written Examination Rank: 2/1047 Physical Examination Rank: 1/1047 2. [Lena Dravenhart - S Class] Written Examination Rank: 1/1047 Physical Examination Rank: 2/1047 3. [Leon Lightbringer - S Class] 4. [Allen Iverson - S Class] 5. [Lycus Fenrath - S Class] ===== "..." Lycus, Devin, and Sofia were silent, staring at Raye''s name at the very top of the ranking. They had expected it, but it was still shocking nonetheless! ''He''s really awesome.'' They all thought in unison. On the other hand... "..." Raye was silent as well. Though... ''Haha, I made it.'' He had a huge grin on his face! Of course, he already knew he''d be in [S Class]¡ªhe defeated someone from that class! And he was one of the few who took academics seriously. Most freshmen focused on raising their fighting abilities, after all. So as soon as he defeated Allen, Raye already knew what was coming! He just wanted to see it himself... "..." The fruit of his hardships. ***** Raye and the others immediately left the area after checking their class placements. Lycus was in the same class as Raye, [S Class]. Devin got into [A Class], while Sofia remained in [B Class]. After that... Devin headed to one of the outdoor training grounds. "Wait for me in the [S Class]." He said with a smirk before separating from the others. Lycus and Sofia went off to eat somewhere together¡ªthey wanted to celebrate Lycus''s achievement of making it into [S Class]. "See you, Raye." "Later." Sofia and Lycus said before leaving. Raye just waved them goodbye. And now... -Where are we headed? -Meep? Raye was left alone with Zephyrus and Pyro. "Hmm..." He thought to himself for a moment. Then... "I''ll go to the library. You two can head back to the cabin." Raye said that. -You sure? -Meep? Zephyrus and Pyro asked. "Mhm." Raye nodded his head. "Take care of The Old Man for me." He added. -Hmm, okay. -Meep! Zephyrus and Pyro replied. And after that... FWOOSH¡ª SWISH¡ª They flew away, heading back to the cabin. -You''re slow, Pyro! -MEEEEEEP! Raye just watched them. And when they disappeared from his sight... "..." Tap- tap- tap¡ª Raye headed to the library. ''I need to get ready.'' He thought, his face was all serious. ***** [Brave Hearts], the game where Raye was transmigrated into. The fight between the protagonist and the original Raye at the beginning was merely considered a tutorial stage. But that wasn''t all¡ªthe entire freshman year of the protagonist in the game... It was the easiest part of the game! The real challenges began when the protagonist became a sophomore! It was pretty obvious, to be honest. There were only two Acts in the game so far, and everything took place entirely within the academy! Also, why do you think everyone had an artifact that protected the wearer from life-threatening attacks by summoning a magic barrier and reducing damage by 50%? The freshman year focused on completing side quests and strengthening the main characters. No real villains had even appeared yet! So far, the only enemies introduced for Leon were Raye, a perverted sophomore, and students from the lower classes! Anyway... ''There are less than five months left in the second semester.'' Raye thought, reading a book about magic engineering. ''And after that, hell will open... literally.'' He added, frowning. Raye now had enough money to live a leisurely and normal life for a few years. He could leave the academy, start a small business, and be well off for the rest of his life! The only reason he hadn''t left yet wasn''t because he wanted to finish his studies... But because the academy was actually one of the safest places in the world for him! ''In the game, when the demons started their move, a lot of cities and places were destroyed in a matter of days.'' But the Zion Academy... ''It remained standing until the end of the game.'' In short, Raye concluded that staying here would be much safer than going out! Though... This was the place where the story would unfold. And so... ''I need to get much stronger than I already am.'' Raye declared in his head. ***** Raye read for hours until it started getting dark outside. He headed back to the cabin around 7 PM. he ate dinner with Old Man Rey and the others. After that... Raye began training his spells and swordsmanship. And then, around 9 PM... Jerusha arrived all excited. "Congratulations on getting into [S Class]!" She said with a bright smile. "Thanks." Raye replied. And then they immediately started their private lessons on spirit magic! ... ... ''Ahhh, I''m tired.'' Raye thought, lying on his bed. Zephyrus and Pyro were now sleeping¡ªit was already 11 PM, after all. Anyway... Raye was still thinking about the scenarios that would unfold once he became a sophomore. He felt worried and a bit nervous, to be honest. "..." But he just closed his eyes. ''All I need to do is survive. The main characters will handle the rest.'' Raye thought. ''Instead, I should focus on what''s coming tomorrow.'' And then added. After all... Tomorrow would be Raye''s first day as an [S Class]! ***** The next day... Raye woke up early and started chopping wood logs. Old Man Rey came out of the cabin later and began preparing breakfast. Zephyrus and Pyro got up not long after. And with that, the three of them had breakfast. Following that... Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Old Man Rey and Raye hunted in the Northern Forest as usual! They also checked the traps set up by the Old Man, returning to the cabin after a couple of hours with a wild boar and a deer! They caught another deer but let it go as it was still a fawn. Anyway... Raye then took a bath after returning, donned his best uniform... And around 9 AM... "I''m off." He left for the academy! Zephyrus and Pyro stayed behind at the cabin. ... ... And currently... "..." Raye was standing in front of a door. It had a gold plate attached to it that read [S Class]. "Fuuuu..." Raye took a deep breath. And then, with a poker face... ''Here goes nothing.'' CREAK¡ª Tap¡ª Raye entered the room. Chapter 87 - 87: 87 - Focused Tap¡ª S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Everyone''s eyes turned toward Raye as soon as he entered the room. "..." The room fell uncomfortably silent. ''Uwahhh, am I that famous?'' Raye thought, keeping a straight face. He began subtly looking around. There were only 10 students in the [S Class], but the room was absurdly spacious. The seats were arranged in two vertical rows¡ªfive chairs on the right and five on the left. And as Raye quietly observed his surroundings... "Hm?" He noticed Allen glaring at him from the back-left seat of the class. "..." Raye just ignored him. Then his eyes landed on Leon, sitting in his usual spot¡ªthe protagonist''s canonical seat¡ªat the back-right, beside the window. Leon seemed uninterested, gazing outside. ''It''s a canon event, huh.'' Raye mused. "Oh." And then he spotted Lena and Lycus seated in the second row! Lena on the right, Lycus on the left. There was an empty seat behind Lycus. And seeing that... "..." Raye smiled. Tap- tap- tap¡ª Raye walked over and sat in the empty chair behind Lycus. "..." The other five students, who had no connection to Raye, continued to stare at him with curiosity. ''This is uncomfortable.'' Raye thought, but he paid them no attention to them. Instead... "How did your date with Sofia go yesterday?" He asked Lycus that. "Wha...?!" Lycus nearly jumped out of his seat in surprise. The question was super sudden, it caught him off guard! "Oh?" Lena''s ears perked up in curiosity¡ªshe was sitting just right beside Lycus, after all. And just like that, Raye and Lena cornered Lycus into spilling the details of his day with Sofia. ... ***** A few minutes later... Creak¡ª The classroom door opened. Tap¡ª Then entered a tall man in a military-style uniform! "..." Everyone''s attention shifted to him. He had a clean-cut hairstyle, onyx-black eyes, and visible scars scattered across his exposed skin. A massive cigar hung from his mouth. ''He''s got such a strong presence.'' Raye thought, recognizing the man immediately. It was Ramiel Hale, the head professor of [S Class]! In the game... Ramiel was a support character who helped the protagonist and other main characters grow stronger¡ªjust like Sariel! The only difference was that Sariel focused on magic, academics, and strategic advice, while Ramiel''s approach was brute force and relentless physical training! Anyway... Tap¡ª Ramiel stopped in front of the class. His sheer presence was intimidating. "..." The room remained silent. "Hmm." Ramiel then glanced at Lycus and Raye. "Two got replaced, huh." He remarked with a smirk. Then, without further pleasantries, he opened his mouth again... "My name is Ramiel Hale. That''s all you need to know." He introduced himself with zero enthusiasm. And following that... "Everyone, stand up and follow me to the training grounds!" He instructed with a mana-enhanced voice! "Ugh..." Raye and Lycus cringed, wincing from the deafening command! And as they were like that... Tap- tap- tap¡ª Creak¡ª THUD¡ª! Ramiel exited the room without another word! "Bruhhh..." "Again?" "Seriously, that guy...!" The other students began grumbling, clearly expecting this. For them, it was routine. They all stood up and started heading out one by one! "..." Raye and Lycus exchanged glances, sighing internally. And then, at the end, they followed the rest of the class. Lena walked with them, ensuring they wouldn''t be left behind. ''I hate this already.'' Raye thought on the way. ... ***** Inside one of Xapham Hall''s indoor training grounds... "The headmaster told me to take it easy on the first day." Ramiel said that, his lips curling into a villainous smile. "But I don''t do things like that!" He exclaimed. "Ugh..." The students groaned collectively. "..." Raye, Lena, Lycus, Allen, and Leon frowned but remained silent. And Ramiel... He just ignored their reactions and continued! "Today''s training will be simple." He declared. And then after a pause... "I want all of you to run one¡ªno, two hundred laps around this area. Easy, right?" Ramiel added that! And without giving them any time to process his words... "No using mana, of course." He followed! "..." The students were too stunned to respond. The indoor training grounds were enormous¡ª80 meters by 70 meters. Two hundred laps in it would mean running roughly 60 kilometers! And without using mana, on top of that! "Okay, stand up and start!" Ramiel commanded with unrelenting authority. "..." No one moved at first, still hoping this was just some kind of twisted joke... But Ramiel''s next words shattered that hope. "If I catch anyone slacking off, I''ll add another hundred laps¡ªnot for them, but for everyone!" "Ugh..." The groans grew louder, but no one dared to argue. "And if I catch you using mana, the same punishment applies. So don''t even try it!" Ramiel then continued, clearly having fun being the head professor. ... ***** "Ugh..." Raye groaned, collapsing onto his bed without even bothering to change out of his uniform. Outside, Old Man Rey, Zephyrus, and Pyro were busy preparing lunch. Anyway, staring at the ceiling... "He''s such a jerk." Raye muttered that, referring to Ramiel. Ramiel had always been like that in the game, but watching from behind a screen hadn''t prepared Raye for how grueling the training would be in real life. ''Though, I really need his training.'' Raye admitted to himself. He couldn''t afford to slack off now¡ªnot with the harder scenarios looming just around the corner. And so, with a determined look in his eyes... ''I need to endure this.'' He resolved. Raye had made up his mind... He would focus entirely on growing stronger for now. "Brat, let''s eat!" "Oh." Old Man Rey then called for Raye. "Wait a minute!" Raye exclaimed back. "Ugh..." He then forced his aching body to stand up! Raye changed to his casual clothes. And after that... "What''s for dinner?" "Rabbit Stew." He ate with the old man and the others. ... ***** The next day... Raye returned to the academy. He endured Ramiel''s absurd training once again! And after that, he attended his other classes... Then spent hours studying in the library! And believe it or not... Raye trained by himself when he got back to the cabin, too! (Sheesh, you need to rest...) But as Raye had said the previous night, he had no time to laze around. He needed to do everything he could to grow stronger. He understood the gravity of what was about to come. And so, this became Raye''s routine: He trained under Ramiel at the academy, improving his physical stats. He studied with Lena in the library, sharpening his intelligence. He trained alone back at the cabin... And he practiced spirit magic under Jerusha''s guidance! He also trains his proficiency with the skills he made together with Pyro and Zephyrus! All this while keeping up with his chores at the cabin, attending his other classes, and assisting the Old Man! (Talk about being busy...) And just like that... ... ... ... ... ... Five months had passed. Chapter 88 - 88: 88 - Brawl [1] [Act II : The Clash of Classes] was the last important scenario during the freshman year. And so, for five months... Leon and the other main characters just ran around completing subquests and raising their stats. S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Meanwhile... Raye stayed focused on his training and studies, steadily raising his stats in the background without involving himself with the main characters! And now, at this very moment¡ª TINGG¡ª! Raye was locked in combat with Lycus and Devin in the Northern Forest! ***** Every day around 7 PM... Raye, Lycus, and Devin meet in the Northern Forest for a free-for-all brawl. What for? For training, of course! "Hmm, your new gauntlets look sturdy." Raye commented, eyeing Devin''s gear. "Yeah, they suit you." Lycus then followed. They had paused their fighting for a break and were now sitting together on a fallen tree trunk, with Raye in the middle. Anyway... "Right? It''s made of condensed steel!" Devin proudly responded. "There are also crystals embedded in the knuckles that are excellent magic conductors, so I can still imbue my attacks with spells." And then he added an explanation. "It was expensive, but worth every coin!" Devin looked extremely pleased with his gauntlets. And seeing him like that... "Hmm..." Lycus became a bit jealous, glancing down at his battered daggers. Lycus uses dual daggers to fight. "Maybe I should get custom weapons too." He mumbled. "Oh, I know a great blacksmith! I''ll introduce you." Devin offered enthusiastically, hearing his voice. Then, out of nowhere¡ª "Should I get something too?" Raye asked that. Lycus and Devin turned to him, their expressions instantly souring. "...?" "What?" Raye questioned, confused by their reactions. And then, pissed... "Look at your fucking weapons!" Devin shouted, pointing at the two swords beside Raye! On Raye''s left was the elegant and flashy white sword, a blade as sharp as it was ornate! It was the [Celestria]! Then on his right was the intimidating black sword, a sturdy, no-nonsense sword that radiated power! It was Ivan''s sword¡ªor, as Raye named it, the [Nyx]! Lycus and Devin had spent the past five months clashing against these swords, and not once had they seen a dent on their blades! That''s why they know that these swords are no ordinary weapons! "Why would you even need a custom sword when you already have those?" Lycus asked, gesturing toward Raye''s swords. And then with a frown on his face... "It doesn''t have to be a weapon, dumbasses!" Raye retorted loudly, scowling at the two. "I meant a custom light-armor!" "Ohhhh..." "Ahhhh..." The two responded awkwardly, finally understanding. "I''ll recommend you to a great armor smith then!" Devin said with a big smile on his face. And then looking at his grin... ''Devin''s stupidity is getting into Lycus. This is bad.'' Raye thought of that, kinda scared that Devin might infect him too. But then, suddenly¡ª "Oh, I''ve been meaning to ask... But aren''t you in the magic course, why do you fight mostly in melee?" Devin suddenly asked that, changing the topic. "I fight in close quarters too, but that''s because of my situation. I can''t emit magic, after all." "But you''re different¡ªyou straight-up rush at your opponent even though you''re supposed to be a mage." Devin added. "Right... I almost forgot that Raye is in the magic course." Lycus then muttered, now looking at Raye curiously. "..." Raye paused for a moment. And then, casually... "Just because." He answered that. "Haah?!" Devin looked at him, clearly unsatisfied with his vague response. ''I can''t really just say that I''m not the real Raye who enrolled in the magic course, but someone else who''s more confident in close combat.'' Raye thought, choosing to ignore Devin''s frustration. ***** Anyway, after resting for a few minutes... Lycus, Devin, and Raye decided to have a go again at the free for all brawl. "..." Raye took a stance a few tens of meters away from Devin and Lycus. [Celestria] was on his left hand, and [Nyx] was on his right. Raye looked at the two... But they''re looking at each other. And seeing this... "Ugh..." Raye frowned. Because this means... ''They''re gonna team up against me!'' Raye exclaimed in his head. This is how it usually happens when the three of them fight, because of their odd count... One is forced to take on two people at once! Earlier, Devin and Raye teamed up against Lycus. ''So now it''s my turn, huh.'' Raye thought. And just as he expected, as soon as they started... BAM-! SWOOSH¡ª Lycus and Devin immediately rushed at him! "..." Raye remained calm, looking at them. Tap- Lycus reached him first! Swish¡ª Lycus swiftly swung his dagger at Raye, aiming at his face! "...!" Fwish- Raye turned his head to the side and avoided it. SWOOSH¡ª And then he swung [Nyx] diagonally upward as a counterattack! TING¡ª Lycus blocked his sword with the dagger in his left hand! Fwish¡ª Then Devin suddenly appeared on his left side! "Hup!" FWOOSH¡ª Devin quickly threw a powerful right straight at Raye! CLANK¡ª And Raye intercepted it with [Celestria]! Though, as both his weapons were occupied¡ª Swoosh¡ª Lycus struck again with his right dagger! FWISH¡ª While Devin aimed another punch with his left! "Urgh...!" Bam- Raye groaned as he leapt back to create some distance from the two! And as he was in midair¡ª Fwosh- Raye let go of the [Celestria] for a split second... Fwip- "[Bang]- [Bang]¡ª" And then he fired two quick shots at Devin and Lycus! Fwip¡ª And immediately caught [Celestria] again! "Huh?!" Psh- Devin crossed his arms and blocked the attack with his gauntlets. "...?!" Swish¡ª Lycus decided to avoid it. But as that was happening¡ª Tap- Raye landed softly on the ground... BAM¡ª! And he immediately kicked off and launched himself toward Devin! Then gripping both swords tightly¡ª SWOOOOSH¡ª! Raye slashed his blades horizontally from right to left! CLANG¡ª! His blades collided with Devin''s gauntlet! "URGH?!" Devin groaned in surprise. "GRAAAHHH!!!" FWOOSH¡ª And then he was flung away! "You stay there for a bit." Raye smirked and said that! Chapter 89 - 89: 89 - Brawl [2] After blasting Devin away... "You stay there for a bit." Raye smirked and muttered that. Fwish- "?!" But then he felt a sudden cold air on his nape! ''An attack from behind!'' Raye thought. Swish- Raye turned to look back.... "?!" And he saw Lycus up in the air, both his daggers were aiming at him! "Urgh!" Swish- Raye forcibly raised [Nyx]... TAANG¡ª! And he just made it on time to block Lycus'' attack! Fwosh- Raye then immediately thrust [Celestria] forward, aiming at Lycus stomach! But calmly... Swish¡ª Lycus just twisted his body to his right! Fwoo¡ª Making Raye hit nothing but the air! And taking advantage of the momentum of his spin.. SLASH¡ª! Lycus went and slashed Raye''s left forearm! "Keuk...?!" Raye groaned in pain. But following that... FWISH¡ª He swiftly spun his whole body to the right! SWOOSH¡ª And swung [Nyx] with all his might horizontally! "...?!" Lycus was surprised by the immediate counter! Fwip- He crossed his daggers in front of him, and with it... CLANK¡ª! He received Raye''s sword! Though... "HAAAA!!!" Raye put a lot of force behind his attack and combined it with his spinning momentum! "Urgh...?!" Fwiiiish¡ª Lycus was pushed and skidded back along with Raye''s sword! But at that moment... Bam- Devin reappeared on Raye''s left side! "HAAAAHHH!!!" And he launched a heavy right hook! ''Let me rest!'' Raye exclaimed in his head, frustrated. CLANG¡ª! And then he blocked Devin''s right fist with [Celestria]! "Ugh..fuck..." Raye frowned as he felt his left arm tingle in pain! BAM-! And then he launched a side kick at Lycus! "?!" Lycus was able to cross his arms in time to shield himself, but he was pushed back! Then with his right hand finally free... FWOOSH¡ª Raye thrust [Nyx] to the left, toward Devin''s head! "Oh shit!" Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Devin exclaimed in surprise. Fwish- He turned his head to the side and avoided the attack. Though, as his focus was on Raye''s blade... Fwip- "Huh?" Raye let go of [Celestria] and grabbed his right hand! Fwish- "?!" Raye pulled Devin close to him... BAAM-! And then he kneed Devin in the stomach with his right knee! "Gargh...!" Devin felt the air leave his body. But Raye wasn''t done yet. Bam¡ª "Keuk?!" He struck Devin''s throat with his right forearm! Thud¡ª The two of them fell to the ground. Then, while pressing Devin down with his weight... Fwish- Raye pointed the tip of [Nyx] at Devin''s neck! "..." Devin, his eyes wide, stared at the blade in front of him. "Haaa..." And then with a sigh... "I give up." He declared that! "Heh." Raye let out a laugh and smirked. "I give up too." And then he said that too! Hearing his words... "Nice, I win." Lycus said that! He was standing behind Raye, his dagger was aimed at the back of Raye''s head! Fwip- Lycus retrieved his weapon. And following that... "Hup." Raye and Devin stood up from the ground. "You guys are jerks." Raye said, dusting off his clothes. Then, with smug smiles on their faces... "What do you mean?" Devin and Lycus just shrugged. "Ugh, fuck you guys." Raye grumbled as he picked up [Celestria]. Swish- He absorbed his remaining mana imbued in it. And in doing so... Swoosh- The [Celestria] turned back into a ring. Raye wore it in his ring finger, left hand. Meanwhile... "..." Lycus and Devin are just looking at his ring, all jealous. ''Should I raid a dungeon?'' They thought in unison. ''Nah.'' But they immediately shook their heads after remembering what happened to Raye. ***** The three doesn''t use much skills and magic when they''re sparring. This is because they want to train their techniques and proficiency with their weapons. They don''t want to rely on their skills too much. After all, they can''t use it infinitely. Moving on... After their free for all fight just now... "..." Raye, Lycus, and Devin started meditating. Raye had told them months ago that he uses this method to increase his mana sensitivity. And upon hearing that... The two volunteered to join him. Now, this is what they do after their training. "..." Anyway, as they have their eyes closed... -Meep! Pyro appeared and chirped. "Hmm?" Raye immediately opened his eyes and looked at him. "Is it time?" He asked. -Meep! And Pyro replied, nodding his head. "Fuuu..." Raye stood up. Then, looking at Lycus and Devin who have their eyes closed... "Dinner''s ready, let''s join the old man." Raye said that. "Huh?" "Oh, okay." The two quickly opened their eyes. And after that... They all headed back to the cabin! This also became a routine too. Devin and Lycus eat dinner with Raye and the old man after training because they''re always so hungry by the time they finish. But because they don''t want to trouble Old Man Rey... Lycus hunts his own food and gives the rest to the old man. Devin, on the other hand, brings spices from the shop and other necessary ingredients! Old Man Rey said they didn''t need to do those... But the two insisted. They''ll feel guilty eating for free, after all. ***** Getting back to the cabin... "Oh, you''re all here. Let''s eat." Old Man Rey greeted the four. -Meep! Pyro quickly flew beside Zephyrus. -That''s your portion. Zephyrus said that, pointing at the plate with a big roasted deer meat. (His portion was slightly bigger that Pyro''s though.) Anyway... Zephyrus evolved a few weeks ago, he now looks like a small chicken. "Thanks for the food!" "Thank you, Old Man." "Thanks, Mister Rey." Devin, Raye, and Lycus sat down on the table. And with that... The six of them ate dinner together. "Jerusha''s not here today, huh." Devin said, taking a bite of the roasted beef in front of him. "It''s not like she lives here." Raye casually replied, taking a bowlful of rabbit stew for himself. "She doesn''t live here?" And then Lycus asked, genuinely shocked. He''s confused! After all, Jerusha was always here in the cabin! She''s actually the one that usually calls the three for dinner, not Pyro! "..." Raye looked at Lycus with a frown on his face. He can''t believe that Lycus thought Jerusha lives in the cabin with him and the Old Man. Old Man Rey laughed a little, hearing Lycus. Anyway, shaking his head... "She''s at the local orphanage, visiting the nuns and the children there." Raye mumbled that. Jerusha informed him and Old Man Rey of this before hand. "Ohh.." "Mhm..." Devin and Lycus nodded their heads, hearing Raye''s words. And after that, they all just continued eating. Chapter 90 - 90: 90 - At The Orphanage [1] The next day... Raye woke up early and began doing all his morning chores. "You''re always early..." Old Man Rey came out of the cabin about an hour later, still yawning. "What do you want for breakfast?" Old Man Rey asked. And then, with a shrug... "Don''t know. Anything''s fine." Raye answered. THUCK¡ª! He continued chopping logs after that. "Hmm, okay." The Old Man sleepily nodded at Raye''s words. Then he started preparing breakfast. "Light a fire for me." "[Ignite]" Swaaaa¡ª ***** After breakfast... Raye started heading to the library. He left Zephyrus and Pyro at the cabin to accompany Old Man Rey to the Northern Forest later. Raye had been leaving the two of them with the Old Man more often, only bringing them along if they wanted to come. And that''s because... ''I can just summon them if I need them.'' Raye could now use spirit summoning! He could call them whenever and wherever, and they''d appear! It had taken him a month of training to learn this skill though... ''Jerusha said she learned it after only a few days of practicing.'' And with no mentor or anything! She just read it in a book! ''I know I did well, but she''s making it look like I didn''t.'' Raye thought, shaking his head. And just then... "Ah, Raye!" "Hmm?" He bumped into Jerusha. "Where are you going?" Raye asked, noticing the many paper bags Jerusha was carrying. "I''m headed to the orphanage. I bought some food for them on the way!" Jerusha answered. She looked like she was struggling to hold all the bags. "Here, let me help." So Raye helped him, taking most of the bags. "Oh, no, I''m fine!" Jerusha protested. "..." But Raye just ignored her and continued. And then, after that... "I''ll accompany you to the orphanage. Let''s go." Raye offered! "Aren''t you headed somewhere?" Jerusha asked. "That can wait. Don''t worry." Then Raye just casually responded. "..." Jerusha fell silent for a moment. But then... "Thanks." She smiled and replied shyly. "It''s nothing big." Raye nonchalantly said. And If he could shrug, he would. "Hmm..." But his hands were occupied at the moment. ... ***** Raye and Jerusha started heading to the orphanage... "Really, thank you for helping me." Jerusha said as they walked. "You''ve helped me before too, so don''t worry about it." Raye quickly replied. And with that, they continued on their way. Anyway... You might think the orphanage was located in the town. But it wasn''t! Contrary to that... Raye and Jerusha were now walking along the entrance to the Western Forest! ''No wonder Jerusha easily made a connection with the spirits at an early age.'' Raye thought, looking at the dense forest beside him. Then, glancing at Jerusha... ''Hmm.'' Raye fell silent as he remembered her backstory in the game. ''We''re pretty similar, huh.'' Raye reflected, because just like him... Jerusha also grew up in an orphanage. She was abandoned by her parents just a few days after birth. Nobody adopted her. She grew up isolated, barely interacting with the other kids by her own choice. Jerusha mostly only spoke with the nuns who took care of her as a child. She wasn''t a happy-go-lucky back then. And then, when Jerusha reached the age of four... That''s when she started seeing spirits! She immediately befriended a mid-rank spirit from the Western Forest just a few days later and made a contract with it! ''Ugh, talk about monstrous talent.'' Raye frowned, slightly eyeing at Jerusha. Anyway, moving on... Jerusha told the nuns about her first spirit contract. The nuns reported it to the Zion Academy. And upon hearing the story... The academy became interested in Jerusha''s talent! They invested in her, providing everything she needed to get stronger! Food, herbal elixirs, expensive equipment! And when Jerusha turned eighteen... They gave her a first-tier scholarship! (First-tier scholarship = everything free!) ''Wait... We''re only similar in being orphans. I''m not as talented or lucky as her.'' Raye thought after recalling Jerusha''s backstory. "You okay?" Jerusha suddenly asked, noticing Raye''s slight frown. "Oh." Raye snapped out of his thoughts and looked at her. Then, with a smile... "I''m fine, just thought of something." Raye simply replied. "Hmm..." Jerusha was curious. "Okay!" But she decided not to pry about it. ***** After a few more minutes of walking... "We''re here." Jerusha said that as they reached their destination. "Whoa..." Raye was surprised. After all, the orphanage... "..." It was a two-story mansion! ''The academy really wants Jerusha''s talent that much, huh.'' Raye thought. Anyway, just then... "Oh, Jerusha!" A nun noticed them. "Ah, Sister is here!" "Sister Jerusha!" "Big sister!" And then three children ran out of the orphanage, two boys and a girl! They headed straight for Jerusha! Though, upon getting near her... "Huh?" They stopped in their tracks, noticing Raye. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "..." "..." "..." The three kids stared at Raye. "..." And Raye just stared back at them. ''What are these weirdos looking at?'' He asked in his head. "Oh, who''s that with you?" Then the nun asked, approaching Jerusha. "He''s my junior, a friend of mine." Jerusha quickly responded. "Ah, hello... My name is Raye." Raye introduced himself. "Hello, Raye. I''m Sister Irish." And the nun introduced herself in return. "I would shake your hand, Sister, if I could, but my hands are occupied at the moment." Raye said with a smile, carrying four full paper bags. "Ah, my apologies, where are my manners. Come on in." Sister Irish said, noticing Raye''s burden. "It''s okay... Sorry for the intrusion." Raye replied casually. Then, he followed Sister Irish inside the orphanage. "Let''s go, Jerusha." Raye said, looking back. "I''ll be right behind you." Jerusha replied, smiling at him. "Okay." Then Raye nodded and continued walking. Tap- tap- tap¡ª And when he was gone... "Hmm..." The three kids approached Jerusha while still eyeing at Raye. "Sister Jerusha." The girl called. "Yes?" Jerusha responded. "He''s handsome. Is he your boyfriend?" And then the girl suddenly asked that! "Wha?!" Jerusha was taken aback. And immediately... "No!" She exclaimed that! "..." "..." "..." The three kids stared at her. And then, seeing her reaction... "Heh." They smiled mischievously and looked at each other! Chapter 91 - 91: 91 - At The Orphanage [2] Entering the orphanage... ''Uwahhh...'' Raye was further impressed as he saw the interior. ''It''s like a small noble lord lives here.'' He thought. Anyway, moving on... "There." Thud¡ª Raye found a table and placed all the paper bags he was carrying on top of it. "Oh." He then noticed Jerusha entering with the three kids. ''Looks like she''s telling them to keep quiet.'' Raye concluded in his head, seeing her shushing at them. "Jerusha, here." He called out to her. "Ah, yes!" Jerusha flinched at his call... "..." But Raye paid no attention to it. ***** Inside the orphanage... There were roughly twenty more kids. And along with Sister Irish, there were four adults taking care of them. Three nuns and a retired teacher! Jerusha introduced Raye to them, and he greeted them in return. Then after that... "Hmm, this is comfy" Jerusha and Raye sat on a couch. "I''ll cook you guys something, just wait here, okay?" Sister Irish said. "Okay!" And Jerusha replied cheerfully. Tap- tap- tap¡ª Sister Irish headed to the kitchen. Then, looking at Raye... "I''m sorry you were forced to stay." Jerusha apologized. "Meh." Raye shrugged. "Why are you apologizing? I''m staying because Sister said she''ll cook for us. It''d be rude to decline." He said casually. "..." Jerusha smiled, hearing his words. She knew Raye was just being kind to her. But then, as she was smiling... "Yieee..." She heard a weak voice behind Raye! Jerusha turned to look. "?!" And it was the two boys and the girl from before! "Huh? What do you guys want?" Raye asked, noticing them too. But immediately... "Hey, you three! Don''t disturb him!" Jerusha exclaimed, shooing the kids away! "He he he he!" The kids then ran off, laughing mischievously. And looking after them... "Ugh, those three..." Jerusha slightly frowned. "..." Raye had no idea what was going on, so he just remained silent. ''Is every kid here weird?'' Raye thought to himself. ***** A few minutes later... "Wow, your sword is cool!" "Is that real?" "Can you cut my book with it so I wouldn''t have to read it?" The kids started gathering around Raye, curious about the new face. The boys were all about Raye''s sword... "He''s handsome, huh." "He must be a prince!" "Big sister''s prince!" While the girls were focused on Raye''s face. Amid the attention from the kids... "..." Raye had no idea how to react, so he''s just there... All quiet. "Are they bothering you?" Jerusha asked him. "No, I just don''t know how to react to them." And Raye honestly replied. "I don''t mind them though." He added. "You sure?" Jerusha followed. "Yup." Raye simply answered. "..." Jerusha was still a little worried that Raye might be feeling uncomfortable. But just then... "Jerusha?" Sister Irish came out of the kitchen and called for her. "Hm, what is it?" Jerusha asked. Then, apologetically... "Can you buy something from the town real quick? We''re out of spices." Sister Irish mumbled that. "Oh, umm..." Jerusha awkwardly glanced at Raye. Thinking that it''ll be rude to leave him alone here. But then, with a smile... "I''ll wait for you here." Raye just casually said that! And hearing his words... "..." Jerusha smiled once again. "Okay! What do I need to buy?" Then she turned to Sister Irish and responded. "Great! So buy one of these and this too..." *** Outside the orphanage... "I''m going now." Jerusha said that. Raye and the kids are seeing her off. "Want to bring my sword for safety?" Raye asked her, pertaining to his [Nyx]. But with a laugh... "No, silly. I''ll be fine without a sword." Jerusha replied innocently. "Fair enough." Raye muttered. And with that... "I''ll be right back!" SWOOSH¡ª Jerusha flew up in the air, headed toward the town. "Bye, Sister Jerusha!" "Come back quickly!" "Buy me a gift on your way back!" The kids waved her goodbye. And once she was out of sight... "Let''s go play!" "Okay!" "Let me join!" "YAY!" The kids started playing in front of the orphanage. "Hmm..." Raye observed them running around like idiots. Then... ''I could look after them for a while.'' Raye thought to himself as he sat on a large rock nearby. "..." He was like a parent watching his kids play in the park. Though, as he was doing that... "Hello!" "Hm?" Three of the kids approached him. They were the same three from earlier, the two boys and the girl! "Yes, what is it?" Raye asked, looking at them. Then the girl spoke first... "Do you like Sister Jerusha?" She asked. "Huh?" Raye was taken aback by the sudden question. But after a moment... "Yeah, I like her." He casually said that! ''I thought we wouldn''t get along at first, but Jerusha is a nice friend.'' Raye thought. "Ohh, what do you like about her?!" One of the boys asked eagerly. "She''s kind." And Raye immediately answered! "She helped me a lot too, I''m indebted to her." He added with a small smile. "Ehh, do you think she''s beautiful then?" The other boy asked. Raye looked at him... "Of course." Then he responded nonchalantly! ''Even when I was just playing the game, I thought Jerusha''s character design was beautiful.'' Raye thought to himself. And after that... "Well, do you...?!" The three kids continued asking him questions. Raye just answered them all casually, not thinking much about their curiosity. However... As their question and answer session went on... "KYAAAA!!!" Raye heard a child scream! "AHHHHH!!!" Then the others joined in! "...!" Raye immediately looked at the first source of the scream. And there... "?!" He saw a little girl on the ground, crying! And in front of her... -GRAAAAHHHH!!! There was something humanoid! It was unmistakably not human¡ªred skin, horns, claws, and a tail! And Raye immediately recognized what it was... ''A low-rank demon!'' Raye thought, alarmed. -SHUT UP, TINY HUMAN!!! The demon roared. SWOOSH¡ª And it swung its claws toward the girl! But before its attack could land... "[Flash]" Fwish¡ª Raye appeared between the demon and the girl! CLANG¡ª -Urgh...?! And he parried the demon''s hand with his sword! Fwip¡ª "Huh?" Raye grabbed the neckline of the little girl''s dress. Bam¡ª "Kyaaa!!" And then he leaped backward, carrying her out of danger! S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Tap¡ª Raye landed softly on the ground... "Everyone, get inside!" And then he shouted that! "AAHHHHH!!!" "KYAAAA!!!" The kids screamed in fear and rushed inside the orphanage, including the girl he''d just saved. And with that... "..." Fwish Raye turned to face the demon who''s a few meters away from him. And looking back at him... -Hmm, interesting. The demon mumbled that and smirked! Chapter 92 - 92: 92 - Buying Time [1] [Brave Hearts], a typical RPG where the player plays as the hero who will eventually free the world from the terror of the demons! But so far... No demon had made an appearance yet. It''s like they don''t even exist. Raye hadn''t heard anything about them ever since he was transported into this world. And he''d been here for more than half a year! But Raye didn''t think much about it... After all, he knew that the demons would appear and make their move during Leon''s sophomore year. He wasn''t entirely sure when since the time of their appearance was vaguely mentioned in the game. So, Raye always carried his weapons just in case. But now, staring at the demon in front of him... ''Isn''t this way too early? The vacation only just started!'' Raye frowned with that thought in his head! ***** (Raye''s POV) -Hmm, interesting. The demon mumbled that while smirking at me. He was topless and barefoot, but at least he was wearing a ragged shorts. His bulging muscles were on display¡ªclearly, he had a strong raw physical strength. Anyway, as I was observing him... -You said there were only kids and women here? The demon suddenly asked that. "Huh?" I was confused. He was alone. Who was he talking to? Then it hit me... ''Is he really alone?'' And as soon as I asked that in my head... -I-I''m sorry, master... I w-was sure there were only k-kids and w-women when I scouted last week... hehe... A hunched-back man with a grotesque face and balding hair emerged from behind the demon! His face was so deformed that I almost felt sorry for him for a second! But I didn''t¡ªafter all... ''That''s a demon worshiper!'' A human who had succumbed to the demons! Demon worshippers enter contracts to gain power, but at the cost of a sacrifice! ''And this fucker probably sacrificed his appearance... No way he''s uglier than a demon naturally.'' I thought with a frown on my face. Moving on... -No worries, it''s just a single male anyway. The demon spoke calmly. Then, looking at his hand that I deflected earlier... -And he''s not that strong either. He added that! -H-hehe... He''s weak, huh? The deformed human muttered. ''Ugh, he''s pissing me off just by him existing.'' I thought. The demon worshipper is that creepy and disgusting. Anyway, I secretly glanced behind me... The kids were watching from inside the orphanage, crying and scared. Sister Irish and the other caretakers are hugging and comforting them. Though, they also looked terrified... "...!" Sister Irish then saw me looking and met my gaze. "..." I nodded to signal her¡ªeither call for help or be ready to run if the situation calls for it. "Mhm." She nodded back with a resolute expression on her face. ''I hope she got the message.'' I thought, slightly worried. And then... -Where are you looking? The demon''s voice snapped me back to the present! My eyes shot forward, and there... "?!" I saw the demon standing in front of me just a few inches away! I didn''t even hear him move! SWISH¡ª I immediately slashed horizontally with [Nyx]! -Oh? Swish- But the demon just casually stepped back, narrowly dodging my attack! "Wha¡ª?!" I was surprised! And then in response... SWOOSH¡ª The demon launched a push kick! "Urgh...!" I crossed my arms and sent mana to [Celestria]! BAM! Then a gauntlet was formed on my left forearm, blocking his kick just in time! But still... "Ugh..." The force pushed me back slightly, pain spreading through my arms! ''My arms would''ve been broken if I took that directly.'' I thought with a pained expression on my face. -Huh? Where did that come from? The demon asked, eyeing at [Celestria], the gauntlet in my forearm. "..." I said nothing, of course. -M-My lord... Then the deformed human called for the demon. "Hmm?" The demon looked back at him. I was tempted to attack but held back. After all... ''He''s on guard. I''d get countered for sure.'' Anyway, the grotesque man spoke again... -C-Can I make a r-request? He asked the demon. -What is it? The demon responded. -H-hehehe... His face... The ugly deformed fucker pointed at me. "...?" I tilted my head in confusion. And then, with a disgusting smirk on his face... -I-I want it... h-heheheheh... The mashed-up meat looking thing declared that! ''What?!'' I exclaimed in my head hearing his words. -I see. The demon said, smiling at me. And with a mischievous grin on his face... -I just thought of something interesting. The demon muttered that! "..." I stayed silent, letting them talk. ''This will buy some time for the people in the orphanage.'' I thought. Then, pointing at the deformed demon worshipper... -This one is newly contracted to me. The demon mumbled that, looking at me. ''So?'' I frowned internally. -I want to test his capabilities. The demon continued. And then, turning to the deformed man... S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. -Hey, you. -Y-yes, sir? -Fight this guy and kill him. I''ll transfer your soul into his body if you succeed. The demon said that! "!!!" My eyes widened in surprise. On the other hand... -Hehe! The ugly fucker''s eyes gleamed with excitement! And without hesitation... -G-Got it! He shouted that! ***** Hearing the demon worshipper''s answer... -Great. The demon said that and leaped back with a grin. Bam- -This better be entertaining. He said. "..." Raye stood silent. ''At least I won''t have to fight them both at once.'' He thought to himself. Tap¡ª And then the deformed man stepped forward. -M-my name is M-Medina... hehe... He muttered. "..." Raye ignored him, he sent mana into [Celestria] instead. Fwoosh¡ª It transformed into a beautiful white sword. Then, frowning at the demon worshipper... "I don''t fucking care, fuck-face." Raye responded! -HAHAHAHAHA!!! The demon burst out laughing hearing that. -Gurgh... Medina frowned in embarrassment. "Wow, I can''t believe you can get even uglier." And Raye remarked, seeing that. -I-I''ll k-kill you! Medina exclaimed, enraged. -Be careful. That human is fast. The demon warned him. And following that... Swish¡ª Medina disappeared from Raye''s sight! "?!" Fwish- And he reappeared right in front of him! -Is h-he faster than m-me? Medina asked with a crazed smile! SWOOSH¡ª Then he swung his disgusting right claw at Raye! Though, as Medina was about to hit him.... Fwish- Raye vanished in front of him! Swoosh¡ª Making Medina hit nothing but the air! -Huh? And as he stood there, confused... BAAM!!! -ARGH! He felt a strike slammed into his back, sending him face-first into the ground! Thud- And looking at him... "Of course I''m faster." Raye declared that! He was so nonchalant about it, saying it like he was stating the obvious! -Hoh, that was good. The demon mused, entertained. Even after seeing Raye''s speed... There''s no sign of him being concerned! Seeing his reaction is making Raye worried. He remained vigilant, keeping an eye on the demon. After all, just one sneak attack from him could kill him. And what''s worst... ''He could go after the people in the orphanage too.'' Raye thought. Just then... -GRAAAHHHH!!! Medina roared! "Huh?" Raye brought his attention back to him. And there on the ground, he saw him... He was growing in size! "What the fuck..." Raye muttered, seeing Medina expand into a 2-meter-tall muscular figure! ''Still ugly, though.'' Raye commented in his head. Then, in anger... -I''M GOING TO KILL YOU AND STEAL YOUR BODY!!! Medina shouted that from the bottom of his lungs without stuttering! Fwish- And then his figure blurred out and he disappeared again! Though this time... ''He''s faster!'' Fwip- Raye crossed [Nyx] and [Celestria] in front of him... BANG¡ª! And he was able to block a massive fist that suddenly appeared out of nowhere! "Urgh...?!" Raye winced as the force of the attack pressed against his arms! Fwish¡ª Medina vanished again, faster than before! ''He''s fast for his size!'' Raye exclaimed in his head as he quickly turned around... TWHACK¡ª! And blocked Medina''s left fist with [Celestria]! Then as a counter... SWOOOSH¡ª Raye slashed [Nyx] diagonally upward, aiming at Medina''s neck! Though... THUNK¡ª The blade of his sword didn''t cut through his skin! -WEAK! Medina sneered. But then... "[Blaze]" Raye muttered that calmly! SWAAAA¡ª Then [Nyx] caught on violent fire! SLASH¡ª And it sliced Medina''s neck! -?!! Bam- Medina instinctively jumped back. And because of that... -GRAAHH?!! He was able to keep his head! Raye looked at Medina. Then, with a disappointed look in his eyes... "That''s a shame, I thought I had you then." Raye mumbled that confidently! His voice brimming with certainty! In his head, he''s not considering that he''ll lose against Medina! -... And knowing that... -YOU''RE ANNOYING!!! Medina roared in anger once again! BAM¡ª And he dashed toward Raye with his right fist already extended! "Thank you for the compliment." Raye replied to him. THUNK¡ª! And then he blocked Medina''s right fist with [Nyx]! -HAAAAA!!! Medina followed a punch with his left... THONK¡ª! But Raye just blocked it with [Celestria]! He was frowning pretty hard, though; Medina''s attack packed a punch, after all. Anyway... -HAAAAA!!! Medina continued launching a barrage of swift, powerful punches with his mana-coated fists! THANK¡ª! THUNK¡ª! CLANK¡ª! TING¡ª! But Raye was just parrying and blocking them all! That''s right... Raye... He''s several times stronger than Medina! ''I''ll buy time by fighting this ugly fucker slowly.'' Raye thought! But unbeknownst to him... -Haaaah... The demon was slowly getting bored watching them. Chapter 93 - 93: 93 - Buying Time [2] THANK¡ª CLANK¡ª TING¡ª THUNK¡ª Raye and Medina''s exchange continued for a long time. Medina attacked relentlessly... CLANK¡ª But Raye just kept on parrying and blocking every of his blow! -''This fucker...!'' Then, in sheer annoyance... SWOOSH¡ª Medina swung his right fist wide, packing a tremendous amount of power behind it! And seeing that... ''Now!'' Raye exclaimed that in his head! Fwip¡ª He crouched swiftly to avoid Medina''s swing! Then from that position... Swish¡ª Raye slashed upward with [Nyx]! SLASH¡ª And he opened a deep cut across Medina''s chest! -Ugh...?! Medina groaned in pain. But just a second later... Swiip¡ª The wound sealed itself shut without even spilling a blood! ''This guy''s regeneration ability is absurd.'' Raye thought with a frown. Bam¡ª And then he leapt back, creating distance between himself and Medina! -Haha, scared now? Medina taunted arrogantly. Tap¡ª Raye landed gracefully on the ground. And looking at Medina... "Yeah, your face is scary as fuck." He casually replied to him! -Your tongue is sharper than your swords, huh? Medina snarled, you can tell he''s really pissed off now. Anyway... "..." Raye didn''t reply to him. ''I should shut him up now.'' He thought. Then, opening his mouth... "[Flash]" Raye muttered that! -What did you say? And before Medina even realized it... Fwish¡ª Raye was already in front of him! SLASH¡ª And his left hand flew off his arm! -GURGH...?! Medina''s eyes widened in agony as he groaned! He didn''t see what happened! But in response... S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. -GRAAAAAAHHH!!! SWOOSH¡ª He aimed a crushing blow at Raye''s head with his remaining fist! Raye saw his attack. And calmly... ''He''s got power, but no technique.'' He assessed. "[Wind Blast]" Then he suddenly muttered! SWOOSH¡ª BAM! -ARGH!! A powerful surge of condensed wind made of mana hit Medina square in the stomach, launching him backward! Thud¡ª The massive demon worshipper crashed onto the ground! And without missing a beat... Bam¡ª Raye stepped on his chest and pressed [Nyx] against Medina''s neck! "..." His cold gaze bore into the demon worshipper. -Ugh...! Medina groaned with a defeated expression on his face. And seeing this scene... "Whoa!" "Big brother did it!" "He beat the ugly bad guy!" The children cheered in excitement! "Phew..." "Thank God!" "We''re safe!" And the caretakers sighed in relief! -''Why can''t I hit him?'' Medina seethed silently, frustrated. His left hand was already regenerating. So he was plotting his next attack! Though... "I''m not giving you time to recover, idiot." Raye already knew of his plan! Swip¡ª He raised [Nyx]! And without hesitation... SWISH¡ª He slashed down! But just then... -That''s enough, don''t break the toy that I just acquired. The demon suddenly appeared in front of Raye! "?!" And before Raye could even react... PHUCK¡ª! The demon''s claw pierced through his stomach! "Gurgh...!" Raye coughed up blood. "W-what?" He gasped in shock. SWISH¡ª The demon swung his hand, flinging Raye away! BAM¡ª THUD¡ª Raye slammed into a tree and collapsed onto the ground! And looking at his bloodied body... -It was fun... at least for a moment. The demon mused coldly! "NOOOOO!!!" "BIG BROTHER!!!" The children wailed in terror seeing that. "Oh no..." "No!" "We''re doomed..." And the caretakers despaired with them! ''Please... someone help us...'' Sister Irish silently prayed with her eyes tightly closed... Anyway... -M-Master! Medina called desperately to the demon. -... The demon just ignored him. -Y-you''re standing on me, Master... Medina mumbled. -... The demon finally turned and, with an impassive face... BAM¡ª! He stomped at Medina''s chest! -URGH...! The demon worshipper gasped in pain! -You''re weak. Train when we return to the castle. The demon commanded before stepping off. -Y-yes, Master... Then Medina stuttered as he slowly stood up... His left hand had fully regenerated now. -Mhm. The demon nodded seeing that. Then, glancing at the orphanage... -Let''s visit that beautiful purple-haired girl that you saw¡ªthe one you said fit to be my wife. He declared that! -The rest inside... kill them all. The demon instructed! And hearing his command... -G-got it! Medina cried in excitement! ***** (Raye''s POV) -Let''s visit that beautiful purple-haired girl that you saw¡ªthe one you said fit to be my wife. I heard the demon say that. ''He''s talking about Jerusha.'' I immediately concluded in my head. Anyway... My stomach hurts. Not from hunger... But because of the hole in it. My vision... It''s getting blurry. "Haaaa... haaaa... Haaaa..." My breathing is rough now too and ragged. I can''t think straight anymore... ''Am I going to die?'' The thought crossed my mind. ''That sucks.'' I admitted bitterly. Then memories flooded in¡ªeverything since I arrived in this world. "..." At first, I was frustrated, annoyed, and of course terrified. Why wouldn''t I be? I got transmigrated to a completely different world, surrounded by people who hated me... I was forced to deal with messes that I didn''t even cause... And no one was on my side... But now, after spending some time here... ''It''s not that bad, actually.'' I met Old Man Rey and the others. I became friends with the characters that I''d only seen on a screen. There''s Zephyrus and Pyro too. And I even fulfilled one of a man''s greatest dreams... ''I learned magic.'' "..." A weak smile crept onto my face at the memory. But then... -The rest inside... kill them all. The demon''s cold voice snapped me back to reality. "..." I forced my head up. And there they were¡ªthe demon and that deformed bastard... Tap- tap- tap¡ª Tap- tap- tap¡ª They''re walking toward the orphanage. ''The kids...'' They were crying... Sister Irish and the other caretakers aren''t any better either... ''Jerusha would''ve been able to protect them if she was here instead of me...'' I thought with a frown. "..." Then... "God... I''m so pathetic..." I muttered bitterly. Annoyed with myself... "Urgh...!" I groaned. I forced my body to move, to stand! ''What am I thinking, no one here can fight except me...!'' I exclaimed in my head! So if I''m going to die anyway... ''I''ll at least buy them more time¡ªseconds, milliseconds, anything...!'' At least... "At least until Jerusha arrives..." Chapter 94 - 94: 94 - Buying Time [3] "At least until Jerusha arrives..." -Hmm? The demon stopped on his track, turning back as if hearing something. And there¡ª -Oh, you''re still conscious? He saw Raye, standing and glaring at him. He was staggering... But his eyes were fierce and steady! -Huh? Medina turned around too and noticed Raye, he was in disbelief seeing him up! "Big brother!" "He''s back up!" "I told you! Big brother wouldn''t die!" "He can still fight!" Then the kids and the caretakers cheered joyously! On the other hand though... ''Raye...'' Sister Irish''s face showed deep concern as she noticed the gaping wound in Raye''s stomach! Anyway... "..." Raye clenched his swords tightly. Then, glancing at [Celestria]... ''I can''t wield two swords right now.'' Raye thought of that. Swoosh¡ª So he transformed [Celestria] into a beautiful white gauntlet covering his left hand! And following that... Fwip¡ª "Fuckers... I''m still standing here..." Raye pointed [Nyx] at his enemies and declared that! -... The demon remained silent. -HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! Then he suddenly burst into laughter! -You''re really an amusing guy! The demon exclaimed, looking at Raye. -You deformed fuck, kill him quickly. And then he commanded Medina! -''U-Uwahh... M-Master started calling me that t-too because of this s-shitty guy...!'' Medina groaned internally as he stepped forward to face Raye. ***** (Raye''s POV) "Huff... haaaa... haaa..." I struggled to regulate my breathing. If my concentration faltered even slightly, my vision would blur again. "Urgh..." I coated my stomach wound with mana to prevent more blood loss. It didn''t ease the pain... ''But it''ll keep my condition from worsening.'' Anyway, just then... Tap¡ª -Y-You''re stubborn. The deformed bastard stepped forward and faced me, he''s only a few meters away. "Fuuuuu..." Swoosh¡ª I just ignored him and started circulating mana throughout my body instead. And as I was doing that... -DON''T IGNORE ME!!! BAM¡ª! Medina kicked off and rushed at me! "..." I kept my eyes on him. He was fast. Then when he reached me¡ª FWOOSH¡ª He threw a left straight punch! Fwish¡ª I twisted my body to the left, dodging it cleanly! "..." And locking my gaze on the ugly bastard... "[BLAZE!!!]" SLASH¡ª! I swung [Nyx] upward! -?!! Thud- And I severed Medina''s right arm from his shoulder with a clean strike! -GRAAAAHHH!!! Medina roared in agony. SWOOSH¡ª And then he countered with a powerful hook from his remaining arm! Fwip¡ª BAAM!!! I raised my gauntlet-covered left arm to block the blow! Crack¡ª "KEUK...!!" I felt my bone crack! But ignoring the pain... Fwip¡ª I grabbed Medina''s right fist with my left hand! "GRAAAAHHH!!!" And thrusting [Nyx] forward... PHUCK¡ª! I stabbed through his chest! -GURGH...! Medina groaned, he looked at me, pissed! And after that... Swaaa~ His eyes glowed red! He was about to transform! ''Like I''ll let you, you bastard!'' "[BLAZE!!!]" I poured more mana into that skill, igniting an even fiercer flame around [Nyx]! SWAAAAA¡ª! And the flames roared as they engulfed Medina from the inside! -GRAAAAAAHHHH!!! The bitch howled in pain! But I wasn''t done yet! Swoooosh¡ª Violent winds wrapped around my arm, fueled by my mana! Then, from the depths of my will... "[TEAR!!!]" I shouted that! SWOOSH¡ª The winds covering my arm launched forward and travelled through [Nyx]! SLASH¡ª And it all blasted toward Medina! FWOOSH¡ª Medina''s body was flung backward, it was split in two! There were small cuts all over his body... And he was burning! Though... -GAAAAHHH!!! He was still alive! ''Is he a cockroach?'' I asked in my head. Anyway... I already know that Medina is easy to take care of. So, turning my attention away from him... I stared at the demon. "Your dog is gone... Next time, bring me a real challenge." And then I said that with a weak grin on my face! -He''s really useless. The demon dismissed Medina with a sneer. Then, with a sly grin... -Guess you''ll be facing me now, huh. The demon mumbled that! ***** -Guess you''ll be facing me now, huh. The demon mumbled. And immediately after hearing that¡ª "[Flash]" Fwip¡ª Raye used a skill and vanished from where he was stood! -?! The demon''s eyes slightly widened. Swish¡ª And then Raye reappeared right in front of him! SWOOSH¡ª Raye slashed horizontally! THUNK¡ª! But the demon just caught his flaming blade barehanded! Unfazed, Raye countered¡ª FWOOSH¡ª He launched a left straight at the demon''s face! BAM! Though, the demon caught his fist too using his right palm! -What are you gonna do now? The demon taunted. And without answering him¡ª BAAM! -?! Raye kicked the demon on the stomach, forcing him to step back slightly! -That was a good attack! The demon said, smiling! Clench¡ª Raye then gripped [Nyx] tightly with both hands... "HAAAA!!!" SWISH¡ª! And then he swung it diagonally downward! Bam¡ª The demon leapt back to dodge it! -That one''s dangerous. He commented mid-air. But before he could even land... Tap¡ª Raye stepped forward with his left foot, shifting to an inside stance! And from that... "HUP!" FWOOSH¡ª He thrust his sword forward, aiming straight for the demon''s heart! -?! The demon''s eyes widened as he blocked with his left hand! Phuck¡ª! But Raye''s blade pierced through his palm! SWAAA¡ª And the flames scorched his flesh! -Urgh...! The demon grimaced as he landed on the ground! And for the first time... -... His smug demeanor faltered! -YOU BUG! He roared! Fwip¡ª And then he clenched his left hand around Raye''s sword... Swish- And he pulled him closer! Being weak... "?!" Raye''s body jerked forward! And when he entered the demon''s range... BAM! The demon delivered a brutal kick to Raye''s injured stomach! "GRAAAAAHHHH!!!" Raye screamed in agony! He felt on the verge of passing out! But nevertheless... Clench¡ª He refused to release his grip on his sword! Swoosh¡ª Raye transformed [Celestria] once again... It tightened around his waist and changed into a corset-like armor, stabilizing his wound and stopping the blood from flowing out! TAP¡ª! Raye planted his feet onto the ground! And then twisting his body to the side.... "GRAAAHHHH!!!" SLASH¡ª! Raye screamed and forcefully swung his sword horizontally! -Keuk...! And he was able to slice off the demon''s left hand! Thud- His hand fell onto the ground! This greatly annoyed the demon! So with a frown on his face... -DIE! BAAM! He kicked Raye on the stomach again! "GAAARHH!!!" Bam- Thud! Raye was flung away and bounced onto the ground once before falling face-flat! And looking at his non-moving body... -You want to be a hero, huh?! The demon exclaimed that, pissed off. -Wait for me here... I''ll bring you the heads of everyone inside that fucking orphanage! And then he declared that! Fwip- The demon turned to the orphanage. And after that... Tap- tap- tap¡ª He started walking toward it. "..." "..." "..." The kids, the caretakers... They were all silent, crying, terrified, and in despair! And seeing their faces... -I''ll enjoy this... The demon muttered that with a sly smile on his face! Though, as he was walking... "[Bang]" He heard a voice behind him! Psh¡ª! S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. -Ouch...?! And then he felt like someone threw a rock at the back of his head! -''No way...'' The demon thought. Swish- Then he quickly turned around. And there... "Huff... haaaa..." He saw Raye, standing again! -... The demon went silent. There''s no life in Raye''s eyes left, he''s barely conscious... But the demon can tell that he''s looking straight at him! -You''re really persistent, huh. The demon said, frowning. -You''ve lost now, I''ll kill you later after killing them and torturing you for a bit. Just stay still, human. He added. But with a weak smile on his face... "Wrong... I win..." Raye declared that! -What? The demon was confused, he thought Raye had already lost his mind. But just then... "Did you do that to Raye...?" He heard an ominous voice behind him! -?! This alerted the demon, he hadn''t felt their presence! And turning to look at the source of the voice... -Huh? He saw a beautiful purple-haired girl! She was floating up in the air... And there''s this majestic aura coming out of her! Yes, that''s right... "..." It was Jerusha! And looking at her... "I told you bastard... I won..." Raye whispered that under his breath! Thud- And then he fell onto the ground again... "..." And he lost consciousness! Chapter 95 - 95: 95 - Thank you "Big sister Jerusha!" "Big sister is back!" "Big brother is saved!" "Jerusha!" The kids and caretakers exclaimed upon seeing Jerusha up in the air. "..." But Jerusha didn''t hear them... She was focused on Raye''s bloodied body lying on the ground. And then, opening her mouth... "I''m gonna ask again... Are you the one who put Raye in that condition?" Jerusha asked the demon that. -... The demon remained silent, feeling a slight chill down his spine. And because of that... -...? He frowned. Receiving no reply from the demon... "Are demons so stupid that they can''t understand human language?" Jerusha mumbled that. And hearing this... -What did you just say? The demon asked, annoyed. "Oh, so you can understand me after all..." Jerusha said. Then, looking at her... -''She''s stronger than that male human, but she''s not stronger than me.'' The demon assessed. -''She must be the one that ugly fucker said is fitting to be my wife.'' He concluded in his head with a mischievous smile on his face. Anyway... "What are you smiling about? Aren''t you going to answer my question?" Jerusha spoke again! sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. And her voice pulled the demon out of his thoughts. Then, with a grin... -Hmm, and why should I answer you again? The demon asked that arrogantly! And immediately after hearing his response... "[Water Spear]" Jerusha used a skill! Swoosh¡ª A two-meter-long spear made of water formed beside her! Fwoosh¡ª Then it launched straight toward the demon! -Huh?! The demon, surprised... Bam¡ª Jumped back to avoid it! And the place where he had been standing... Boom¡ª!!! It was destroyed! A massive crater appeared as Jerusha''s skill hit the ground, producing even a weak earthquake! -''She''s a lunatic.'' Tap¡ª The demon thought, landing softly on the ground. But smiling slyly... -I can handle her, though. He whispered that under his breath! Swoosh¡ª The demon circulated mana, preparing to attack Jerusha! But before he could even try to... "Jerusha, take care of Raye... Leave the demon to me." He heard a different voice somewhere! -?! The demon was shocked¡ªanother human had approached without him noticing! Swish¡ª He quickly turned toward the voice... And then... -Huh? He saw a tall, muscular man who looked like a bear, with a big cigar in his mouth! It was Ramiel Hale! "Hey there, little demon." Ramiel casually said! And looking at him... -''He''s strong...'' The demon immediately realized that and grew wary! On the other hand... "..." Jerusha looked at Ramiel. "The academy gave the orphanage a magic crystal to contact us when they need help. That''s one of your conditions to enroll in Zion, right?" Ramiel said, looking at Jerusha. "We received a distress signal earlier, so I hurried here." He explained. "Raye probably held off that demon on his own for a while. He''s in a dangerous state¡ªhelp him." And then he continued, taking the cigar out of his mouth and puffing out smoke. Hearing his words... Jerusha immediately realized what she needed to do at the moment. "Okay..." She replied and nodded her head gratefully. Then, turning her back against the demon... Swoosh¡ª Jerusha flew toward Raye. -Not on my watch! Bam¡ª The demon suddenly dashed toward her and Raye! But... Fzzzt¡ª Ramiel appeared in front of him in a flash! "Not on my watch either." He said. Bam¡ª! And then he punched the demon in the face! Bzzt¡ª! -Urgh...?! The demon groaned¡ªnot just from the punch but from an electric shock that felt too! -''What was that?'' The demon wondered, confused. Then, with a smirk on his face... "Shocked?" Ramiel asked arrogantly! He was cool and all... "You get it?" "I asked if you were surprised, but I used ''shock'' because I shocked you with my electric power." All until he started explaining his stupid pun! ***** (Jerusha''s POV) Tap¡ª Landing softly beside Raye... "Raye." I crouched down and checked his condition. I flipped his body to face upward... "...!" And my eyes widened when I saw the gaping hole in his stomach! ''He''s losing a lot of blood!'' I exclaimed internally. Raye''s skin was pale, sweat dripped from his body, and his lips quivered! Then his breath... "Hufff... huff... haa..." It''s becoming shorter and weaker! "[Grace Healing!]" I immediately used my strongest healing skill on him. And Raye''s breathing eased a little bit... "Ugh... huff... haaa..." But he was still in a dangerous state! "Please..." I muttered, looking at him. ''Please don''t die...'' I silently prayed, closing my eyes. "Sniff..." Tears threatened to fall from the corners of my eyes. I was disheveled and in panic... But just then... "I''ll help." I heard Sister Irish''s voice. "Huh?" And opening my eyes... I saw her on the other side of Raye, her hands aimed at him. She opened her mouth... "[Goddess'' Healing]" Swoosh¡ª And then Sister Irish used holy magic on Raye! "Haaaaaa... Haaaaaaa..." Raye''s complexion quickly improved, and the blood stopped gushing out from his wound! And seeing this... "Thank you!" I exclaimed that to Sister Irish! "..." She didn''t reply immediately, she was focused on healing Raye. Beads of sweat fell from her forehead. It was clear that continuously using such a strong holy magic was taking a big toll on her body. After all, Sister Irish doesn''t have a large mana pool, just like Raye! Anyway, forcing a smile as she glanced at me... "Your friend here tried his best to defend us..." Sister Irish muttered that. "The kids and I are only alive right now because of him... I''m just returning a small part of what he did." "There''s no need to thank me... I''ll be the one thanking him after he wakes up." And then she added. "..." I was speechless. Then, looking at Raye... "Thank you." I thanked him sincerely. ''I''ll say it again later, after you wake up...'' I thought. ''So please, don''t die.'' And with that... Swaaaa~ I calmed down and just focused on healing Raye too. Sister Irish and I paid no attention to our surroundings, we were solely focused on our task. ''Please handle that bastard, professor.'' I thought, slightly glancing at Professor Ramiel before closing my eyes again. Chapter 96 - 96: 96 - Slippery Bastard! -... The demon remained silent. His left hand had regenerated now, and he was staring at Ramiel. Behind Ramiel were Jerusha and Sister Irish, they were healing Raye. -''Tsk, they''re trying to save that bug.'' The demon thought with a frown on his face, looking at the two woman. And just then... FZZZT¡ª "What are you looking at?" Ramiel suddenly appeared in front of him and asked that! -Wha?! The demon was shocked, but he immediately crossed his arms! And because of that... BAM! He was able to block Ramiel''s punch! Though... BZZT¡ª Another electric shock coursed through his body! -Urgh...! The demon groaned. -HAAA!! SWOOSH¡ª And then he slashed with his right claws horizontally as a counter! "Slow." Ramiel muttered. Thud¡ª And he just grabbed the demon''s right arm with his left hand! BAM! -URGH?! Then Ramiel threw a fast right jab straight into the demon''s face! -''This human is stupidly fast and strong!'' The demon thought, feeling another electric shock pierce through his body! And as soon as he realized Ramiel''s strength... -GRAAAAAAHHHH!!! The demon let out an ear-deafening roar, producing a powerful mana shockwave! Bam¡ª Ramiel jumped away from him with a slight discomfort on his face. "That was dangerous." He casually mumbled. Then, looking at the demon... "Well... this could be a problem." Ramiel saw him transforming! The demon''s already large muscles bulged out even more! His black hair grew waist-length! He doubled in size, ripping apart his already ragged shorts! And that''s not all... Swoosh¡ª The horns on his forehead elongated! Fwish¡ª And a pair of ominous black feathered wings sprouted from his back! Swooo~ Then, after transforming... -... The demon stared at Ramiel with blood-red eyes. "Humm humm humm~" And then he just saw Ramiel humming calmly! He was putting on combat gauntlets onto both of his hands! -''This fucker is really annoying...'' The demon thought, pissed off. Anyway, noticing his glare... "Oh, you done?" Ramiel looked at the demon and just asked that. -You''re going to regret letting me transform. The demon sneered. And then with a frown... -I''ll also make sure to wipe that brazen attitude off your face. He added that! Ramiel opened his mouth to respond. "Would I really regr¡ª" But before he could even finish his words... Fwish¡ª The demon suddenly appeared in front of him! SWOOSH¡ª The demon launched a swift, powerful left hook! BAAM¡ª! And a loud noise echoed as his fist collided with Ramiel''s gauntlet! That''s right! Ramiel blocked the attack with his right arm! SWOOSH¡ª And then he countered with a left straight! BAM! The demon caught Ramiel''s fist with his right hand! And this time... BZZT¡ª The electric shock no longer affected him! "Well, that''s no fun now." Ramiel said. TWHOCK¡ª! And then he blocked the demon''s right push kick with his left shin! -Huh??? The demon was confused, he was sure that his kick just now would be a clean hit. But ignoring that... SWISH¡ª The demon punched again with his left fist! Fwish¡ª And Ramiel just swayed to his left to avoid that! FWOOSH¡ª Then he performed a roundhouse kick, aiming at the demon''s head! -?! BAM! The demon shielded his face from the attack with his right arm! But as he was in that position... "An open spot." BAM! -Urgh...?! Ramiel threw a fast jab at the right side of his jaw! BZZT¡ª Then the electric shock he felt now was a lot stronger than any of the ones before, it pierced through his improved defense! -Shit...! The demon stumbled from that strike just now! And not missing that opportunity... Swish¡ª TWHACK¡ª! -Gargh?! Ramiel sweep-kicked him! Thud¡ª -Ugh...! The demon fell onto his butt! And before he could even try to recover... BAM! He received a powerful straight punch in his face! Ramiel''s right fist literally hit him square on the nose! -GRAAAHHH?! The demon groaned, he was flung backward! Bam¡ª Thud! He bounced off the ground and landed face-first! Then, looking down at him with cold eyes... "So far, I''m not regretting letting you transform." Ramiel casually declared that! "Fuuuu..." And then he puffed out smoke from his mouth! -''What the fuck is happening?!'' The demon questioned in disbelief. -''Why am I getting wrecked by humans?!'' He followed another question, feeling humiliated! First Raye, then Jerusha, and now Ramiel! Even Raye, much weaker than him, had humiliated him earlier! And thinking about this angered the demon! His body trembled in rage... And clenching his hands into fists... -I will kill every single one of you! The demon exclaimed that! He immediately took a stance again... But when he looked back at Ramiel... Tap¡ª -Huh?! He saw him standing just a few inches away from him! And opening his mouth... "[Thunder Clap]" Ramiel muttered that! FWOOOZZZH¡ª!!! And then he shot a fast, electric-charged right straight toward the demon! -''I can''t dodge!'' The demon immediately concluded in his head, seeing the fast attack incoming! -GURGH...! He groaned, forcing his body to move! And following that... BOOM!!! Ramiel''s fist struck the demon with an explosive force! FZZZZZTTT¡ª!!! A shockwave of electricity scattered across the area! Swoosh¡ª A strong gust followed, kicking up a thick dust cloud! "...?" Jerusha and Sister Irish from the back glanced at their direction, waiting for the dust to clear. They were curious about what just happened... Of the outcome of the fight! Then after a few moments... "..." Everything settled down. And from the dust cloud... "...!" Sister Irish and Jerusha saw Ramiel standing alone, holding something! And upon closer inspection... It appears that he''s holding the demon''s entire right arm and horn! Where''s the demon? That''s the problem, he was nowhere to be seen! "..." Ramiel frowned at the severed limb in his right hand. "Tsk." He clicked his tongue, annoyed. "He''s slippery, I''ll give him that." And then he mumbled! That''s right... The demon escaped! The demon had sacrificed his arm and horn to survive the attack! And after that, he fled to the Western Forest! "I''m going after that demon." Ramiel said. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. But before he could even take a step... "Wait, don''t!" Sister Irish stopped him. Chapter 97 - 97: 97 - Bad News "Wait, don''t!" Sister Irish exclaimed. "Huh?" Ramiel froze in his place. "...?" Jerusha turned to Sister Irish, confused. Then, opening her mouth... "There''s another enemy. It''s not just the demon." Sister Irish declared that firmly! "Hm?" Ramiel slightly frowned at the information. "Huh?!" And Jerusha''s eyes widened in shock! "Where are they?" Ramiel immediately asked. Then, looking to her left... "There." Sister Irish spoke with confidence in her eyes. She can''t use her hands to point because she''s using them to heal Raye... Swish¡ª "...?" Ramiel turned his head to where Sister Irish was looking at. And sure enough... "...!" He felt someone''s presence in that direction! It was also in the Western Forest, but it''s in the opposite direction of where the demon had fled! The presence was nasty and repulsive, so upon sensing it... "Ugh." Ramiel''s face cringed. "There''s actually another one?!" Jerusha exclaimed, confused. "Why didn''t they attack earlier?" She asked. "That''s right." Ramiel was curious too and turned back to Sister Irish. "..." Sister Irish looked back and forth at them... And then, without hesitation... "Raye defeated them before you two arrived." She explained simply! "What?!" Jerusha was surprised. "...?" Ramiel was too, actually. He was just speechless, unsure how to respond. Anyway, ignoring their reactions... "They have a regeneration ability too. Right now, they''re probably regaining strength." Sister Irish added that, referring to the other enemy beside the demon. Then finally... "If you had gone after the demon, we''d be defenseless here for him to attack." She pointed out her reasoning for stopping Ramiel! "Mhm." "So that''s why..." Ramiel and Jerusha nodded, relieved at Sister Irish''s quick thinking. Then their attention shifted back to Raye... "..." He was still motionless. If Jerusha and Sister Irish stop healing him even for a moment... There is a high chance that he would instantly die! ''He stopped two attackers from reaching the orphanage, huh.'' Ramiel thought, impressed. "..." Jerusha had similar thoughts. Both of them were really awed by Raye''s perseverance! But moving on... "I''ll handle the other enemy. You two stay here." Ramiel declared that. "Okay." "Take care." Jerusha and Sister Irish nodded in agreement. Bam¡ª And then Ramiel dashed toward where the repulsive presence is. ***** Inside the Western Forest... Not far from the orphanage... -I-I''ll kill that f-fucker once I recover! Medina is lying on the ground and shouting in rage! Raye had blasted him away earlier, splitting his body into two too in the process! His lower half lay several meters away from his torso, preventing him from reconnecting it and standing up! So now, he''s regenerating everything from the waist down! His arms were also beaten up with small sharp cuts so he''s healing them, and can''t use them to crawl! Medina received a lot of damage from his fight with Raye. And because of that... It''s taking him forever to recover, and he''s currently immobile! -''This fucking sucks!'' He exclaimed in his head, staring at the leaves above him. Anyway... ''Right now, Master had probably slaughtered everyone in the orphanage already.'' Medina thought of that with a twisted smile on his face. He had unwavering faith in his master''s strength. Then, as he was thinking of that... Swish¡ª ''Huh?'' Medina felt a strong presence approaching rapidly! -''Master! He''s come to retrieve me!'' Medina celebrated internally. -I hope he left the beautiful nun for me and still plans to transfer my soul into that fucker''s body... hehe. He said with a disgusting laugh. But just then... "The fuck are you talking about?" Ramiel suddenly entered his sight, looking down at him! -Huh?! This surprised Medina! But showing no care or whatsoever... "Fuuu..." Ramiel just puffed out smoke straight onto his face! "Sorry for ruining your daydreaming, but your master had already fled after fighting me. He abandoned you." And then he said that casually! -W-What?! That''s i-impossible! You''re lying! Medina shouted, refusing to believe everything that Ramiel had just said. "Look, I don''t care if you believe me." Ramiel declared. Then, raising his right hand... "I just want you to look at my hand." He followed that! -H-Huh? Confused, Medina glanced at his hand. And as soon as he did... "Hah! Made you look, sucker!" Ramiel smirked and exclaimed that! BAM¡ª! Then he punched Medina''s nose with full force! -GRAAA!! Medina groaned in pain! -... And he lost consciousness after that! "Like master, like dog, huh¡ªThey''re both stupid." Ramiel muttered. Fssssssh¡ª And then he started dragging Medina''s body back to the orphanage! "This guy sure is ugly." Ramiel commented while walking casually and smoking the cigar in his mouth. ***** When Ramiel got back to the orphanage... "Prioritize healing this student, he''s in a critical condition!" "Others, check on the kids and the caretakers inside the orphanage!" Academy staff was already there and they were handling the situation. Zion''s special healers are also present, they''re already tending to Raye. "He would''ve died even with the ring artifact''s passive ability if you two hadn''t helped." An old man, who appears to be the leader of the healers, addressed Jerusha and Sister Irish. "Good job, both of you." He added. Sister Irish and Jerusha doesn''t know how to respond to him, and so... "..." They just bowed their heads respectfully. Then, as her head was lowered... "Please save him." Jerusha suddenly said that. Her voice trembled with worry... The old man looked at her, then with a shrug... "Don''t worry, he''ll be fine." He confidently declared that! Then after that... The healers carefully carried Raye to safety, two of them were continuously healing him so his condition wouldn''t worsen. Just then... "Ah, Professor Ramiel!" S§×arch* The Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Jerusha saw Ramiel approaching. Of course, she also saw Medina who was being dragged by him! Medina looked like minced meat¡ªhorribly beaten, he was unpleasant to look at. "Ugh..." Jerusha grimaced at the sight of him. "Ugly, right?" Ramiel asked, frowning too. "Eww..." And then Sister Irish followed that! "Anyway, this bastard appears to be a demon worshipper. I''ll be taking custody of him and we''ll interrogate him in the academy once he wakes up." Ramiel explained. And hearing his words... "Oh, okay." Sister Irish simply replied and nodded her head. On the other hand... Jerusha was still staring at Medina in disgust! ''Raye probably roasted him a lot because of that face.'' She thought. ***** After ensuring there were no more threats and everyone in the orphanage was safe... Ramiel left with the academy staff. They brought Raye with them, they''re planning to treat him in the academy hospital. And once things calmed down outside the orphanage... "Sister Irish!" "Big sister Jerusha!" "Big sister!" The kids started to run outside, they were all crying! The caretakers are just as terrified as them, but they''re guiding the kids professionally. "Are you guys okay?" Jerusha asked gently, crouching down as the kids approached her. She comforted the kids as they cried, it''s obvious that they were traumatized by the demon''s attack. Jerusha frowned bitterly, saddened by their fear. But just then... "Big sister..." A tug on her shirt caught her attention. "Huh?" She turned around. And there... She saw a little girl and two boys. They were the same three kids who greeted Raye and her as soon as they arrived earlier. Their names were Lucia, Cole, and Kent. "What is it?" Jerusha asked Lucia who was holding onto her shirt. And as soon as Lucia heard the question... Tears started streaming down her face! "Wha?!" Jerusha was flustered! Then suddenly... "Is Big Brother Raye going to be okay?" Lucia asked that! The little girl''s voice trembled as she sobbed. "..." "..." Cole and Kent started crying too. And not just them! "Sniff..." "Sob... sob..." "Big Brother...!" "Waaaaaaaah!!!" The other children started crying with them, they were mourning! After all, for the kids... Raye was their defender! He was their hero! That''s why everyone was so worried about his well-being! Seeing them like that broke Jerusha''s heart. But still, she was kind of happy by the fact that the kids like Raye. And so, with a reassuring smile on her face... "He''s strong. He''ll be fine." Jerusha declared that! "Really?" Cole asked her. And without hesitation... "He''ll survive, and I''ll bring him back here as soon as possible." Jerusha promised that! The kids calmed down slightly, hearing her words. "Hear that? He''ll come back." "Let''s surprise him then." The caretakers stepped in to comfort the kids too. And seeing the kids becoming better... "Hmm..." Jerusha smiled softly. Though... "..." Her smile quickly vanished. And then, with a small frown... ''I need to inform Old Man Rey about this and Raye''s condition.'' Jerusha said that in her head. "..." She was worried about how the Old Man would respond. She knows that he''ll be super devastated if he hears about this! But still... ''He needs to know.'' And so, with a resolute expression on her face... "Sister Irish, I need to go somewhere." Jerusha stood up and said that. "Mhm." Sister Irish immediately realized she was about to do something related to Raye. So without hesitation... "Sure, I''ll take care of the kids. You can go." Sister Irish muttered that with a smile. "..." Jerusha nodded gratefully at her. She then said her goodbyes to the kids and the other caretakers. And after that... SWOOSH¡ª Jerusha flew up in the air, headed to the cabin! ... She brings bad news for the Old Man and the others... Chapter 98 - 98: 98 - Hearing The News Not long after... Jerusha reached the cabin. "Oh, you''re here pretty early!" Old Man Rey greeted her with a warm smile on his face. -Meep! -Hello, Jerusha. Pyro and Zephyrus then followed. The three of them were really cheerful. And seeing them like that... "..." Jerusha frowned. Her heart ached. Her lips quivered, unable to utter a word. She couldn''t get out the bad news that she was about to tell them. "Hmm, something wrong?" The Old Man asked, seeing her disheveled. "Huh?" And this snapped Jerusha back to reality. "..." She saw Old Man Rey staring at her. -...? -... Pyro and Zephyrus were also doing the same, waiting for her to say something. "..." Jerusha remained silent for a while. But then, with a resolute expression on her face... "It''s about Raye..." She started telling them what happened and about Raye''s condition! ... ... ***** As soon as Jerusha told them everything... "Let''s go!" Bam¡ª -Meep! -On it! FWOOSH¡ª Old Man Rey, Pyro, and Zephyrus quickly closed the cabin and started heading toward the Academy''s hospital! "I''ll lead you there." Jerusha said. And with that... They went to where Raye was being treated! ... ... Arriving at the Academy''s hospital... Old Man Rey was stopped by security. "He''s with me. He''s also a guardian of a patient here." But Jerusha vouched for him, so they got in without any problem. "Where is Raye being treated?" The Old Man asked, looking around and seeing a lot of rooms. "I don''t know either." Jerusha then replied with a small wrinkle on her forehead. -Me and Pyro can fly around and check the rooms. Zephyrus suggested. -Meep! And Pyro agreed to him. Old Man Rey and Jerusha were about to leave it to them. But suddenly... "Oh, you''re that young lady from earlier." They heard a voice behind them! "I wouldn''t forget that purple hair of yours that fast, even though I''m old." The person added. And when Jerusha and Old Man Rey turned around... They saw an old man! "Ah!" Jerusha recognized him. It was the leader of the healers who brought Raye to the Academy''s hospital! "You looking for the kid with the hole in his stomach?" He asked casually. "Yes!" And Jerusha responded immediately. "Follow me, I''m on my way to his room now too." The Healer Old Man said. And with that... Tap- tap- tap¡ª Jerusha, Old Man Rey, Zephyrus, and Pyro silently followed him! ***** Raye''s room was on the second floor. And as soon as they got there... "His life is not in danger anymore, but he''s still not waking up." The Healer Old Man said that. "..." Old Man Rey stared at Raye, lying on a bed, motionless. He was topless, so the Old Man also saw the huge bandage on his stomach! "Raye..." Old Man Rey called, his voice quivering. Tap- tap- tap¡ª He walked toward Raye. And looking down at him... "..." A complicated expression appeared on his face. Though, sadness was evident in his eyes. "We can''t put a shirt on him yet as it might irritate the wound. But as soon as it heals a little, we''ll put a hospital gown on him, don''t worry." The Healer Old Man then explained. And after that... "I''ll give you privacy, then." Creak¡ª Thud¡ª He left the room. "..." -... -... The room fell silent. Jerusha, Zephyrus, and Pyro were just looking at the Old Man. On the other hand... "..." Old Man Rey didn''t know how to react. It was the first time he felt something like this. And so... "Wake up soon, brat." He just muttered that. His voice was trembling... ... ... ***** The next day... The demon''s invasion quickly spread throughout Zion Academy! And not just to the students... Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. But also to the civilians living within the academy! "The demons are starting to move again!" "Ugh, why can''t they just lay low for another century?" "I wish they''d just stay silent forever!" The townsfolk said. The demons had been silent for more than 50 years since their last war with the humans and other races... But one had just appeared yesterday in an urban area and even tried to attack an orphanage! This news caused chaos among the people! Though, as they heard this... They also learned that someone had stopped the demon and its lackey! A student named Raye! Hearing this, the townsfolk thought of him as a hero who saved the orphanage from devastation! And knowing he almost died in doing so, they admired his bravery and achievement! They wished for his speedy recovery too! On the other hand... "What?! Raye did that?" "I can''t believe it." "If it were Raye from the first semester, he would''ve been the attacker of the orphanage!" The students were shocked! But still... "He really changed, huh." They didn''t doubt the story to be fake! After all, they had witnessed firsthand the change in Raye throughout the semester. "Still, I can''t believe he changed that fast." "He might be a different person possessing Raye. What do we know?" "I don''t really care if that''s the case. I prefer him, even if he''s fake, to that idiot original." The students then commented. ... ... Meanwhile... The headmaster held a meeting in his office with the professors. "The monsters are starting to move toward the safe parts of the forest. They''re slowly making their way to civilization." Bryan said, looking at the professors. "I suspected the demons were behind this but wasn''t sure before. Though, their infiltration of the academy confirmed that they''re somehow connected to this." He added. Then, turning to Professor Justo, who handled the artifact engineering classes... "The fact that they infiltrated the academy''s premises without alerting us is also concerning. Please work on that, Professor Justo." Bryan instructed firmly. "Got it. I''ll work on it immediately." Professor Justo replied with a serious expression. And after that... They discussed how to improve their security, including teaching students how to respond if they saw something suspicious or encountered a demon. Then as they deliberated... "How''s Raye''s condition, by the way?" Bryan asked, looking at Ramiel. Sariel and the other professors familiar with Raye also turned toward him. "Fuuuuu..." Casually puffing out a smoke... "He''s still in a coma." Ramiel declared that! Sariel and the others frowned at the news, they feel sorry for Raye. And then, whispering to himself... "Just as the friendly exchange between the academies was about to happen, one of our main cards is down." Bryan mumbled that! ... ***** Three days later... Outside the academy... Or to be specific... In the Alvah Dukedom! "Hey, did you hear?" "What? I didn''t hear. I don''t gossip as much as you do." "Ugh, shut up." Two maids in the mansion were talking. Their name were Julia and Jullien. "So, what is it?" "It''s about that devil of a young master we had." "The one that got disowned?" "Yep." And their topic was Raye! "So, what about him?" Julia asked. Jullien carefully looked around... "Apparently, he saved an orphanage from being attacked!" And then she responded! "What?" Julia was shocked. "Are you sure he wasn''t the attacker instead?" She asked skeptically. But shaking her head... "The attackers were a demon and a demon worshipper." Jullien clarified that! "What?!" And her words made Julia even more surprised! "Julia, keep your voice down!" "Ah, sorry." Looking around to ensure no one overheard them... "Are you telling me that devil of a young master warded off a demon and a demon worshipper to protect an orphanage?" Julia asked. "Yeah, that''s what I heard." And Jullien immediately responded! "You sure it''s not just a fake rumor?" "I didn''t see it myself, but plenty of merchants from Zion Academy said it was true." "..." Julia went silent, processing the information. ''Funny how a devil stopped a demon. Evil versus evil, huh.'' She thought, slightly smirking. ''What is even the difference the devil and demon? Aren''t they just the same?'' Then her thoughts just flew somewhere. Julia was stuck in her thoughts. But suddenly... "That''s an interesting story you have there, Jullien." They heard a voice behind them! "Huh?!" "Wha¡ª?!" They both turned around. And there... They saw a handsome man with long, flowing white hair and piercing blue eyes, exuding an intimidating presence! It was Lucian Alvah¡ªRaye''s biological father and the patriarch of the Alvah Dukedom! He just looked like a grown-up version of Raye! Anyway... "Mind telling me your story in detail, Jullien?" Lucian asked that with a smile. But his presence terrified her. Trembling... "O-Okay..." Jullien stammered. And after that, she began recounting everything she''d heard! Her voice shaking, and tears forming in her eyes! "..." Even Julia can''t move too because she''s scared! She hadn''t received permission to move yet, so she just remained there, terrified! ... After hearing the entire story... "You two can leave now." Lucian finally spoke! He was really silent the whole time, scaring the two maids more. "Y-Yes, Sir!" "T-Thank you!" The two maids then quickly ran off. And left alone... ''Raye, huh...'' Lucian thought of that. "I didn''t expect to hear his name now." He muttered emotionlessly. Chapter 99 - 99: 99 - Upcoming Event Five days after the demon''s invasion... Raye had still not woken up. "The vacation will end in two weeks. He''ll be left behind if he doesn''t wake up by then." Lycus mumbled, looking at Raye lying peacefully unconscious in a hospital gown. He, Devin, Lena, and Kyle were currently in Raye''s hospital room. "He''ll wake up before that... I just know it." Kyle said confidently. "Yeah, I don''t know why, but I feel the same." Devin then added. "Mhm." And Lena simply nodded in agreement. "..." Lycus shared their sentiment deep down. But he just couldn''t help thinking of the possibility that Raye might not recover in time! When the four of them had learned of the incident and Raye''s condition from Jerusha that same day... They followed her to the Academy''s hospital to check on him! And since then, they visited daily, even taking turns staying with him in case he suddenly woke up! It''s been days, that''s why they''re starting to worry! But then... "Even if the academy starts and he wakes up late, I''m sure he won''t be left behind." Lena declared that! The three boys looked at her. And with a shrug... "Well, yeah, this is Raye we''re talking about." Devin muttered as if it were obvious! "He started improving late, but now he''s on the top of the Freshman Ranking." Lycus then added. "Heck, Brother Raye survived a dungeon for a whole month! This is nothing to him." And Kyle chimed in! The group, along with Jerusha and Old Man Rey, had witnessed Raye''s incredible growth. They knew this wouldn''t be the end for him! The four of them slightly smiled, looking at Raye sleeping. Though... "..." The smiles of Lycus, Devin, and Lena quickly vanished! And as seriousness returned to their expressions... ''Raye is slowly getting ahead.'' They thought of that! The three of them were really shocked to learn that Raye had defeated a demon worshipper and faced off against a demon. In their group, Raye had faced the most life-threatening experiences. And because of that, even if Lena had higher stats or Lycus was nearly his equal... None of them felt confident that they could beat Raye in a serious fight! "Kyle, you''re staying with Raye today, right?" Lena then suddenly asked. "Huh? Yeah." Kyle answered, looking back at her. Lena nodded her head, and after that... "I''m going to leave now and train. See you guys later." She announced! And without delay... Creak¡ª Thud- She left the room! Immediately after... "Lycus, want to spar?" Devin asked that! And with a serious expression on his face... "I was just about to ask you the same." Lycus replied! "..." The two of them looked at each other. And after nodding their heads... "We''ll be going now too, Kyle. See you later." "See you." They said that. Creak¡ª Thud- And they left the room too! Once again, Raye''s actions had reignited the determination of the main characters! Everyone from the 1st Year [S Class] had heard of his feat, and now they found themselves eager to improve as well¡ªespecially Leon and Allen, who had been sparring against each other relentlessly for the past five days! Anyway, being left alone... Pat- Kyle sat quietly on a wooden chair beside Raye''s bed. "Everyone''s so busy, huh." He muttered. "Guess I''ll wait for Old Man Rey and Jerusha, then." And then he added while monitoring Raye''s condition. ... Jerusha and Old Man Rey joined him not long after along with Pyro and Zephyrus. ***** A couple more days had passed... And Raye was still in a coma... It''s the seventh day after the demon''s invasion. And the headmaster held another meeting with the professors in his office... "How''s the progress in strengthening security?" The headmaster, Bryan, asked. And immediately... "It''s done. I''m confident they won''t be able to enter the academy premises again without being detected. Even if they try to dismantle it, it''ll be harder than before and probably take months to do so." Professor Justo confidently declared that! S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Mhm." Bryan nodded, hearing that. "Then, we just need to increase surveillance staff along the academy walls to stop their attempt to dismantle it, right?" He then asked. "Yes." And Professor Justo quickly confirmed. After that... Bryan turned to Ramiel. "Any news about the demon worshipper? Has he started talking?" And at his question... "Fuuu... Yeah, he began talking yesterday." Ramiel casually replied. Then without beating around the bush... "The demon that attacked the orphanage was of the noblesse lineage. Though currently low rank, he has the potential to rise to a high rank." "He was verging on mid-rank when I fought him, I''m sure of it." He stated that! "Oh, he''s that strong?" Bryan muttered. "Yeah, and their target was Jerusha." And Ramiel added! "What?!" This information surprised the professors. "Apparently, the demon wants to take Jerusha as his wife because of her spirit magic." "?!" But Ramiel''s next words just shocked them even more! "So they''re trying to kidnap talented people, huh." Professor Sariel mumbled, he looks really angry! The meeting then shifted to finding ways on how to protect the students from being abducted by the demons... ... At the very end of their session... "Any other concerns we should discuss?" Bryan asked that. And then... "Ah, we received a message from Duke Alvah." Sariel spoke up! "Huh? That bastard? What did he say?" Bryan inquired. "He''s asking why we haven''t kicked Raye out of the academy yet..." And Sariel muttered that with a frown! "What?" Bryan scowled. But then, with a twisted smile... "Inform him that the son he abandoned has demonstrated remarkable improvement and rapid growth, earning a scholarship in the process." "He''s now in the S-Class, one of the academy''s strongest students. Assure him there''s no need to worry¡ªwe have no intention of expelling him." He announced that! If you noticed, he holds a clear disdain for Duke Alvah. "He''s being praised as a hero by the townspeople too. Add that." "Got it." Sariel responded, finding the situation amusing. After that... "Now, let''s discuss the upcoming event next week." Bryan shifted the meeting''s topic once again. "Let''s talk on how we''ll receive the professors and students from the other academies." He said. "And also, how we''ll dominate the upcoming competitions." And then followed with a smirk! That''s right! Top students from the other academies were coming to Zion, and a friendly competition will be held! Though, it''s only friendly in name! Chapter 100 - 100: 100 - Awake! It''s been eight days since the demon''s attack... And finally... "Ugh...?" Raye regained his consciousness! Immediately, he opened his eyes... "What happened?" Raye sat up on his bed and looked around. And in doing so... "Huh?" He saw Old Man Rey sitting on a wooden chair beside him, he was asleep. Pyro was sleeping on his lap too. "..." Raye just stared at the Old Man, unsure of what to do. And just then... -He''s been taking care of you ever since you got admitted here. He''s tired, so just let him be for a while. He heard a voice above him! Raye looked up. And there... -Finally decided to wake up, huh. He saw Zephyrus, looking down at him! Swoosh- Zephyrus flew toward Raye and landed on his shoulder. And then, looking at him... -Why didn''t you summon us? Zephyrus asked Raye. "..." Raye remained silent for a few seconds, just looking back at Zephyrus. But then, opening his mouth... "I was worried that the demons also attacked from the other part of the forest. You two are the only ones there to protect the Old Man." "I''m more worried about him than I''m worried about myself." Raye declared that with a serious expression on his face. -... Zephyrus stared at Raye. Though, after a while... -Okay. He simply replied and nodded his head. -And here I thought you didn''t trust us. He said. "On the contrary, I trust you two so much that''s why I left Old Man Rey''s protection to you both." Raye immediately followed. Shrugging with his tiny wings... -Don''t worry, I get it now. Zephyrus said that. -Gosh, I can''t believe you two aren''t real father and son. And then he commented, looking at the sleeping Old Man. -Still, call for us if you really need us. Zephyrus said, bringing his attention back to Raye. And with a smile... "I would, don''t worry." Raye responded. Just then... Creak¡ª The room''s door opened. Zephyrus and Raye turned toward it... Tap- And they saw Jerusha enter! "Huh?" Jerusha then saw Raye, sitting up and conscious. And immediately after that... "Raye!" Bam- Jerusha jumped toward Raye and hugged him! "Wha?!" Raye was surprised and flustered, but because he just woke up... He didn''t have the strength to break free from her arms! (And not like he wants to. He''s just embarrassed.) -''Ugh, they''re always like this.'' Zephyrus thought, slightly frowning. And during the commotion... "Huh?" -meep...? Old Man Rey and Pyro woke up! "..." They saw Raye. "..." And Raye saw them too. Then, with an awkward smile on his face... "Hello." He muttered that while Jerusha was hugging him! ***** After seeing Raye awake... Old Man Rey and Jerusha quickly called Raphael. He was the Healer Old Man. "Hmm..." And currently, he''s checking on Raye''s condition. "Anything hurt?" He asked. "Nope." Raye immediately responded with certainty. "Okay, then..." Raphael stood up straight. And with a casual expression on his face... "He''s free to go." He declared that! "What? Really?" Old Man Rey asked. And looking at him... "The kid''s injuries had healed days ago. The only reason we''re keeping him here is because he hasn''t woken up yet." Raphael explained. "And seeing that he''s feeling nothing wrong, it''s safe to say he''s fully recovered." He added. "Haaaa..." Jerusha sighed in relief hearing his words. -Meep meep! And Pyro danced in the air, knowing that Raye''s all well now! "..." Raye kind of felt guilty seeing how much he had worried them. But a small smile erupted on his face... He was happy to see that people do actually care for him. "Sorry for worrying you guys." Raye mumbled. And hearing him... -Meep! Bam- "Urgh?!" Pyro tackled his chest! He was trying to hug Raye. "I''m just glad you''re okay now. You did good saving the kids." Old Man Rey then said, hugging him too. "Well, I''ll be going now." Raphael then announced. But before going... "You might feel a little weak physically because you missed a lot of meals and hadn''t moved for days, but that''s normal, so don''t worry." He said that to Raye. "Thanks." Raye replied, looking at him. But with a smile on his grumpy face... "No, thank you." Raphael muttered. "I''m close to the director of the orphanage; we''re childhood friends. Thank you for saving her." He followed! And with that... Creak¡ª Thud- He left the room! After that... "Hmm, get a good night''s rest now so we can go back to the cabin first thing in the morning." Old Man Rey separated himself from Raye and said that. It''s currently 9 PM... "Okay." Raye simply replied. "Ah, wait! You should eat something first, you must''ve been feeling hungry." But then the Old Man insisted. "Erm, yeah... My stomach hurts a lot." Raye shyly whispered. "I''ll buy you something outside." The Old Man mumbled. Then, slightly glancing at Jerusha... He looked at Zephyrus and Pyro. "You two, come with me. Search for an open store with me." He said. -Hmm, got it. Glancing at Jerusha too, Zephyrus nodded his head and agreed. -Meep! Pyro just innocently and excitedly responded. And with that... "Jerusha, keep an eye on the brat for a while." "Ah, okay." Creak¡ª Thud- The three of them left the room. "..." And the room fell awkwardly silent. "..." "..." Raye and Jerusha didn''t know what to say, so they just remained silent. Jerusha was embarrassed too for hugging Raye earlier in the heat of the moment. ''Ugh, why did I do that?!'' She asked herself. Just then... "So, what happened after I passed out?" Raye spoke first, breaking the silence. And looking at him... Jerusha saw him awkwardly smiling. He was trying to lighten the mood by starting a conversation. ''He''s really considerate, huh,'' Jerusha thought with a small smile. Pat- Then, sitting on the wooden chair beside Raye... "Well, this happened¡ª" She began recalling what had happened that day. ... Jerusha told Raye that after her arrival, Ramiel came and handled the demon. With the help of Sister Irish, the two of them continuously healed him to prevent him from dying. Raye thanked her for that, saying he would thank the Sister later. Jerusha also informed Raye that the ugly fucker, Medina, had been caught and was currently being interrogated by Ramiel himself. Raye was relieved to hear that. ... "Wow, so that much happened in a day, huh. What chaos." Raye muttered after hearing the whole story from Jerusha. S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. And looking at him... "..." Jerusha went silent. She was glad that he was now awake... "Hmm? Is something on my face?" Raye asked, noticing her staring. But instead of answering... "Huh?" Jerusha grabbed Raye''s hand! And then, embarrassed... "Thank you for saving them." She softly muttered that! "..." Raye was stupefied, flustered. He then opened his mouth to respond to her... "I¡ª" Though... Creak¡ª "I''ve got you something!" -It''s a stew, not rabbit though. -Meep! Old Man Rey and the two suddenly came back, interrupting him! Fwip- Jerusha quickly retrieved her hand. Fwip- And Raye did the same! "..." "..." The two of them then became silent, both embarrassed. And looking at them... "Huh? Why are you two red?" The Old Man asked. "It''s not that hot here..." He added, looking around the room! Chapter 101 - 101: 101 - Level Up! [1] The next day... Raye and Old Man Rey set out to return to the cabin around 9 AM. Devin, Lycus, and Kyle helped them. And when they got to the cabin... "Hello, everyone." "We''re almost done, wait a little." Lena and Jerusha were there, preparing food for everyone! "We used your cooking equipment, Mister." Jerusha said while cooking. And with a shrug... "It''s fine, thanks for cooking for us." Old Man Rey simply replied. ''This is nice. I''m starting to get hungry again.'' Raye thought. He had just eaten roasted beef not long ago, which Kyle had brought for him... Anyway, after a few minutes... Lena and Jerusha finished cooking. Devin and Lycus then helped them prepare the table. And with that... "Let''s eat!" "Thanks for the food." "Thank you, Lena and Jerusha, for cooking for us!" -I like this part of the deer meat. -Meep meep meep! They all ate together! It was pretty cramped, but they all enjoyed their meals. "For Raye''s recovery!" Devin exclaimed. "YEAH!!!" And the others responded in unison. Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Haha..." Raye just laughed, seeing how energetic they were. ***** Around 11 AM... "We''ll be leaving now." "Rest well, Raye!" "Recover fast so we can start training together again!" "Take care." "Visit the shop soon, Brother Raye!" Jerusha and the others were about to leave. "Thank you, guys. See you later." Raye said, seeing them off. And after that... Tap- tap- tap¡ª Tap- tap- tap¡ª They left. "Hmm, what should I do now?" Raye asked, watching them disappear from his sight. Then, frowning at him... "The doctor told you to rest, so just go to your room and lie down on your bed." Old Man Rey said that. "But¡ª" Raye tried to rebut... "No buts. Rest so you can recover your strength." But the Old Man interrupted. "Fine." Raye simply replied. And with that... He headed to his room. ''It''s boring to just do nothing. It''s not like I have a phone or whatever.'' Raye thought on his way. ***** Entering his room... "Ugh..." Raye lay down on his bed. "I missed this place." He mumbled. Then, looking up at the beat-up ceiling... "..." Raye started recalling his fight with the demon. "Pathetic..." He grumbled with a frown. ''I went down easily. I''m still not ready for the main story.'' He thought. Raye felt frustrated with himself. He had trained every day for five months! He tried his best... ''But it still wasn''t enough.'' His body''s limits were starting to show. Raising his stats was becoming much harder. And now, all he could do was hone his skills! "This body has really shitty talent." Raye said. "..." Then he went silent, just staring dumbfoundedly at the ceiling. But after a while... "Hup!" He sat up on his bed. And then... Fwip¡ª He took out his small spatial cloth bag. And from it... "Hmm." He took out an enhancement pill! Currently, Raye still had five of these with him! "I can''t train right now. This is the only method I can use to increase my stats." He muttered seriously. He was stuck with the original Raye''s mediocre talent. ''But I can''t really change that.'' And so... "I''ll just do whatever I can to get stronger." Raye declared. "It''s not like the main story or the demons would go easy on their attacks because of my situation." He added with a shrug. "Hup." And then he shifted into a lotus position. While thinking of Zephyrus and Pyro... "[Summon]" Raye muttered that. Swoosh¡ª -Huh? -Meep...? And the two of them were summoned in front of him! -Bruh, really? Zephyrus asked, realizing what had happened. -We''re just outside the cabin. You could''ve just called. He added with a slight frown. "Meh, too lazy to do so." Raye shrugged. And without further ado... "You guys guard me." He instructed that. -Meep! Pyro readily replied with a big, cute smile. But Zephyrus... -Huh? He noticed what was in Raye''s hand. -... And he went silent. "Just so you know, I won''t let you stop me." Raye announced. Zephyrus looked at him. He saw Raye''s face¡ªdead serious, his hunger to get stronger was evident. -''Every defeat really pushes him to be even greedier, huh.'' Zephyrus thought. Then, lightly shaking his head... -You have five, right? Take two of them. He stated. "Huh?" Raye was surprised and confused. He thought Zephyrus would stop him because of his condition! -We healed your broken arm before with the enhancement pills. It''s okay to take them with your condition right now. They''ll help with your recovery if ever. Zephyrus then explained as if he was reading what was in Raye''s mind! "Oh, okay." Raye replied, nodding his head. "But why two?" He asked. Zephyrus shrugged. And opening his little beak... -That''s the best amount for you to take considering your body. He declared. "..." Raye was speechless. He looked at the enhancement pill in his hand... But then, with a resolute expression... "Got it." He said and took out another pill from his spatial bag. "I''m going to start now." Raye mumbled. ''It''s time to level up.'' He thought. And without beating around the bush... GULP¡ªGULP¡ª Raye swallowed the two pills immediately! Seeing him do that... -Idiot! You''re supposed to take the second one after absorbing the first! Zephyrus exclaimed with wide eyes! "What?" Raye asked. But before Zephyrus could even reply... "...?!" SWOOSH¡ª He felt his whole body suddenly heat up, as if he''d jumped into a raging fire! "GRAAAAAAHHH!!!" Raye shouted in pain. But fearing the Old Man might hear him and worry... "GURGH...!!!" He bit his lips to stifle his cries! "URGH!!!" Raye groaned as his whole body turned red, veins bulging all over his face, looking ready to pop. Sweat poured out of him as blood began streaming from his eyes, nose, mouth, and ears! -Meep! Pyro exclaimed, worried to the point of tears. -Raye, don''t lose consciousness! Zephyrus instructed with a frown. (Bruh, biggest challenge for Raye: Don''t pass out.) -Try to absorb the pills'' essence and calm it down! Zephyrus added. Hearing him... "GURGH...!" Raye tried his best to follow his instructions. He closed his eyes as saliva and blood dripped from his mouth. -Meeeep! Pyro was panicking. -Calm down! Don''t distract Raye, let''s guard him! But Zephyrus snapped him out of it. -meep... Pyro calmed down and followed Zephyrus''s lead. "GRAARGH...!!!" While Raye continued absorbing the essence of the two enhancement pills. Chapter 102 - 102: 102 - Level Up! [2] After two hours of grueling pain... "GAAAHH!!!" SWISH¡ª Raye successfully absorbed the enhancement pills'' essences! He was sweating all around, blood was splashed everywhere... And Raye... "Haaaa... Haaaaaa... Haaaa..." He looks like a dried-up zombie at the moment! -Raye, can you understand me?! Zephyrus asked. And weakly... "Haaaa..." Raye looked at him and nodded his head. -Good, do you want anything? Zephyrus followed. Forcing himself to speak... "Wa...ter..." Raye muttered that. -Got it. Zephyrus responded, hearing his words. SWOOSH¡ª And then he quickly flew out of the room! On the other hand... -meep! Pyro was left alone with Raye, he was sick worried about him. -meep... Fwoosh¡ª Pyro flew around Raye, he doesn''t know what to do. Raye looked at him... "Don''t worry... I''m good..." And then he said that. -Meep! Of course, Pyro didn''t believe him. And so... Swoosh¡ª He started channeling a bit of his mana to Raye. Raye immediately felt a bit better... "Thanks..." He mumbled with a weak smile. And just then... Fwoosh¡ª -Here! Zephyrus came back to the room! There''s a cupful of water floating beside him too! Swoosh¡ª The cup flew in front of Raye. And looking at it... Fwip¡ª Gulp¡ª Raye quickly grabbed it and drank it! "Much better..." Raye whispered with a smile. Thud¡ª And then he fell on his back, on his bed! He was lying in his own blood! But being too tired and exhausted to care for that... "..." Raye just closed his eyes and lost consciousness! -Meep! Pyro chirped, worried. -He''s just sleeping, he''s fine now, fortunately. But Zephyrus said that and calmed him down. -... They then just looked at Raye for a while, making sure he''s all good now. And after that... -The Old Man will be worried if he sees this. Zephyrus mumbled, looking at the mess inside Raye''s room. -meep... Pyro agreed with him. Then by controlling winds... Swoosh¡ª Zephyrus collected a huge pool of blood and made it float in the air! While looking at it... -Burn it, Pyro. He said that! And understanding his assignment... -Meep! SWAAAA¡ª Pyro set the pool of blood on fire! It evaporated not long after and disappeared! -This could do. Zephyrus said. And with that... He continued cleaning Raye''s room with Pyro''s help! And those from the sheet, he squeezed the blood out using his magic and Pyro burned the dirt! ***** After 8 hours... "Ugh...?" Raye regained his consciousness! He immediately sat up and looked around. "Huh?" He was surprised to see that his room was clean. ''I swear it was like a shit place before I passed out.'' He thought... Raye was sure he wasn''t hallucinating before because he can smell himself, he stinks. Just then, suddenly... -Pyro and I cleaned it. Zephyrus talked, landing on top of his head! "Huh? Where''d you come from?" Raye asked. -I was just flying around, making sure no blood stain was left. And Zephyrus answered. -I also told the Old Man you were sleeping so he wouldn''t get worried. He added. Hearing that... "Thanks." Raye was relieved. "Where''s Pyro?" He followed. -Outside, helping the Old Man cook. Zephyrus replied. "Ohh, okay." Raye mumbled. -What you did earlier was utterly stupid. Then Zephyrus suddenly stated that. "Ugh." Raye groaned, embarrassed... But Zephyrus just continued! -Shouldn''t it be obvious that taking one pill at a time is common sense?! He shouted. -You''re lucky you''re contracted with Pyro, a fire spirit. And then he grumbled. "Huh? What do you mean?" Raye asked, clueless. And proudly... -The enhancement pills'' essence originated from fire, that''s why you feel hot all over your body when you consume it. Zephyrus started explaining. -Because you''re contracted with a fire spirit, you automatically have, even a little bit, fire resistance. -And because of that fire resistance, you were able to contain the enhancement pills'' essence without suffering internal damage. He declared. -There''s a possibility you''d be back in a deathbed if it wasn''t for that. "Oh." Raye was shocked to hear this. "Guess I should be thankful to Pyro." He muttered with a smile. -Yeah, you should be, the kid''s stressed because of you! Zephyrus snapped at him. "Ugh, sorry." Raye apologized. -Forget about that. Zephyrus paused a little. And then, opening his mouth... -Open your stats. He instructed that! "Oh, right." Raye almost forgot about that. Looking at the ring artifact in his hand... "Status." Raye mumbled. Swoosh¡ª And a system window appeared! Though, before he could even take a look at it... "Raye, are you awake?!" He heard Old Man Rey calling from outside. "Huh?" Fwip¡ª Raye immediately closed his status window. ''Meh, this can wait.'' He thought. And after that... "I''m awake!" He responded to the Old Man. "Good, let''s eat!" "Okay!" After their brief shouting exchanges... Raye stood up from his bed. Tap- tap- tap¡ª Creak¡ª Thud¡ª And then he left the room! -... Zephyrus was left speechless inside the room, flying in the air. And with a shocked expression on his face... -I didn''t expect that the effect would be that high. He muttered that! Fwoosh¡ª Anyway, he followed after Raye not long. ***** Outside the cabin... "How are you feeling?" Old Man Rey asked that as soon as Raye came out. "You''ve slept for about ten hours, that''s new for you." He then commented. "Yeah, I''m feeling pretty good." Raye replied. And he''s not joking, he feels really energetic right now! "Just kind of hungry, though." He added. -Meep! Pyro then, seeing Raye, flew over to him. Worry was apparent in his eyes. "Sorry for worrying you, Pyro. I''m fine now." Raye whispered to reassure him. -meep... But Pyro was still down. And so, to make him feel better... "Did you know? Zephyrus said that¡ª" Raye told Pyro what Zephyrus told him, that Pyro is the reason he was able to absorb the enhancement pills without having internal damage. "Thank you for that." Raye finished off with that. And after hearing the story... -Meep! Pyro proudly chirped, puffing out his chest. ''He''s really just a kid.'' sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Raye thought with a smile on his face. Following that... "Sit down, brat. Let''s eat." "Ah, okay." -Meep! -What''s for dinner? The four of them ate dinner. ***** Around 10 PM... Raye is back in his room. -... -... Zephyrus and Pyro were already asleep. "I can''t sleep." Raye mumbled. He raised his right hand in the air while looking at the ceiling... "Let''s see..." Raye muttered. And opening his mouth... "Status." He whispered that under hus breath! Swoosh¡ª A window system appeared. And this time... Raye took a proper look at it! ===== Name: Raye Alvah Age: 18 Year Level: 2 Race: Human ----- Stamina: 55 Intellect: 60 Mana: 49 Strength: 54 Speed: 60 Talent: 59 Luck: 56 ----- Wind Element: Level 21 (99%) Fire Element: Level 22 (3%) Spirit Magic: Level 20 (83%) Bow: Level 18 (48%) Dagger: Level 19 (58%) Sword: Level 25 (26%) Cooking: Level 20 (5%) ... ... ----- Overall Grade: D Growth Rate: S+ ===== "Neat, my overall grade increased by a rank." Raye said with a smirk on his face after seeing his stats. Chapter 103 - 103: 103 - Rewards A week had passed... And the academy started again. Raye and the main characters are now sophomores. There was no class placement this semester as it was just held before... So they based the class placement on grades and performance this time. The [S Class] remained as it is. Most classes did, actually. Only in [C Class] and [D Class] were there changes. Anyway, today is the first day... And currently... "Ugh, back to school." Raye is standing in front of the classroom door, complaining. S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ''Professor Ramiel will work us to the bone again.'' He grumbled in his head before entering the room. Creak¡ª Thud¡ª ***** Inside the classroom... Raye talked with Lena and Lycus, waiting for the class to start. The students in this class are divided into groups. They''ve all been classmates for five months now, but there are still walls separating them. Not that it bothers them... Anyway, after a few minutes... Creak¡ª The room''s door opened. And then, the devil entered... "Yo! You guys missed me?" It was Ramiel. He had this annoying grin on his face. "Ugh..." The students groaned just by seeing him. "I''ll take that as a yes." Ramiel said, hearing them. "Anyway, we all already know each other, so let''s not bother with the introductions again." He followed. And casually... "I have an announcement to make." He declared! "Huh?" And before the students could even react... "We''re going to have a friendly competition with the other academies, and the students from the S Classes are guaranteed to join." Ramiel announced that! ''He''s really straight to the point, huh.'' Raye said in his head. He already knew this from the game, so he wasn''t surprised. On the other hand... "What?!" "With the other academies?!" "A competition?!" His classmates weren''t the same. "..." Lena was frowning. "A competition against the other academies, huh..." Meanwhile, Lycus, Leon, and Allen had their eyes wide open. They were excited for this event. Though, their excitement was short-lived... "Anyway, that''s that. Let''s go to the training ground and prepare for the upcoming events!" Ramiel exclaimed with a mischievous smile on his face. "Huh...?" "On the first day? Again?" "This sucks!" Of course, the students weren''t thrilled about this. "..." Raye, Lena, Lycus, Leon, and Allen had small frowns on their faces. They were cursing Ramiel in their heads. Though, just then... "Ah!" Ramiel paused and remembered something. He looked at Raye. And opening his mouth... "I almost forgot, you go to the headmaster''s office first." He said. "Hm?" The others looked at Raye... "..." And they all remembered what he did about two weeks ago. ''He''s probably about to receive some nice rewards for protecting the orphanage.'' ''Lucky, he doesn''t have to deal with Ramiel''s bullshit as soon as the academy starts again.'' they thought. "Oh, okay." Raye stood up and answered. And while containing a smile... ''Sweet, I''ll take my time getting back to class.'' Raye thought. "Okay, everyone else... Follow me to the training grounds!" Ramiel shouted. Creak¡ª Thud¡ª And then he quickly left the room. "Tsk." "This is shitty." And while grumbling... Tap- tap- tap¡ª The students, except Raye, all started to follow after him. "See you later." Lycus said to Raye before going. "..." And Lena just waved goodbye at him. "See you." Raye muttered. And after that... Tap- tap- tap¡ª He started heading to the headmaster''s office. Creak¡ª Thud¡ª ***** After a while of walking... "..." Raye was now standing in front of the headmaster''s office. And without much thought in his head... Creak¡ª Tap¡ª He entered the room. "Hello, long time no see." Bryan, sitting behind his table, greeted Raye as soon as he came in. "It''s nice to see you again." Raye greeted back with a slight bow. "Sit down here." Bryan then instructed, looking at the leather chair on the opposite side of his table. And silently... Pat¡ª Raye complied. "Do you know why you''re here?" Bryan asked. And with an uninterested look on his face... "Well, yeah. It''s pretty obvious." Raye answered. ''This kid is really, really straightforward.'' Bryan thought with a smile. "Well, that saves me the trouble of explaining, then." He muttered. "You''re here to be commended for the action you took in protecting the orphanage." "I actually wanted a ceremony to be held to reward you, but it would be pretty stupid to do so as you''re the only one being rewarded. The ceremony would be at most five minutes long. The preparation would be much longer and harder." Then Bryan added. Hearing his last words, Raye was glad the ceremony didn''t happen. ''I''m fine as long as I receive the rewards. I don''t need a stupidly fancy ceremony held for me.'' He thought. And just as he did... Tap¡ª Bryan placed a fancy-looking silver ring between him and Raye, on top of the table. "...?" Raye looked at it curiously. And as he was doing so... "That''s a high-end spatial storage." Bryan suddenly declared that with a proud smirk! "...?!" Raye''s eyes widened in surprise upon hearing that. But that''s not all... "The royal family also rewarded you two hundred coins for your achievement. It''s inside the ring." Bryan added! "..." Raye was speechless. But then, the corners of his lips raised... And soon, a smile rested on his face! ''Jackpot.'' Raye thought. "You can take it now." And as soon as he heard that from Bryan, without hesitation... Fwip¡ª Raye took and wore the ring! It was on his middle finger of his right hand, and the size of the ring magically adjusted to fit perfectly! ''Neat.'' Raye said in his head, looking at it. He thought he was done here and was ready to leave. But, as he was admiring the ring on his hand... "Raye, there''s actually another reason why I called you here." Bryan suddenly said that. Hearing this... "Huh?" A confused look appeared on Raye''s face. "You''ve heard that students from the other academies are coming, right?" Bryan asked. "Yeah." And Raye nodded in response. "..." Bryan paused for a moment. And after looking at Raye straight in the eyes... "I want you to be our secret weapon." He declared that with a serious expression on his face! "Huh?" Raye muttered, unsure if he just heard that one right. Chapter 104 - 104: 104 - Spar [1] "I want you to be our secret weapon?" "Huh?" Raye was shocked by what he had just heard. He was waiting for Bryan to correct his words. But even after a few seconds had passed by... "..." Bryan remained still, just looking at him seriously. And at that moment... "Haaaaa..." Raye just decided to accept what he heard was right. "Why me?" He asked Bryan. ''This was supposed to be Leon''s role.'' He thought to himself. Then, opening his mouth... "Because of your monstrous growth." Bryan answered Raye''s question. "Your achievements and improvements have just happened recently, and because of that, the other academies have no data about you. All they know is... you''re a scum trash disowned by his family." He explained. ''The latter part was uncalled for.'' Raye said in his head. Anyway... "I want to surprise them, using you." Bryan declared that. "..." Raye was speechless. ''This is probably the reason he put me in S-Class willingly and gave me a scholarship.'' He thought. And he was absolutely right about that... ''This guy is really competitive, huh.'' Just as Raye was thinking of that... "So, do you accept?" Bryan asked him again. Then, with a slight frown on his face... "Depends on the reward." Raye responded! And with a sly smirk on his face... "Rewards." Bryan corrected him! "Just show me a good performance and you wouldn''t regret it." He shrugged. And casually... "Then, I''m all in." Raye replied. ***** After their last talk, Raye was about to leave. Though, before he did... "Ah." Bryan suddenly remembered something. "Your father sent us a message about you. Are you curious to know what it is?" He said and asked Raye. And looking at him, uninterested... "No thanks, I''m fine." Raye answered. "Haha, got it." Bryan replied. And then, following that... "Your older brother from the Night Academy will be coming as well, you know?" He added. This time... "..." Raye showed a reaction. He frowned. ''Ugh, I know the original Raye doesn''t have a good relationship with any of his family members. This will be annoying.'' Raye thought. "I just hope I didn''t do anything back in the day to piss him off." And then he said that, responding to Bryan. "Anyway, I should be going now." He followed that. "Okay, you''re excused." And Bryan replied. Raye then stood up... Tap- tap- tap¡ª And he started walking toward the door. Though, before he went out... "You''re going to use Leon as a secret weapon too, right?" Raye looked back and asked Bryan that! "?!" Bryan''s eyes slightly widened at his sudden question. "How did you know?" He asked. But with just a shrug... "It''s just pretty obvious." Raye answered. Creak¡ª Thud¡ª And then he left the room! "..." Bryan was left speechless in his office. Meanwhile... ''With his reaction, I can at least confirm that I didn''t steal Leon''s role, I was just added.'' Raye was able to confirm that! He had a smirk on his face right now. ***** Tap- tap- tap¡ª Raye was now walking toward the training grounds where Ramiel and his classmates were. He was taking his time, even walking slowly... ''I''m currently recovering, he can''t force me.'' Raye thought confidently on his way. He really tried everything he can to waste time. ... ... After a few minutes... Raye reached his destination. "..." He just stood still for a while outside the indoor training ground. He was still not ready to meet the devil. But against his will... "I still need to meet him." And so with that... Creak¡ª Raye opened the door. Tap¡ª And then he stepped inside the room! And as soon as he did... "Haaaaa... Haaaaa... Haaaaa..." He saw his classmates lying on the floor! ''They''re dying!'' Raye exclaimed in his head as he saw them¡ªthey looked worse than him when he just woke up from the coma! They are lying down on their own pool of sweat! "..." Lena and Lycus were sitting while resting their backs against the wall. They couldn''t even look at Raye! "Haaaa... hufff... fuck...!" Leon and Allen were breathing heavily, face-down on the floor. They couldn''t move their bodies! And seeing them like this... ''What the fuck did that devil do? I was gone for just half an hour max!'' Raye became nervous. He looked up at the arena. And there... He saw Ramiel looking at him with a smirk! "Well, well, well, look who decided to show up. I could feel your presence just standing still outside the training ground earlier, you know?" Ramiel said mischievously! And hearing his words... "...?!" Raye felt chills down his spine! "Raye." Ramiel called for him. "W-What?" Raye stuttered. And with a stupid grin on his face... "Come up here. Let''s have an educational spar." Ramiel declared that! ***** "I can''t believe this." Raye muttered as he stood on top of the arena, holding a wooden sword. "Is the sword your main weapon?" Ramiel, who was standing on the opposite side of the arena, asked him. "Well, you could say that." Raye replied. "Do you use other weapons?" Ramiel followed up with another question. And this time... "Mhm." Raye just nodded his head as a response. "Okay... I don''t care how many weapons you''ve got. Use everything you want in this fight." Ramiel declared. "You sure?" Raye asked to confirm. And Ramiel just shrugged his shoulders! "Can I use my spatial storage then?" "Suit yourself." And after getting the go sign... Tap- tap- tap¡ª Raye quickly went back to the weapon area! Fwip¡ª He took another wooden sword, a wooden dagger, a bow, and then arrows! And with that done... Tap- tap- tap¡ª He silently climbed back onto the arena. "I''m ready," Raye declared. "Good." And Ramiel responded. "Because I''m clearly stronger and you''re still not in your best shape, I''ll only launch non-mana attacks." He added while putting on his training leather gloves. "That sounds good." Raye said. And with that... Fwip¡ª He took a fighting stance! "..." "..." His classmates, who were exhausted earlier, were now resting in the resting areas. They were looking on top of the arena with curiosity. After all... ''Let''s see how strong he''s gotten.'' They were curious about Raye''s current prowess! "..." Seconds passed, and the room remained silent. Tension was rising, and the atmosphere was getting heavy. And then, not long after... "Start!" S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Ramiel exclaimed that with a crazed smile on his face! "[Flash]" And Raye immediately muttered that! Chapter 105 - 105: 105 - Spar [2] (Raye''s POV) "Because I''m clearly stronger and you''re still not in your best shape, I''ll only launch non-mana attacks." Ramiel declared as he put on his leather gloves. And immediately... "That sounds good." I said that. Fwip- Then I took a fighting stance while holding a wooden sword on each hand. ''He''s wrong about one thing.'' I thought as I looked at Ramiel. It''s true that he''s definitely stronger than me. But right now... ''I''m actually in my best shape.'' I declared in my head. "Start!" And when Ramiel announced the start of our match¡ª "[Flash]" I immediately used that skill! Bam- Swish- I launched forward toward Ramiel! There were only about ten meters between us, so in a matter of milliseconds... Fwish¡ª I appeared in front of him! "...?" Ramiel''s eyes slightly widened, seeing me in front of him. SWISH¡ª So I took that chance and slashed horizontally with my right sword, aiming at the left side of his body! "No wonder that Charles guy wasn''t able to respond." I heard Ramiel casually say. And before I could even process it... Bam! "Urgh?!" I was punched in the face! But I was already aware that Ramiel''s specialty was his speed despite his massive size. So, as I stumbled back and without being surprised¡ª SWOOSH¡ª I followed with a rising strike from the bottom with my left sword! Though... "Hm?" Tap- Fwish¡ª Ramiel just stepped back and completely avoided it. And looking at me... Fwoosh¡ª He launched a back kick! TWHACK! I used the wooden sword in my right hand to block it. "?!" But the force behind his attack was strong. Bam- So I leaped back to soften it. As soon as I did, though... Fwish- "This is how you do ambushes." Ramiel suddenly dashed toward me and reached me as I was in mid-air! Fwoosh¡ª Then he launched a heavy right straight! "Gurgh...!" I frowned hard, seeing that. And forcibly... ''Reach...!!'' I extended my right foot to the ground! Tap- And when it barely touched the floor... "[Flash]" I used that skill again! B ut this time... Swoosh¡ª I launched myself up into the air! Swish¡ª And Ramiel''s fist hit nothing but air! "Huh?" Ramiel followed me with his eyes. And then, he smirked. S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Bad decision. There''s nowhere for you to dodge now." He said, preparing a heavy attack to catch me. Though, calmly... "I can still attack though." I said that. Fwish¡ª And then I stored both of my swords in my spatial storage! Clap¡ª I clapped my hands in front of me. "[Lit up]." And then I muttered that! Swaaaa¡ª A raging fire covered my hands! And seeing that... "...?" Ramiel frowned. I hadn''t shown this skill to anyone else except Jerusha. So he didn''t know what was coming! Fwip¡ª I pulled back my right hand. FWAAAA¡ª Then the fire in my hands took the form of a bow and arrow! And aiming it at Ramiel below me... "[Shoot]." I smirked and muttered that! SWOOSH¡ª The fire arrow shot forward, heading straight to Ramiel! And feeling the mana packed into it... "Hmm, that''s interesting." Ramiel mumbled that. Bam¡ª And he decided to avoid it! BOOM!!! The fire arrow hit the ground, and a loud explosion occurred! Swoosh¡ª A huge dust cloud was created from the debris. Tap¡ª And I landed inside of it! "I can feel your presence, you know?" I heard Ramiel say. "I can feel yours too." And I casually responded! Fwip- I took out the bow from my spatial storage, and after loading it with an arrow... Fwish- I aimed it at Ramiel! And as soon as I did... Fwop- I let go of the bowstring! "[Gust]" And then I cast that to make the arrow fly faster! SWOOSH¡ª The arrow flew forward and tore through the debris! "Huh?" I heard Ramiel mutter outside the dust cloud. Swish¡ª And then I felt his presence move to the side! ''He avoided it.'' I didn''t waste a second. I loaded another arrow into the bow. And after aiming it again at Ramiel... "[Gust]" FWOOSH¡ª I shot again! "Ugh." Ramiel groaned, annoyed. And this time... TWHOCK¡ª I heard wood hitting something! I immediately knew that Ramiel had deflected the arrow this time. And as if that wasn''t enough... BAM¡ª I felt his presence dashing toward me! ''Ugh, I was hoping to buy more time with the bow.'' I thought. Fwip¡ª And then I stored the bow back and took out the wooden swords again! Soon enough... "That was really annoying, the arrows." Ramiel reached me! And looking at him... "Glad you liked them." I replied! SWOOSH¡ª And swung my right sword diagonally up! TWHACK¡ª But Ramiel just grabbed and stopped it with his left hand! SWISH¡ª I responded by launching another attack, I slashed vertically down with my left sword! But just like the first one... TWHOCK¡ª! Ramiel just caught it with his right hand! "What now?" He asked, looking at me arrogantly. He looked really annoying, to be honest. "..." Anyway, without responding to him... Fwip- I let go of the wooden sword in my right hand. Fwish- Then I took out the wooden dagger! And while holding it in a reverse edge out grip... Fwish¡ª I launched a swift, horizontal slash! "?!" Ramiel was surprised by this, I could see it on his face. Tap- Fwoosh¡ª He took a single step back and avoided my attack. But seeing that... ''Caught you!'' I exclaimed in my head and smiled! Tap- I immediately stepped closer to him with my right foot! And with my dagger raised... FWOOSH¡ª I brought it down, intending to stab Ramiel in the head! I was smiling, seeing my dagger near Ramiel''s face! But then... BAM¡ª! I suddenly felt a heavy strike on my stomach! "KEUK?!" I felt the air escape my body! And the next thing I knew... FWOOSH¡ª I was flung away, outside the dust cloud! Thud- And I fell face-first on the arena! ''Why in the stomach again?!'' I exclaimed in my head as I gasped in air. Chapter 106 - 106: 106 - Spar [3] (Raye''s POV) "Urgh..." I groaned in pain as I lay on the floor. I think I was flung about fifteen meters away! I''m on the edge of the arena now... I grabbed my stomach, it hurts like hell. ''Why my stomach again?!'' I asked in my head. Then, looking up toward the disappearing dust cloud... I saw Ramiel, looking down at me. "That was a great response earlier. I needed to increase my speed just to counter you." He said with a stupid looking smile on his face. He''s also holding one of my wooden swords. I know he was holding back by a lot, but I didn''t expect him to use more power just to counterattack me! ''Should''ve just let me hit you, idiot!'' Tap¡ª I exclaimed in my head as I stood up. I then swapped the places my dagger and sword. And looking straight at Ramiel again... Fwip- I took a fighting stance once more. "Nice fighting spirit." Ramiel said as he slowly walked toward me. Tap- tap- tap¡ª Crack! He broke my other wooden sword in half on the way and threw it on the floor. ''Bruh, I hope the headmaster deducts it from his paycheck.'' I thought. Anyway... "..." I waited in silence as Ramiel approached me. Tap¡ª Each of his steps echoed throughout the room. And as he got near me... "Ugh..." The tension and the atmosphere grew much more intense. After a while... Tap- Ramiel stopped about ten meters away from me. "..." And without saying anything... Swish¡ª He disappeared from my sight! Fwish- And reappeared just a meter away from me! "...!" I was surprised. S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. But as a response... Fwoosh¡ª I threw the wooden dagger in my left hand forward! "Oh?" Fwish¡ª Ramiel turned his head to the side to avoid it. And at that moment... Fwip- I grabbed the handle of my wooden sword tightly with both hands. SWISH¡ª And I slashed horizontally! It was a swift and heavy attack! "Woah, easy there." Fwoosh¡ª Ramiel crouched down and avoided it! "Ugh...!" I used a lot of force behind my attack, and because of it... Swoosh¡ª My body did a complete spin! But gritting my teeth... "HUP!" Swish¡ª I used my momentum and launched a side whip kick, intending to stomp Ramiel''s head with my left foot! Bam- Ramiel leaped back, seeing that. BAM! So my foot only hit the floor! Crack- The floor cracked upon impact. But ignoring that... "Tsk." I clicked my tongue in annoyance. Then, when I looked in front of me to launch another attack... "?!" I just saw Ramiel''s fist in front of my face! It wasn''t moving. And seeing that... "Haaaa..." I just let out a sigh. "I lost." And then I admitted. Upon doing so... "You did good." Ramiel said that and retrieved his hand away from my face. ***** "..." Everyone who watched Ramiel and Raye''s bout was speechless. It wasn''t that long, but their exchanges were so fast they almost lost track of them! Except for Allen, of course. He specializes in speed too, after all. But after watching the two fight each other... Allen realized one thing. ''I''m still not fast enough.'' He thought. And so, he decided to train more to increase his speed! And it wasn''t just him that felt something... "..." Everyone else felt like they should do something too. Because if they didn''t, it''d feel like they were being left behind. "Ugh, Raye''s speed of growth is annoying." Josh Harris, a main character in the game and a student in [S Class], said that with a frown. And hearing his words... "..." The others just silently agreed. They were all already doing well enough. But Raye was making them feel like they weren''t. ''He''s gotten faster compared to our last spar before he went into a coma.'' Lycus thought. ''What happened to him?'' He asked in his head, really curious. On the other hand... ''Would I win if I fought him again?'' Leon asked that to himself. Just half a year ago, the answer would be easy, of course he''ll win. But now... ''I''m not sure...'' Leon thought with a slight frown on his face. And im silence... "..." He decided to increase his training! Anyway, back to Raye and Ramiel... "You were great." Ramiel praised Raye''s performance. "Thanks. You''re fast as hell" Then Raye responded. Ramiel just shrugged his shoulders... "You heard about the secret weapon plan from the headmaster, right?" And then he asked. "Yeah." Raye simply nodded his head as a response. "I actually asked you to spar with me so I could check your current strength." Ramiel stated. And looking at him... "So, how did I do?" Raye followed. "Well, you''re fast for your age¡ªreally fast." Ramiel said. "But you can go faster." And then he added! "Huh?" Raye was confused by his words. But before he could even say anything about it... "Until the competition with the other academies, I''ll train you personally during our class sessions." Ramiel one-sidedly decided that! "Huh?" Raye muttered, still confused. ***** ... Except for Ramiel''s class... Raye''s other classes went normally and calmly. After all, it was only the first day of the academy. Raye attended his [Alchemy Class], [Artifact Engineering Class], and [Runes & Ancient Symbols Class]. He listened intently to the lessons... After his classes, he headed to the library with Lena to study some more. They studied for a few hours. And now, currently... Tap- tap- tap¡ª Raye was walking on his way back to the cabin. "..." His surroundings were silent. Raye glanced around, then, out of boredom... "Open window." He muttered that. And as soon as he did... Swoosh¡ª Two system windows appeared in front of him! ===== Surprise Event: Defend the Sanctuary of Innocence against the Demon and its Dog! (Complete) ===== ===== Rewards: ----- +50% EXP to all skills Increase growth speed by 60% for a month ===== Raye received these messages earlier when he got his rewards from Bryan, he just hadn''t had time to read them properly. "Increase growth speed, huh." The second reward caught his attention. Raye knew it from the game, and it basically meant what it said. ''I''ll grow stronger faster for a certain period of time.'' It''s something good for Raye at the moment. After all, his growth speed is starting to decrease... "A month, huh." Raye mumbled. And with a slight smile on his face... "I should train more for a month then." He declared that! (Is he a masochist? Rest dude...) Chapter 107 - 107: 107 - Welcoming The Guests [1] A week had passed... And Raye''s schedule was still as hectic as ever. For the past few days... He was being trained to the bone by Ramiel every morning to increase his speed and technique''s proficiency. Raye spars with Ramiel every day. And after that... He does leg workouts until his legs give up! He''s not allowed to use mana to enhance them and he can''t get them healed up! So he always spends the rest of his day with his legs shaking... He attends his other classes like that, frowning hard every day. And after his classes... Raye studies artifact engineering in the library with Lena. He has the proper set of knowledge now to work on artifacts, but he doesn''t have the materials to do so. ''Guess I already know what I want for one of my rewards for this secret weapon bullshit.'' Raye thought to himself. Anyway, after spending a few hours in the library... Raye returns to the cabin. And after eating with Old Man Rey, Pyro, and Zephyrus... He starts his repair of the cabin! Jerusha comes a couple of hours later, and when she does... She and Raye head to the Northern Forest. And there... "[Flash]" Raye will train to increase his proficiency with his special skills and improve them with the help of Jerusha! Not long after that... "Yo!" "Hi, Raye, Jerusha." Devin and Lycus will arrive. "I''ll call you guys later." Jerusha then goes back to the cabin and helps the Old Man make dinner. She''ll call the guys once they''re ready. And when she leaves... "Let''s get started." The three will start their free-for-all training match! This had been Raye''s routine for a week now, his chores not included. He suffered a lot for a couple of days, but halfway through the week... ''Hmm, my stamina increased.'' He started doing fine. ... Now, it''s the first day of a new week... And the students from the other academies finally arrived at Zion Academy! ***** Raye is currently in one of the indoor training grounds with his classmates. Ramiel left them there. Meanwhile, him... He''s outside welcoming the people that came from the other academies. ''Twenty students came each from three academies, and they''re all elite students. Not including the staff and professors that came with them, there are roughly sixty guests, huh.'' Raye thought. He''s doing squats while carrying a 50-kilogram heavy dumbbell on his back. ''I can already tell how annoyed Ramiel is right now, heh.'' He then added with a smirk. Raye knows that Ramiel hates attending events like these, but he has no choice because the headmaster makes him do it. He''s happy to think that Ramiel is suffering because he made him suffer for the past week. Anyway, inside the training ground... The others are training as well. Allen was actually trying to copy Raye''s training for the past days, hoping to increase his speed too. And Lycus... "Thanks for agreeing to spar with me during this class, Leon." He was training with Leon! "No, I actually like training with you. You''re strong." Leon said to him. On the other hand... "..." Lena was just in the resting area, meditating to increase her already monstrous mana capacity. The others were just training on their own, preparing for the competition. Though, as they were doing so... "Hm?" Raye felt a lot of presence outside the training ground. And it''s not just him... "Huh?" "...?" His classmates felt them too. The presences were strong, and they were slowly approaching where they were. ''Ramiel''s strong presence is not with them, so it''s probably not the professors... Are they the students from the other academies?'' Raye concluded in his head. And as soon as he thought of that... Creak¡ª S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The double doors of the training ground opened! Tap- tap- tap¡ª Tap- tap- tap¡ª Tap- tap- tap¡ª And thirty young men entered the room! "..." Raye and the others quickly dropped what they were doing and turned to the people who had just entered. They were all wearing uniforms¡ªthree designs, a blue one, a black one, and a red one. So it was easy to know who they were... ''Yep, they''re students from the other academies.'' Raye thought. Just then... "Hello, guys." Someone in the red uniform suit said that with a smile. He was a red-haired student from the [Crimson Academy]. ''Ugh, that smile is so fake.'' Raye said in his head. And so did his classmates... "..." So, they didn''t answer the red-haired guy''s greeting. "I''m already getting a silent treatment, huh." The guy said. And just purely out of impulse and intrusive thoughts... "Yeah, maybe you should get silent as well." Raye casually mumbled that! "Ah." And he was shocked when he realized he said that out loud! "..." The room went totally silent. And everyone looked at Raye! Raye, well... "..." He just kept a poker face and looked at the red-haired guy. ''Fucking hell, it just had to slip out.'' Raye grumbled inside his head. "What''s your name?" The red-haired student then asked Raye. And while keeping a straight face... "Why don''t you tell yours first?" Raye said that! "Oh, my bad." The red-haired student replied. He was pissed, but was still smiling. "My name is Ignis Valefor, a first-class sophomore student at Crimson Academy." He introduced himself. And following him... "Raye, S-Class sophomore, magic course." Raye introduced himself back. "So, what are you guys doing here? Because we''re not buying your nice acts." And then he immediately followed that! ''I already messed up, might as well end this as soon as possible.'' He thought. And hearing his words... "Is that so..." Ignis muttered that with a smirk. "All of us here are also sophomore elites from prestigious academies. We just want to see you guys." He stated. "After all, we want to see the faces of the opponents we''re going to defeat." And then he added that! "..." Hearing him made Leon and the others frown. "Don''t misunderstand, we won''t be working together. We just thought that Zion''s students are getting weak now as you can enter the elite class just by being rich." Ignis declared with a smug expression. His words really pissed off Leon and the others. He was clearly talking about the event where the nobles got exposed for bribing their way up! Anyway, realizing what he was doing... "Meh." Raye shrugged his shoulders. "You don''t need to provoke us, you know?" He said. And then, looking at the students from the other academies one by one... "We''ll defeat you guys either way." He declared that casually! ''You guys got destroyed by the main characters in the game, dumbasses.'' ''It''s canon event.'' This is what Raye meant when he said that. Chapter 108 - 108: 108 - Welcoming The Guests [2] "You don''t have to provoke us, you know?" "We''ll defeat you guys either way." Raye said nonchalantly. He wasn''t bragging or being arrogant, it was just like he was stating a fact! And because of this brazen attitude of his... "..." The students from the other academies frowned. They were pissed! ''Woah, this guy is really a nutjob.'' Raye''s classmates thought, looking at him. "Haha, is he an idiot?" Lycus muttered with a small laugh. "Pfft..." Even Lena found the situation funny. The two of them were pretty far away from the group. "I see." Ignis, holding back his anger, muttered that with a fake smile again. "Guess we did something unnecessary, then." He added. "Yeah, you did." And Raye immediately followed that! ''Gosh, he just won''t shut up, huh.'' His classmates thought, slightly nervous. ''Can''t he see that guy is barely suppressing his anger?'' They were scared that a fight might suddenly break out. Anyway, after a pause... "Well, that''s all we really want. We''ll take our leave now." Ignis said that. "Well, hurry up. We were training. You could''ve just waited until our classes were done, in the first place." And Raye responded! "..." The room went silent again, and heavy tension filled the air. ''Is this idiot really trying to start a fight?!'' Leon thought with a frown on his face. Raye''s classmates started thinking that Raye''s past personality was starting to resurface! Anyway, with veins bulging out of his head and as he tightly clenched his hands into fists... "You know we''re currently staying in the same dorms as you top scorers." Ignis stated that. "So?" Raye casually replied. And looking at him straight in the eye... "I''ll be waiting for you there." Ignis declared with a threatening voice! "...?" Raye was confused. But before he could even start speaking again... Tap- tap- tap¡ª Ignis walked toward the door... Creak¡ª Thud- And then he left the room! "..." The other students remained and stared at Raye and his classmates. "..." Raye and the others just stared back at them. A strange tension was building up. And soon... Tap- tap- tap¡ª Tap- tap- tap¡ª S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Tap- tap- tap¡ª They all just started leaving too without saying a word! ''Weirdos.'' Raye thought to himself. But then... "Hm?" Someone caught his attention. It was a young man, and he was looking at him too. He was wearing a black fancy suit¡ªa uniform of the [Night Academy]. And seeing the young man''s long white hair... ''That''s Raye''s big brother, huh.'' Raye immediately recognized who it was! The young man was mouthing something to him... Raye concentrated and tried to understand what he was saying. And upon doing so... ''I''ll be waiting for you as well.'' Raye understood what he wanted to say. "Huh?" He was confused by this again. ''Whatever.'' So he just decided to not mind their words. And soon... Thud- The students from the other academies were gone! "..." And peace returned to the room! "Man, are you crazy?" Joshua Bassett, another classmate of Raye and a main character in the game, approached Raye and said that. And it wasn''t just him... "What you did was kinda satisfying to watch, haha." "Yeah, that red-haired bastard was totally silenced!" Raye''s other classmates did the same! They were surprised by Raye''s actions because he was normally quiet, but they liked what he did just now. "..." Even Leon and Allen thought so, they were just remaining quiet. "Haha, what were you thinking, picking a fight with the guest?" Lycus asked, approaching Raye. And looking at him... "They were going to pick a fight with us anyway. So I just did it first." Raye casually answered. "You''ve really gone crazy." Lena said, walking over to him. "Meh." Raye just shrugged at her words. Anyway, after that... They all returned to their respective training. And not long after... Creak¡ª Ramiel returned with a small frown on his face. "Ugh, I hate those guys from the other academies." He said. Then, looking at his students... "Beat their students all up!" He instructed that! And while smiling... ""YEAH!!!"" The students replied in unison. ***** Except for that encounter with the students from the other academies... Raye''s day proceeded as usual. He fought Ramiel for the rest of the class when he returned. And he attended his other classes exhausted. Then, after that... He went to the library with Lena and studied there for a couple of hours. Following that, he visited Devin and Kyle in the shop to eat with them. ... ... Meanwhile, around 6 PM... "I want to kill that fucker." Ignis was waiting outside the [Ascendant Hall]. It''s the dormitory where the students from [S Class] stay, any grade level. Anyway, who was Ignis waiting for? Raye! He was waiting for Raye! And it wasn''t just Ignis, there were three more people with him waiting for the same person! They just assumed Raye stayed in this dorm because he was from the [S Class]... "Still, he''s a bold guy, huh." Christian Hartford said to Ignis. He''s a blue-haired young man wearing a blue fancy uniform. Christian was from the [Special Group] of the [Zephyros Institute]! "I just hope he can back his words with his skills." Ace Silvercrest then muttered. He was a handsome black-haired young man wearing a clean black uniform. He was from the [Special Order] of the [Night Academy]! Ignis, Christian, and Ace¡ªthe three of them were the representatives of their academies! They were strong individuals who could rival the main characters! Anyway... "He''s nothing but all talk." Someone suddenly intervened and said that. He was also wearing a black uniform. But his hair was bright white and long! He had blue eyes and was handsome, and his body was well-built! It was Elias Alvah¡ªRaye''s older brother! "What do you mean by that?" Ace asked, hearing him. Christian and Ignis looked at Elias too, curious about his words. And then, with an emotionless expression on his face... "Raye, my brother... He got disowned for being trash, both in talent and personality." Elias declared that! "Huh... Guess beating him up wouldn''t be so hard." Ignis mumbled, hearing Elias'' words. "Ehhh, he''s boring then." Christian followed. And then, while frowning a little... "That''s disappointing." Ace muttered. "Anyway, let''s wait for him and give him a proper lesson!" Ignis exclaimed. And with his words... "Okay." He and the others waited for Raye. They waited and waited... For hours... One hour... Two hours... Three hours... Until it was 10 PM! "..." "..." "..." "..." But Raye didn''t appear! "I''m really going to kill that fucker." Ignis whispered to himself. His eyes were blood-red in anger, and he''s clenching his hands into fists tightly. Today... Raye successfully pissed off the student representatives of the other academies and his older brother! Chapter 109 - 109: 109 - Next The next day... Tap- tap- tap¡ª Raye headed to his class like usual. He had no idea that he pissed off the student representatives of the other schools and his big brother. Heck, he didn''t even know that they were waiting for him yesterday! "Hmm..." ''The atmosphere seems a bit off.'' Raye thought as he walked through Xapham Hall. The students were on edge, and they seemed fidgety. ''They''re nervous. Probably because of the other academies being here.'' Raye concluded. "Meh." And then he just shrugged and continued on his way. He didn''t really care, to be honest. ... Anyway, not long after... Tap¡ª Raye reached his destination, the [S Class]''s classroom. But when he got there... sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Huh?" He just saw Lena and all of his classmates outside the room. "Why are you all out here?" Raye asked as he approached them. Lycus looked at him, and opening his mouth... "There''s no class today." He declared that. "What?" Raye muttered in confusion. "Professor Ramiel and the other professors are having a meeting with the staff and professors from the other academies. They''ll probably be talking about the competition next week." And then Lena explained. "Oh." ''Well, that''s logical.'' Raye said in his head. ''This part was probably cutout in the game.'' He added. Then, after nodding his head... "So, where are you guys headed?" Raye asked that. After all, if the classes were canceled, then these guys would''ve separated ways long ago. It was unusual for Raye to see them all together other than when in class. Moving on, the one that answered Raye''s question... "We''re going to one of the indoor training grounds." It was Allen, surprisingly. "..." Raye looked at him. And then, looking back at him... "The students from the other academies are there, apparently." Allen followed that. "Is that so..." Raye mumbled with a slight nod. "Then why are you all still here?" He asked. This time... Swish¡ª "..." All of his classmates looked at him. "...?" Raye was confused. He frowned. He felt like something bothersome was going to happen. He opened his mouth, but before he could even say anything... "We were waiting for you." Leon suddenly declared that! "..." Raye''s head quickly turned to him. "Why though?" He asked while still frowning. And with a shrug of his shoulders... "You''re currently the face of our class after what you pulled yesterday, so obviously you should come with us." Leon said that. "Umm, no." And Raye immediately replied. But following that... "You should come, it''s a strategy too." Lycus said. "The students from the other academies will focus on you, you''ll be overshadowing us. And while that''s happening, we''ll be observing them from the back, gaining us the upper hand in the competition." And then he quickly explained. "..." Raye became silent, hearing his words. He pondered for a while. And then, after a few moments... "Fine, I''m curious about them too." Raye agreed to come with them! ''This will help the plot, and I''ll be just a decoy anyway.'' He thought to himself. And with that decided... "Okay then, let''s go." "..." Tap- tap- tap¡ª Tap- tap- tap¡ª Tap- tap- tap¡ª They all left together, headed toward the indoor training ground where the students from the other academies were. ''I wouldn''t have come here if I knew there was no class today.'' Raye thought on the way. ***** A few minutes later... Tap¡ª "We''re here." Raye and his classmates reached their destination. They stood outside the double door of the indoor training ground where the students from the other academies were supposed to be. And without beating around the bush... Creak¡ª Tap¡ª Raye opened the door and stepped inside the room! And as soon as he did... "...?" He felt a lot of gazes fall upon him! "Hm? Why did you stop walking?" Lena asked as she followed after Raye. And curiously... Tap¡ª His classmates followed after too. And when they got inside... "..." They became speechless. And they immediately realized why Raye froze in his place. Inside the room... There were about 10 students from the other academies, their uniforms varied. Also, sophomore students from Zion were there. Raye and the others immediately realized that they were the [A Class]. Anyway, that''s not what made them speechless. Up on the arena... There was a blonde student from the [Crimson Academy]. He was with Ignis yesterday. He had this annoying grin on his face, showing his fangs... And he was stepping on someone! And that someone... "Urgh..." It was Devin! And it wasn''t just him... "..." There were other students from [A Class] lying on the arena floor too, men and women¡ªthey were all unconscious! Seeing that... "What''s happening here?" Lycus asked. His voice was calm, but his face certainly wasn''t... His question made the atmosphere heavy. "We''re just having a friendly spar, don''t worry." The blonde student from the [Crimson Academy] answered with a shrug and an unserious tone. "Shut your mouth. I''m not talking to you." Lycus declared, glaring at him. "Woah." The blonde student then responded and closed his mouth. Lycus looked at the nearby student from the [A Class]. And even without him having to say anything... "We were just training normally earlier." That student started explaining what happened. "And then those guys appeared and asked for spar training..." The student said, looking down. "We first declined them, but they said they''ll go after the B-Class if we did." And then he added, clenching his hands into fists. "Devin reluctantly accepted their challenge upon hearing that, but he asked for a few minutes for us to rest because we were just training, so we''re exhausted." The student continued. "They agreed and even bought us drinks to replenish our energy, we thought they were just being friendly so we took them." "But those guys..." And after a short pause... "They put something in the drinks that made us unable to use mana!" The student exclaimed that, anger can be heard in his voice and seen on his face. "..." He became silent after that, just trembling in rage. "..." Lycus became silent too, there''s an eerie atmosphere around him. Lena and the others are pissed off at what they had just heard, they were still speechless. But breaking the silence... "Well, we were just hoping to warm ourselves up before the competition. Who would''ve known they were this weak?" The blonde student on the arena said that. "Right? HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" "HAHAHAHAHAHA!" And the students from the other academies laughed with him. ''I''ll kill them!'' Lycus exclaimed in his head as he violently turned his head toward the arena! But before he could even let out a single word... Tap¡ª A loud footstep echoed throughout the room. "..." And it silenced everyone! "Huh?" "...?" Lycus, the blonde student, and everyone else¡ªthey turned toward the source of it. It was on the opposite side of the arena from where the blonde student stood. And when they looked there... "..." They saw Raye, casually standing and staring at the blonde student! ''When did he get there?'' Lycus and everyone else asked in their heads. "You want to warm up, you say?" Raye asked. And without waiting for a reply... "I want to warm up too." He quickly followed that! "Huh? What are you talking about?" The blonde student asked in pure confusion. So, to make him understand... "I''m asking you for a duel, birdbrain." Raye simply declared that! "..." The birdbrain was pissed by his words, of course. But with a smile... "And why would I accept it?" He just asked that. Immediately though... "Unless you''re a scared bitch, then there''s no reason for you to decline." Raye rebutted! "What?" The birdbrain asked, he couldn''t believe what he had just heard. But ignoring him... "Do the other academies just teach you to bark and not fight?" Raye asked that! And his words... "..." It provoked not just the blonde student... "..." But also the others that were with him! Raye silenced and pissed them all off! He''s really talented in this aspect, annoying and provoking people! Anyway, after being silent for a while... "You''re just as Ignis said... Annoying..." The birdbrain student said that. And with veins bulging out of his face... "I accept your fucking challenge!" He shouted that! "Prepare to get crippled." He added with a smile. ***** After that... "I''m fucking ready." "I''m ready too, birdbrain." Raye and the birdbrain went to the other empty arena. Meanwhile... ''I''ll leave it to you, Raye.'' Lycus went to retrieve the passed-out students from the other arena, including Devin. Moving on... "..." The blonde student stood at the end of the arena, holding a big wooden staff. "I''m Rickrey Marcos, second-class mage sophomore student of the great Crimson Academy." He introduced himself. And casually... "Raye, sophomore, magic course." Raye replied. ''Heh... He''ll be thinking we''re both magic students, without knowing I''m also proficient in close combat!'' ''I''ll beat him up with this staff of mine and report it to Sir Ignis later!'' Rickrey exclaimed in his head while holding back a smile. Anyway, after bringing the passed-out students to the resting area... "I''ll start the match now." Lycus went to the arena where Raye and Rickrey were to referee the match. "Okay." "..." Raye and Rickrey nodded at him. And with that... "..." The whole area fell completely silent. All eyes were glued to the arena, waiting for the match to begin. And not long after... "Start!" Lycus announced that! ''Come!'' Rickrey exclaimed in his head with a mischievous smile. But then... "HUP¡ª?!" Rickrey suddenly felt a hand covering his mouth! And when he came to his senses... "?!" Raye was in front of him, holding him by the mouth and lifting him into the air! Confused... "Hmph! HMPH!!!" Rickrey tried to shout with wide eyes, kicking his legs to break free from Raye''s grasp. "..." But just staring at him with cold eyes, Raye tightened his grip on his face... Crack¡ª And he broke his jaw! "GRAAAAAAAAHHHMMMP!!!" Rickrey screamed in pain, spasming and struggling to escape... "..." But Raye didn''t even budge! And opening his mouth... "[Wind Blade]" He muttered that! SLASH¡ª And a sword-sharp gust of wind blasted point-blank into Rickrey''s face! "GARGHH!!!" Rickrey groaned as his eyes went all white! Swoosh¡ª And then his ring artifact''s passive ability activated, covering his face with a mana shield! This meant... Raye''s attack would''ve killed Rickrey if they weren''t in the academy! Anyway... "..." Rickrey passed out. Blood flowed from his mouth, eyes, nose, and ears! There was even a huge, grotesque cut on his mouth, making him look like the Joker¡ªonly the cut was much worse! And seeing him like that... Fwoosh¡ª Thud- Raye just threw him outside the arena! "..." The whole room remained silent. Everyone was shocked by what they had just witnessed. They didn''t know how to react... And what broke the silence... "I''m still not warmed up. Next." Was Raye''s cold voice! Chapter 110 - 110: 110 - Walk of Shame "I''m still not warmed up. Next." Raye''s words echoed throughout the room. "..." No one spoke nor made a noise. And because of that... "What? You guys already done?" Raye turned directly to the students from the other academies and asked that! He''s now openly challenging them! "He''s really crazy." Lena mumbled to herself while healing Devin. And although she said that, there''s a small smile on her face. She''s cheering for Raye! "..." Raye''s classmates were the same. They don''t particularly like nor hate Raye, and they''re not saying anything right now... ''Beat them up!'' But they are all on Raye''s side this time! Not just them... "..." Every student in the [A Class] was rooting for him too! They were looking at the students from the other academies with angry expressions, putting pressure on them to not turn their tails back. And seeing this... ''I couldn''t believe a villain in the past would be a hero in this situation.'' Leon thought of that, looking at Raye up in the arena. "..." Lycus didn''t say anything. But there''s a slight smile on his face, looking at the unconscious body of Rickey on the floor. Anyway... "What? You guys scared?" Raye followed another question, seeing that no one was responding to him. "You guys are such a bitch." Then he added that! And this time... "Shut up!" Someone from the [Night Academy] took the bait! "..." S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Everyone looked at the guy. He had yellow hair and wore a black uniform. He''s trembling in anger, glaring at Raye! And looking at him with a sly smile... "Come up here and try to make me." Raye declared that provokingly! "You don''t have to tell me. I was already going to do that." The student from the [Night Academy] responded while clenching his hands into fists. ***** The people with the student from the [Night Academy] tried to stop him from challenging Raye. But with bulging veins on his face... "I won''t just sit still while that bastard talks shit about our academy." He just said that! "If you guys have no pride, then just be quiet here and cower in fear. I''ll defeat that fucker." And then he added that with a resolute look on his face before heading up to the arena! Tap- tap- tap¡ª "I''m Jerome Adams, First Order sophomore in the Night Academy." He introduced himself as soon as he stepped onto the arena. He was carrying a wooden sword. ''Night Academy mostly trains their students in close combat.'' Raye thought to himself, remembering that detail in the game. He then looked at Lycus, and opening his mouth... "Can you get me a wooden sword too?" Raye requested that! "...?" The students from the other academies were confused by his words. ''Aren''t he in the magic course?'' They asked in their heads. But on the other hand... "..." Everyone from Zion didn''t bat an eye. After all, they already knew how Raye fights! "Sure, wait a second." Lycus simply said, replying to Raye. Fwoosh- He jumped down the arena. Fwip- Grabbed a wooden sword. Bam! And then jumped back up to where Raye was! "Here." Lycus said, handing the wooden sword to Raye. And taking it... "Thanks." Raye responded to him. And with that... Fwip¡ª He finally faced his opponent once again. "What kind of foolery is this?" Jerome asked, frowning at Raye. And just to stir him up... "I just thought that because you''re a swordsman, I should fight using a sword too." Raye said that with a shrug on his shoulders! "What?" Jerome couldn''t believe what he had just heard. "Do you think using the sword is just like that?!" He asked, shouting in annoyance. And casually... "Yeah, just swing here and there, right?" Raye answered in a mocking tone! "..." Jerome became silent, but he''s obviously pissed! "I''ll make you regret those words." He said to Raye in a threatening tone. "Meh." Raye just shrugged his words off. Following that... "Get ready." Lycus spoke, signaling the near start of the match. Swish- Jerome took a charging stance. "..." But Raye just remained standing still, casually! "..." Tension filled the atmosphere again... And everyone''s eyes were on the arena once more! Seconds passed, and everyone became nervous. And after a while... "Start!" Lycus suddenly announced that! ''You''re fucking dead!'' Jerome exclaimed in his head. BAM¡ª And then he immediately dashed toward Raye! Jerome was fast! He reached Raye not long after! And while tightly holding onto his weapon''s handle with both hands... SWOOSH¡ª He launched a swift, heavy horizontal slash from his right to left! His weapon was even covered with mana! And seeing that... ''Hah! What an idiot.'' Raye said that in his head! Twhock! And then he just received Jerome''s attack by putting his wooden sword in front of him! Fwip¡ª Raye then slightly tilted his hold of his weapon. SKIISH¡ª And Jerome''s sword just slid through his sword''s blade! Swish¡ª Barely missing his face! "Huh?" This surprised Jerome. But before he could even respond... BAM-! "Urgh?!" Raye struck him in the nose using the bottom of his wooden sword! Tap- tap- Jerome stumbled back. And when he looked up at Raye again... "Bam." TWHACK¡ª! He was hit in his fucking jaw by a wooden sword! "GURGH?!!" Jerome groaned as his eyes rolled back. And this time, before he could even recover... "Good night." He heard Raye''s voice. TWHOCK¡ª! "KEUK!!!" Then he was hit by a mana-coated thrust attack straight in his stomach! Thud- Jerome fell on his back, unmoving. And he... "..." He lost consciousness! The fight started just seconds after it started and Raye didn''t even move from his place! "See, using a sword is easy." Raye said while looking at the passed-out Jerome. Swoosh¡ª Swish¡ª He''s randomly swinging his sword too just to annoy the sword users from the other academies. On the other hand, Jerome suffered a broken nose, broken jaws, cracked skull, and a few cracked ribs! Saliva and blood was flowing out of his mouth, it was disgusting. Anyway, ignoring him... "So?" Raye looked at the quiet students from the other academies. And with a slight frown on his face... "Some of you still want to warm up?" He asked that! Every student in Raye''s side looked at the students from the other academies too. And because of that... "..." The pressure falling on them was much greater than when it was just Raye! "Kurgh..." One of the students from the [Zephyros Institute] clenched his hands in annoyance. He clicked his tongue and looked down on the floor. "..." The others with him did the same too. And seeing how meekly they were being... "Fuck off if none of you would fight, bunch of retarded dogs that are all bark and no bite." Raye declared that! "We will tell this to our academy representatives." The student from the [Zephyros Institute] said that as he was glaring at Raye. And looking at him... "You''re not scaring me, bitch." Raye casually responded! "You could run and tell your parents too. I couldn''t care less." And then he added that! "..." The guy from the [Zephyros Institute] became silent, but he was obviously pissed. He just refrained from talking because he knew Raye would just say something even worse back! "..." The others thought the same too, so they didn''t say anything nor even mutter a word. And so, silently... Tap- tap- tap¡ª The Zephyros student guy started walking toward the doors! Tap- tap- tap¡ª Tap- tap- tap¡ª And the students from the other academies just followed after him too without saying anything! SKIIIIIISH¡ª SKIIIIIISH¡ª They were dragging Jerome''s and Rickrey''s bodies with them. "Tell your superiors to get ready. I''ll beat the shit out of them next." Raye said loudly as he watched the students from the other academies leave. "..." He didn''t receive a reply, of course. Some of them glared at him, though. They were cursing Raye in their heads. Then soon... Thud- The room''s double door closed, and all that was left inside the indoor training ground were the students of Zion! And with that... "WHOAAAAAHH!!!" "GOOD JOB, RAYE!!!" "THEY HAD A WALK OF SHAME WHILE LOOKING DOWN!!!" Everyone from the [A Class] started cheering for Raye! The students from the other academies could hear their cheers from the outside. "Tsk." But all they could just do was frown and walk away! "You demolished them, huh." Lycus said, approaching Raye. And with a shrug... "They deserve it." Raye responded. "That''s right. Though, you used your strength... They''ll surely tell them to the others that we will fight." Lycus mumbled. Raye looked at him, and with a confident smirk... "They haven''t even seen half of what I''m capable of." He just said that! "Meh, you''re right." Lycus muttered. And with that... "Whatever, then." He just shrugged it off! Meanwhile... "RAYE!!" "BEAT THEM ALL UP IN THE COMPETITION TOO!!!" "UGH, MY EARS, SHUT UP!" The cheers and shouting continued. "..." Raye just ignored them. And nonchalantly... Tap- tap- tap¡ª He started walking down the arena. He''s not feeling proud nor happy at the moment. After all... ''I just defeated two extras, it''s nothing big.'' Raye said in his head. Well, he did beat up Rickrey for being a scumbag and gave them what they deserved after spiking the drinks they gave to the students of the [A Class]! "I guess that''s fun." "It made me feel satisfied seeing their faces as they left." Raye whispered with a small smile on his face. Chapter 111 - 111: 111 - They Dont Know! "Thanks." Devin mumbled with a smile as soon as he saw Raye approaching him and Lena. "It''s not like I did it for you." Raye said with a shrug on his shoulders. (He did it for him.) "Yeah, sure." Lycus muttered, walking behind Raye. "Nobody believes you." And then he added. "What?" Raye asked, then he looked at Lena. "Yep." Lena simply replied, agreeing with Lycus'' words. And hearing that... "Whatever." Raye just whispered that under his breath. Moving on... "Anyway... Thanks, Devin." Lycus suddenly muttered that. "Hmm?" Devin looked at him, confused. But Lena and Raye already knew why Lycus was thanking him. ''Sofia is in B-Class. Devin knows that, and he also knows how special she is to Lycus. I''m pretty sure when he heard those bastards would go after them if they declined the challenge, Devin accepted it to protect not just Sofia but his former classmates as well.'' Raye said in his head. And just then... "Ah." Devin realized why Lycus was thanking him. "It''s nothing big." He said with a genuine smile on his face. "..." And looking at him in silence... "How''s your body?" Raye asked Devin that. "Hmm, I''m good now. Thanks to Lena." Devin responded. "Your mana?" Raye followed. And with an awkward smile on his face... "Oh, I can use it now." Devin replied, he was avoiding eye contact. "..." Lycus and Raye noticed this. ''He''s hiding something.'' They thought. "What happened?" Lycus asked that. "Nothing, really." Devin still didn''t say anything, just casually waving his hand, brushing the question off. But then... "His overall mana capacity shrunk." Lena suddenly spoke. And hearing her words... "Huh?" Raye and Lycus turned to her. "What do you mean by that?" Raye asked. "Wait, it''s nothing!" Devin exclaimed. But Raye and Lycus just frowned at him. "Lena." Lycus muttered. And after nodding her head... "I felt it when I was healing his bruises and wounds... His mana was all over the place, and an unnatural amount of excess mana was leaking out of his body. It''s a sign of his mana capacity shrinking." Lena explained that! "..." Raye and Lycus were speechless after hearing that. The frowns on their faces deepened. "It''s nothing big, really. I barely feel a difference." Devin said with an awkward laugh. (He''s lying. He can definitely feel it.) "I just don''t want to worry you guys, haha." He added with an another fake laugh. "..." Raye looked at him. And opening his mouth... "I''ll beat the shit out of them." He declared that. "What?" Devin asked, surprised. "At the competition... I''ll completely destroy them." Then Raye answered! "They crossed the line." Lycus then muttered, he''s seething in rage. And it''s not just them two... "..." Lena too! She was frowning slightly, annoyed! Everyone in the [S Class] heard what happened to Devin. And even though they don''t know him... "Those bastards..." Just the fact that they''re from the same academy was enough to make them angry for him too! And so, just like that... ''Bring it on. We''ll destroy you.'' Everyone in the [S Class] silently agreed to do their best and obliterate the other academies in the upcoming competition! And while that was all happening... "Devin." Raye called out to Devin. "...?" Devin just looked at him, curious. Then with a serious expression on his face... "You would surely win against all of them if they didn''t do something to your body." Raye declared that! "..." Devin was silent. "Haha, is that so?" sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. And then he laughed and asked that. "Mhm." Raye simply nodded his head as a reply. And seeing that... "Thanks, Raye." Devin mumbled, smiling and looking up at the ceiling. ''I should train some more.'' He thought to himself. ***** This incident with the students from the other academies quickly spread throughout the Zion Academy. How they put something in the drinks of [A Class]''s students... And how Raye singlehandedly put them in their places! The students of Zion were enraged when they heard what happened to the students of [A Class] sophomores. That''s right, it''s not just Devin¡ªeveryone who drank the drinks given by the students from the other academies had their mana capacity shrunken! Everyone protested for the students involved to be punished! But unfortunately... There was no evidence that the other academies did this. The bodies of [A Class]''s students were scanned and examined... But there were no signs of them being drugged or whatnot! And because of this... The students from the other academies got away scot-free! This pissed off every student in Zion, but they knew they couldn''t do anything about it. And so... They left everything to the people that would fight the other academies in the upcoming competition! ''Destroy them!'' The students of Zion thought in unison. ... A few days after that incident too... "Ugh." Raye got called to the headmaster''s office. And currently... "I''m still sleepy." Tap- tap- tap¡ª He''s on his way there! ***** Not long after... Tap¡ª Raye reached his destination. And standing in front of the door of the headmaster''s office... "I''m here, headmaster." Raye said that. "Come on in." He heard a reply from Bryan from the inside. And after that... Creak¡ª Tap¡ª Raye opened the door and entered the room. "Hello." He greeted as soon as he came in. "Hello, Raye." Then Bryan greeted back. "Sit down." He said. "Mhm." And Raye silently complied. "I heard what happened." Bryan said as soon as Raye was seated. "..." Raye didn''t say anything. "What about our plan to make you our secret weapon?" Bryan asked, looking at Raye. And with a shrug... "It''s still going to happen." Raye declared that. "How so?" Bryan muttered. Raye looked at him, then, opening his mouth... "I''m in S-Class. They were probably already expecting me to be somewhat strong even though they haven''t heard of me. And with what I did a few days ago, they''ll be able to confirm that assumption, but I didn''t even use half of my strength. Heck... I didn''t even use a skill." "So, when they think they already know how strong I am, I''ll show my full strength and surprise them even more. After all, it''s more surprising if you think you know something and it turns out you actually don''t, right?" He explained calmly. "..." Bryan remained silent. But after a while... "Hahaha¡ª" He started laughing. "You''re good." Bryan said while tearing up a little and with a mischievous smile on his face. Chapter 112 - 112: 112 - Just Weird "You''re good." Bryan said with a smile. "Yeah, I know." And Raye replied with a shrug! "It''s true that when they literally know nothing about you, they''ll just try to stop you in any way." Bryan said. "But now that they''ve seen your strength, they''ll analyze and plan strategies about you. Though it''ll fail because of the fact that they''re miscalculating your strength." And then he added! "And even though it might not work like that, we can still take advantage of this incident in a different way." "That''s right, even if they focus their attention on me, it''s still fine. They''ll lose sight of my classmates, where we still have Leon, Lena, and Lycus." Raye followed with another explanation. "Yes, that would work." Bryan smiled slyly, just thinking of how the other academies will respond once they realize they''ve been had. And bringing his attention back to Raye... "Good job. We can continue with that plan." Bryan said that. "Thanks." Raye simply replied. "Anyway, is that all why you called me here?" And then he asked. "No, there''s one more." Bryan muttered while shaking his head. Then, opening his mouth again... "I''ll tell you about the competition too." He declared that! "Ramiel would''ve told you this anyway later, but I''ll tell you now." Bryan said, and following that... "So the competition will be a five-versus-five monster hunt¡ª" He started telling Raye the content of the competition! ***** "I''ll be going now." Raye said, ready to leave after he listened to everything Bryan had to say. "Okay, be on your way." Bryan responded. And with that... Creak¡ª Thud¡ª Raye left the headmaster''s office. "Ugh, time to meet the devil." He whispered underneath his breath. Tap- tap- tap¡ª And then he started heading to the indoor training ground where Ramiel usually takes him and the others every morning! ''I already know what the competition is. I just stayed to listen to the headmaster to waste time before going back to Professor Ramiel''s class.'' Raye thought on his way. So, it''s like this... Twenty sophomore students from the other academies had come to Zion. And every academy has their own [S Class]. In Crimson Academy, they have the [First-Class]. In the Zephyros Institute, they have the [Special Group]. And for the Night Academy, they have the [Special Order]. They''re the elite students of their respective academy. And just like in [S Class], there are only ten students in those classes too! So what will happen is that the competition will have two sets! Set A and Set B. Each academy will send five of their elite students per set. And both sets will compete in the monster hunt at the same time, and the competition will happen for three days! Then, while that''s happening... The remaining ten students from the other academies that were not from the elite classes will have a tournament duel with the selected few from the [A Class]! From the sophomores, of course. And Devin is aiming to win that thing to get his revenge against Jerome and the other students that belittled the [A Class]! ''I''m sure he''ll be able to do it.'' Raye thought, thinking of Devin. And just then... Tap¡ª He reached where Ramiel and his classmates were. "Ugh..." Raye groaned. S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. But without beating around the bush... Creak¡ª Tap¡ª He entered the room. "Wow, you didn''t just stand still outside this time, huh." Ramiel said as soon as Raye stepped in. He was on top of the arena. And before Raye could even say anything... "Come on up here, let''s spar again." Ramiel said that! ''This guy is just doing this to annoy me, not to train me!'' Raye exclaimed in his head as he walked toward the arena against his will. Lena, Lycus, Leon, Allen, and all of Raye''s classmates were all focused on their own training at the moment. ***** Meanwhile, as all of that was happening... "..." The student representatives of the other academies were currently gathered together! Ignis, Christian, and Ace! Raye''s older brother, Elias Alvah, was also with them! They were in his dorm room, actually. "So maybe he''s not as weak, but who cares?" Ignis said with a shrug. He was sitting on top of Elias'' bed. "He just defeated a bunch of extras. I can do that too." He added. He was talking about Raye, he was their topic, in fact. "Well, that''s true. But it doesn''t hurt to take precautions." Christian said with a smile. He was sitting in a lotus position on the floor, meditating. "That''s right. That Raye guy has a different feel to him for some reason. He''s not as he''s like from the rumors that we had gathered." Ace followed strictly, sitting on a chair like a normal person. "But we don''t have to worry too much." Elias said, sitting on the opposite side of Ace, looking at everyone. "About half a year ago, when I last saw him, he was weaker than an average teenager. There''s no way he could catch up to us in such a short amount of time. He doesn''t have the talent for that, and he doesn''t work as hard as us." He declared! "See, even the older brother said so!" Ignis exclaimed after hearing Elias'' words. Thuff¡ª Then he laid down on the bed. And while looking up at the ceiling... "I bet you my personal mansion that I can beat him in less than a minute." Ignis confidently muttered that! "..." The other three in the room became really silent. They knew that Ignis was serious, and because they knew of his abilities... ''Meh, he probably could do it.'' They didn''t doubt him! Anyway... Ace looked at Elias. And then, curiously... "Why was your little brother in the magic course anyway?" He asked him that! "Huh?" Elias turned his head to Ace when he heard his question. And shaking his head... "I don''t know. He just suddenly decided that on his own. That''s why Father didn''t expect much from him since the beginning." Elias simply answered. Ignis and Christian glanced at Elias. They were curious about the topic too that Ace had opened up. The two were also questioning why Raye was trying to be a mage. After all... The Alvah Dukedom is a renowned swordsman family! "That guy is just weird since birth." Elias casually said, referring to Raye. Chapter 113 - 113: 113 - Monster Hunt [1] A week had passed ever since the arrival of the students from the other academies. And now, today... The competition begins! ... "Hmm, so what you''re saying is the competition will be broadcast throughout the empire?" Leon asked, bewildered. "Yeah, the venue where the competition will take place is apparently covered in communication mana-stone. The competition will be recorded and broadcast in real-time all over the place." Allen answered casually, waving his hand. "So if you want to make a name for yourself, this is the perfect time to do so." He added. And hearing his words... "Ugh, a lot will be watching us, huh..." The students of [S Class] became nervous, excited, and shy all in all. "..." Not Raye, though. He already knew of this way before after all. Anyway... Raye and the others were in their classroom at the moment, preparing themselves and their equipment for the competition soon. ''I''m done.'' Raye thought. He already had everything he needed in his spatial ring. "Aren''t you nervous to come out there?" Lycus then suddenly asked, walking toward Raye. And looking at him... "I''ve almost died a few times. I''ve been glared at with deep hatred for a long while too before. Being in front of many eyes doesn''t scare me anymore." Raye simply said that. "Ehh, fair." Lycus said, sitting beside Raye. "How about Mister Rey?" And then he asked. "He said he''ll be watching the competition with Zephyrus and Pyro. Jerusha, Kyle, and Devin will visit him too for the next three days." Raye muttered. "Ah, and he said good luck to us. Lena included. I''ll tell her later after she finishes meditating." He added, looking at Lena in the corner of the room, sitting in silence with her eyes closed. "Haha, he''s really a good old man." Lycus said with a laugh. "Yeah, he is." Raye followed, looking at his new black cloak that he was wearing¡ªit was given by Old Man Rey yesterday. The ten of them then waited peacefully in the classroom, feeling a bit nervous. But most of all... ''Soon, it''ll begin.'' They couldn''t wait to beat the students from the other academies! ***** (Raye''s POV) After about half an hour of waiting in the classroom... Creak¡ª The room''s door opened. "Yo!" Tap¡ª And then Ramiel entered. "It''s starting. Let''s go." He simply said. And without beating around the bush... Fwoosh¡ª We all stood up silently in unison. There were resolute expressions on our faces. And seeing that... "Haha, show them hell." Ramiel mumbled. Tap- tap- tap¡ª And he started walking away. Tap- tap- tap¡ª Tap- tap- tap¡ª Tap- tap- tap¡ª Me, Lycus, Lena, and my classmates silently followed after him. I''m feeling a bit nervous, to be honest. But more than that... ''I''m excited for some reason.'' I said in my head as I tried to calm my thoughts. But as I was doing that... "Good luck to us." Lena suddenly whispered, she was walking on my right. Lycus and I heard her. And with small smiles on our faces... "Yeah, good luck." "Let''s win this." We replied to her respectively. ... ... After a few minutes of walking... We reached the entrance of the Northern Forest. And there... ''Hmm, interesting.'' I saw a huge system-like window being projected up in the air. "Whoa..." Leon and the others saw it too. It immediately caught our attention. There was something written on the window. And so... We read it. ===== [Set A] {Zion Academy''s Team} 1. Raye Alvah 2. Lena Dravenhart 3. Leon Lightbringer 4. Lycus Fenrath 5. Allen Iverson {Crimson Academy''s Team} 1. Ignis Valefor 2. Hunter Lauz 3. Otep... ... {Zephyros Institute''s Team} 1. ... 2. ... ... {Night Academy''s Team} 1. ... 2. ... ... ===== ===== [Set B] {Zion Academy''s Team} 1. Josh Harris 2. Joshua Bassett 3. Ravien Morrow 4. Lian Kai 5. Stephen Ru {Zephyros Institute''s Team} 1. Christian Hartford 2. ... 3. ... ... {Night Academy''s Team} 1. Ace Silvercrest 2. Elias Alvah 3. ... ... {Crimson Academy''s Team} 1. ... 2. ... ... ===== "What?" Lycus, who''s on my right, asked with a frown on his face. And it''s not just him... "..." Leon, Lena, and Allen were frowning too! I can''t blame them, after all... ''They were training so hard to face the student representatives of the academies, but two of them were on a different set.'' It''s annoying if you think about it. Not me, though... ''I already know about this.'' And I''m not worrying, after all... ''We''ll still be able to face those two in the latter part of the competition.'' I thought with a shrug. Anyway, suddenly... "Huh? Alvah? Do you know that guy, Raye?" Lena beside me asked, looking at the Elias guy in the system-like window up in the air. I just looked at her, and with a nod... "He''s my older brother." I casually answered that. "What?!" "...?" "?!" Lycus, Leon, Allen, and my other classmates were surprised to hear my words. ''I didn''t think it would be this big of a deal for them.'' I said in my head. Anyway... Tap- tap- tap¡ª Me and the others continued to head to where the headmaster and other staff were. And just then... "Huh?" Someone caught my eye. "Old Man?" It was Old Man Rey! He was standing behind a barricade near the entrance of the Northern Forest! He was looking at me, waving his hand up in the air! -Meep! -Good luck! Pyro and Zephyrus were with him too! And not just them... "Good luck, everyone!" "Do your best!" "Win this, guys!" Jerusha, Devin, and Kyle were there too! "..." Lena and Lycus saw them too. And with smiles on their faces... "Thanks, guys!" "Count on us." Lena and Lycus replied to them. Meanwhile... My eyes returned to the Old Man. He was still looking at me. And then, with a smile... ''Good luck.'' He mouthed me that! "..." A smile crept up on my face. Pat- pat¡ª S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. I tapped the cloak he gave me. And with that... ''I got this.'' I confidently mouthed that back to him! The nervousness in my body completely disappeared after this. ***** A little while later... Raye and the others gathered at the entrance of the forest. The students from the other academies were also there. And outside the barricades... Students and citizens were grouping, watching the event in curiosity. Anyway, just then... "It seems like everyone''s here." Bryan said that as he walked in front of the lined-up students. "Attention." And then he muttered with a mana-enhanced voice! Swoosh¡ª A shockwave was created. And because of that... "?!" Everyone''s attention went toward him! "That''s better." Bryan mumbled with a smile on his face. And then, opening his mouth again... "I''ll explain the competition once more." Bryan started telling everyone the content of the competition. ''Why do formal events have to be like this?'' Raye thought with a frown, he was already bored. Bryan also formally greeted and introduced the staff from the the other academies, even the students during his explanation. It was full of pleasantries. "Meh." So raye didn''t bother listening at all. ... "The team, or teams, with the lowest score, they''ll be eliminated for the second part of the competition." Bryan declared, ending his explanation. Everyone thought that he was done. "..." But Raye knew there was more. And just as he expected... "Another thing." Bryan spoke again. And with a mischievous smile on his face... "You can kill your opponents." He announced that! "?!" Everyone''s eyes widened upon hearing that! But before they could even say anything... "They won''t actually die, don''t worry." Bryan hurriedly followed that! "...?" Leaving the crowd confused. So to clear things up... "Because of the help of the Zephyros Institute, we got our hands on the famous ''Training Dome Artifact.'' It''s an artifact for training, obviously. It allows one to train their bodies to the limit without worrying about dying!" "How so? Because if you die inside the Training Dome... You''ll be just kicked out of it, scratch-free!" Bryan explained! "The whole northern part of the forest is covered by the Training Dome Artifact." He added. "I think that''s all." Bryan mumbled, he was getting bored of talking too. And so, without further ado... "Let''s start the competition, run wild!" Bryan exclaimed that! "?!" Raye and the others were confused and surprised by the sudden start of the event. But immediately responding to the situation... BAM¡ª! Everyone started dashing inside the Northern Forest! ***** The Northern Forest was split in half by barricades, and staff of the Zion Academy were standing in the middle of it too. The left side was for the [Set A]. And the right was for the [Set B]. This event where four academies compete against each other... It rarely happens! About once every 10 years! And even with that, normally only two academies are fighting! And so... This competition between Zion Academy, Night Academy, Crimson Academy, and Zephyros Institute... It took the attention of everyone in the empire! Be it commoners or nobles, they were currently watching the competition in real-time! Betting and whatnot! "This will be fun. Servants, get me some food." Even the Emperor was watching! And also... "Hmm..." Lucian Alvah¡ªRaye''s biological father! "Let''s see if those rumors were true." He said, sitting on his chair in his office, and looking at Raye in the holographic video being projected by his communication crystal! Chapter 114 - 114: 114 - Monster Hunt [2] A few minutes after the competition began... "Maybe we should go a bit deeper into the forest?" Lycus asked, looking at Raye and the others. "Yeah, we should. These guys don''t give much points," Raye said, looking at the dead bodies of small goblins all around them! There were roughly twenty corpses of goblins on the ground. And Leon was the only one who killed them all! "Ugh, I want to fight those bastards." Allen mumbled to himself, referring to the students from the other academies. "..." Lena, Leon, and Lycus felt the same as him. They were frustrated that they were currently stuck hunting monsters because of the 10-minute no-fighting rule at the start of the competition. Now, they didn''t know where Ignis and the other enemies were. But as they were worrying about that... "All we need is to get as many points as we can for the first day," Raye suddenly spoke. "Hm?" And his words caught the attention of the four. Then casually... "They''ll come to us first thing on the second day if we get a lot of points," Raye declared that! "How do you know?" Leon asked him, frowning. And with just a shrug... "It''s obvious. Don''t you get it?" Raye said that and refused to explain! ''It''s not actually obvious, but I just don''t know how to explain to him that I know it from the game.'' He thought to himself. "..." Leon became silent. He was still frowning. He felt like Raye had just called him stupid with his words just now. ''Yeah, I kinda still hate this guy,'' Leon said in his head. ***** Moving on, after Allen and the others finished collecting proofs of killing the goblins... Tap- tap- tap¡ª They headed deeper into the forest. "This is making me remember our first encounter, haha." Lycus said as he was walking beside Raye. Raye just glanced at him, then with a smile... "Yeah, it has been a while." He responded. ''I can''t even imagine that I''ll be this close to the main characters back then.'' Raye thought. Anyway, after a bit more walking... "Enemies ahead." Lena suddenly said that. She''s the group''s radar. She senses enemies before they even get near by spreading her mana on the surroundings. "Where?" Raye asked. And confidently... "Just tens of meters away, in the northeast." Lena responded! "How many are they?" Leon followed. "Roughly forty, could be more." And Lena immediately answered! S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Then, focusing her mana for a bit more... "It looks like they''re Kobolds," She added that! ''Ugh, them again?'' Raye asked in his head, remembering his time in the Old Mansion Dungeon where he fought Kobolds for days nonstop. ***** The group headed to where Lena felt the presence of the Kobolds. And they reached it not long after! "There''s a lot of them, huh." Lycus said, hiding behind a big tree with the others. "Let''s make a plan to eliminate them all." Allen muttered, trying to sound strategic. He kept on secretly glancing at Lena. ''Ugh, he''s so obvious,'' Lena thought to herself, slightly frowning. She made sure not to look at Allen. Anyway... "That''s a good idea." Leon replied. "..." Lycus just looked at Allen and Leon. He was staring at them like they were idiots for stating the obvious. But shaking his head, he opened his mouth to try and share his idea... "So¡ª" But before he could even finish... "[Bang]" Everyone just heard Raye mutter that! Swoosh¡ª A small ray of fire blasted off from the tip of his finger. Psh! Thud- And it hit a Kobold straight in the head, immediately killing it! "...!" "..." Lycus, Lena, Allen, and Leon looked at Raye in surprise. Their eyes were wide open. But just looking back at them and shrugging... "Who needs a plan? Let''s just overpower them and finish this already." Raye said that! -GRAAAAAAHHHH!!! -KAAAAAHHH!! -GROOOOAAH!!! BAM¡ª! And then the Kobolds discovered where they were hiding and started rushing at them! ''This guy!'' The four exclaimed in their heads, looking at Raye with a heavy frown on their faces. Bam¡ª! Then Allen, Leon, and Lycus dashed toward the herd of Kobolds! And looking at the three go... "Haha, let''s just support them from the back." Raye mumbled that to Lena! ''He''s still a scumbag sometimes, huh.'' Lena thought. "[Thunder Shock]" And then she cast a wide-area electric spell toward the monsters! Fwoozzzh¡ª BZZZT¡ª! Her spell flew and hit a lot of Kobolds! -GURGH?! It didn''t kill them... -KERGH?! But they were stunned in their place! "Haha, nice." Raye said with a laugh. "[Bang]- [Bang]- [Bang]¡ª" And then he started shooting off the Kobolds casually from afar! ''Man, this is easier than when I was in the dungeon.'' Raye said in his head, smiling. Meanwhile... "Hah!" SLASH¡ª! -Grargh?! Leon, Allen, and Lycus are fighting multiple Kobolds at once at the very front! ''Fuck you Raye!'' Allen and Leon cursed in their heads. And just a few more... "Urgh...!" Swoosh¡ª SLASH! Lycus will do the same. ***** After a few minutes... Thud- Raye and the others killed the last Kobold. "Haaa... Haaaa... haa..." Lycus and the other two close combatants were chasing their breaths. "Do you have any wounds? I''ll heal them." Lena asked. "No, we''re fine." Leon said. "Mhm." Then Lycus and Allen just nodded their heads, agreeing with him. "Great job to us, guys. Haha." Raye declared and laughed. And after that... "Hup." He started collecting the claws of the Kobolds as proof of killing them. "..." The four just watched him in silence. While it was true that they were exhausted more than they had to because of their lack of strategy... "Tsk." Leon, Allen, and Lycus, who fought the most, can''t say anything about this to Raye. After all... They were able to finish off all of the Kobolds in a matter of a few minutes! And that''s not all... ''Raye covered our backs flawlessly.'' Lycus thought. "..." Allen and Leon think the same. While they were fighting earlier... Raye would shoot from the back and protect them from the enemies coming from their blind spots! All they had to do was continue their assault... And Raye would make sure no attack reach them! ''He has a good grasp of the battlefield.'' Leon thought. Anyway, as the four of them were just standing still... Fwish- "..." Raye looked at them with a frown. And opening his mouth... "Umm, little help in collecting the claws? This is too much for me alone, you know?" He grumbled. ''He''s shameless.'' Lena and the others thought, hearing his words. But nevertheless... "Fine fine." They helped him. ***** After collecting the claws of the Kobolds... Raye and the others continued hunting more monsters. Lena searches for them, then Lycus, Allen, and Leon hunt them! Raye provides support from the back. Lena doesn''t actively participate in battles as she saves her mana in case the teams from the other academies ambush them. She''ll be the one responsible in fending them off. And so, Lena focuses on healing her teammates more at the moment. And with that... The five of them continued hunting systemically! Though, they always enter fights with no plan nor strategy because Raye would always attack immediately, exposing them from the enemies! But the others stopped caring all and all as their enemies were just small fries after all. They hunted Goblins, Kobolds, Monster Boars, and many more! The strongest they faced is a Mutated Bear. And it''s only an [E] rank monster. ... ... Around 7 PM... "Let''s stay for the night here." Raye said that as they stood on a fairly open space inside the forest. "Hmm, okay." "It''s already dark too." "I''m hungry." "Me too." Lena, Lycus, Leon, and Allen replied respectively. And so, just like that... Fwip¡ª The five of them started setting up the tents they brought for themselves! They finished not long after... "We should probably eat." Allen suggested as soon as they were done. "Yeah, we should." Raye responded to him. And with just a casual swing of his right hand... Swish¡ª A big chunk of raw beef meat appeared out of thin air! Raye took it out from his spatial ring! "...!" Allen''s eyes widened looking at the meat that appeared. "..." Even Leon was staring at it! "I can already tell it''s from Kyle and Devin." Lycus said with a smile. "Yep." Raye simply responded. Then suddenly... "I''ll cook it." Lena volunteered! "Thank you, Lena." "Thanks." Lycus and Raye said to her. "I''ll help you!" Allen exclaimed. But just taking the meat and ignoring him... "Don''t even try to, you don''t know anything about cooking." Lena declared that! "..." Allen became silent hearing her words, he was frozen in his place. And looking at him like that... "Erm... At least you tried." Pat¡ª Leon said that and patted his back to comfort him! ***** Lena cut the big chunk of the beef meat into five portions enough for everyone. And the extra meat, she gave it back to Raye. "[Fire]" Swaaa¡ª Lena started a bonfire using magic and roasted the meats in it. Raye also bought spices with him, and so, they used it on the meats! And after a while of waiting... "They''re done." Lena finished cooking! "Let''s eat." "Hell yeah!" "Finally." "I''m getting hungry." And the five of them started eating peacefully under the moon. ''Tomorrow, we''ll be done here.'' Raye declared in his head, looking at the stars up in the sky. Chapter 115 - 115: 115 - Monster Hunt [3] The second day of the competition. --- Around 5 AM... Raye is now done with his role of standing guard for ambushes and unexpected events. It''s now time to wake up Leon because it''s his turn. But because he''s not feeling tired or sleepy anyway... "Meh, they could all just rest. They did most of the fighting, after all." He decided not to wake him up and continued guarding on his own. Though, suddenly... "So you weren''t planning to wake me up, huh." He heard a voice behind him. "Hm?" And when Raye turned his head... "..." He saw Leon standing casually. "Morning." Raye greeted. "Hm, morning." Leon greeted back and sat beside Raye. They''re now both sitting on a fallen tree log. "..." An awkward silence fell upon them. "..." Then, out of boredom and curiosity... "Why were you angry at me back then again?" Raye asked that, breaking the silence! And in doing so... "...?" Leon looked at him, frowning! "Are you retarded?" He asked. And before Raye could even answer... "You seriously forgot?" He followed. "Yeah, kind of." Raye just casually answered! "..." Leon was silent hearing that. He was shocked and kind of annoyed at Raye at the moment that he could punch him in the face! But seeing Raye looking at him seriously... "Haaa..." Leon just let out a defeated sigh and shook his head. "I don''t really know what happened to you anymore." He whispered under his breath. Then, looking at Raye straight in the eyes... "You made fun of my father for being a commoner farmer, and my mother for being a servant in some baron''s mansion." He said that with a serious voice! "Oh." Raye muttered. "And then, you hired some local thugs to destroy the crops my father had just harvested." Then Leon suddenly added that! "Ohhhhhhhhhh...!" This time, Raye finally understood why Leon wanted him dead before. ''The original Raye was such a scum, huh.'' He thought. Then, opening his mouth... "Sorry about that. I wasn''t in my right mind back then." Raye mumbled that. "..." Leon just stared at him silently, not showing any emotion. But after a while... "Whatever." He shook his head. "You''ve changed now, and although what you did back then annoyed me, I don''t really hate you right now anymore." Then he declared that! "I still don''t like you very much, though." Leon added, frowning at Raye. "Fair." Raye responded. And after that... "..." Silence fell upon them again. But now, it''s not as awkward as before. "Hmm..." Raye started looking around... ''They should come soon.'' He thought to himself. And with that... He waited. "..." Leon just sat beside him, keeping guard too. ***** Raye didn''t have to wait long. Because just a few minutes after Leon joined him... Rustle- rustle- rustle¡ª The two of them heard someone approaching their location! And when they spread out their mana... "...!" They felt a lot of unfamiliar presences around them! Their camp was surrounded! "What the hell?" Fwip- Leon mumbled in surprise and immediately held his sword tightly. "..." Raye, on the other hand, had expected this already. And so, calmly... Fwish¡ª He took out [Nyx] from his spatial ring and held it in his right hand! Swoosh¡ª Then he transformed [Celestria] from a ring into a beautiful white sword in his left hand! And just then... "Woah, you two are aggressive, huh." Ignis came out from hiding. He was on their right side! Fwish¡ª Raye and Leon immediately turned to him. He was alone. Literally. There was no presence coming from his side except him. Instead... They could feel a lot of people on the other side! And sensing that... "You face them and wake up the others." Raye whispered that to Leon! "What? Are you telling me to leave you to face him?" Leon asked with a frown. But with just a shrug... "What? It''s not like he can defeat me." Raye said that! "..." Leon was speechless at his confidence. But after thinking about it for a second... "Fine." He finally agreed to Raye''s words! "Just finish up here quickly, or we''ll defeat the others before you can even defeat this one." Leon said. And without waiting for Raye''s response... Bam! He dashed back to where their teammates were sleeping! "Oh, did he get scared?" Ignis asked Raye, seeing Leon run away. "..." Raye just looked at him. And suddenly... "Yeah, can''t blame him though. I almost ran away too when I saw you came out, I thought you were a demon or something, seeing your face." He responded! "..." Ignis was silenced by his words. ***** (Raye''s POV) "..." Ignis stood a few meters away from me in silence. He looked pissed. Anyway... I already expected his arrival. After all, I know this from the game. The second day of the competition... ''The other academies teamed up and hunted Zion Academy.'' And it''s not just for us... This is probably the situation in Set B too. Moving on... "Your tongue is really sharp, huh." Ignis said that after staying silent for a while. "But you wouldn''t be able to keep that smug attitude of yours for long." Then he added confidently. ''Bruh, even if I''m not here, the main characters would''ve obliterated you and your team.'' I thought to myself. Ignis then looked at my hands... "...?" A frown appeared on his face. "Swords?" He muttered in a questioning tone. "I thought you were a magician?" And he asked. "..." I didn''t say anything. I''m focusing, and I''m not obligated to answer anyway. But seeing that I had no plan to respond... "Did you try using swords to regain your place in your family? To make Duke Alvah proud and take you in again?" "Hah, that''s so funny!" Ignis exclaimed that, trying to provoke me. He was starting to get annoying to listen to, so looking straight into his eyes and opening my mouth... "Barking again? Why not try biting this time?" I simply asked him that. "Hah!" Ignis let out a fake laugh, hearing my words. "That''s a good suggestion." He said. And then, with a crazed smile on his face... "Here then!" He exclaimed that. "[Fire Blast!]" And he launched a Mid-Rank spell at me! ''Woah, he cast that one fast.'' I thought, seeing a fire the size of a pillar coming straight toward my face. ''[Blaze]'' I muttered in my head. SWAAA¡ª And then [Nyx] was covered by a violent, raging fire! And with it... SWOOSH¡ª I swung vertically upward! SLASH¡ª! And I cut through Ignis'' spell! "Huh?" Ignis was shocked seeing that. And not missing that opportunity... "[Bang]" I shot at him with my left hand! Swoosh¡ª A fast bullet made of fire flew straight toward his face! "?!" Ignis was taken aback by its speed! "Ugh...!" Fwish¡ª And so he ducked down by instinct to avoid it! And just then... S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "[Flash]" I muttered that! Fwoosh¡ª And suddenly... ''Surprise, fucker.'' I was literally in front of Ignis! I couldn''t see his reaction because he was looking downward. I don''t even know if he realized that I was already in front of him. Nevertheless, I don''t actually care... BAM-! So I launched a left knee kick straight into his face! "Urgh?!" Ignis'' head was violently knocked back up! And with my left foot still raised... BAM! I followed up with a front kick to his stomach! Crack¡ª I heard a few bones cracking. "KEUK?!" Ignis groaned. He had a surprised and pained expression on his face! Thud- Then he fell on his back onto the ground! And looking down at him... "Oh, feel like laying down?" I asked him that with a smile on my face. ***** "Huh?" Ignis muttered, confused. His face and stomach hurt. And he didn''t know why he was on the ground, looking up! ''All I remember is that I dodged his flimsy magic, and then the next thing I''m in this situation!'' Ignis exclaimed in his head. And just then... "Oh, feel like laying down?" He heard Raye''s voice asking him that! Ignis immediately turned to him... And he saw Raye looking down at him with a smug smile on his face! ''This fucker!'' Ignis immediately realized that Raye was the one that put him in this situation. And so silently and quickly... ''Die!'' "[Fire Vortex!]" He cast a Stage-3 Mid-rank spell! SWAAAAAAAAASHH¡ª "Huh?" A big tornado made of fire was immediately summoned under Raye, and it swallowed him! Bam! Tap- Ignis then jumped back up and landed on his feet! SWAAAAAAAAAAH¡ª! And while looking at the giant fire tornado he had summoned, burning everything in its vicinity... "Hah! How do you like that?!" He shouted that with a villainous smile on his face! Though, to his surprise... "The spirits wouldn''t like this, you know?" He received a reply! "What?" Ignis was shocked. [Fire Vortex] is a 3rd-Stage Mid-rank magic. It''s just one step away from being a High-rank! This was his signature move! But then... Tap- "..." Raye just casually walked out of the raging Fire Vortex! He was unscratched and perfectly fine! "No way..." Ignis mumbled in disbelief, denying what he was currently seeing. And following that... SLASH¡ª Raye cut down his magic with his flaming [Celestria], canceling it completely! "..." Ignis was speechless seeing that. "How?" He asked, looking at Raye. "Hm?" Raye turned to him. And just nonchalantly shrugging his shoulders... "Fire doesn''t really work on me, you see." He declared that! Chapter 116 - 116: 116 - Monster Hunt [4] "Fire doesn''t really work on me, you see." Raye said casually. ''It''s thanks to Pyro. Being contracted with him gave me a passive skill¡ªfire resistance. And that skill greatly leveled up after taking two enhancement pills at once before.'' He thought to himself. And just then... "You''re lying!" Ignis exclaimed with an angry look on his face. "Well¡ª" Raye was about to tell him that he could try firing fire spells at him again to prove it. But before he could even finish... "[Inferno Pillar!]" Ignis already cast another 3rd-stage Mid-Rank spell! It was one of his signature spells too! SWAAAAAASH¡ª A magic circle appeared below Raye, and from it erupted a pillar of fire! The pillar only lasted for a couple of seconds... And when it disappeared. "..." Ignis just saw Raye still standing casually in the same place, unharmed! "..." Ignis was beyond shocked and bewildered seeing this. But ignoring him... ''I''m glad Zion''s uniform has fire resistance.'' Raye just thought of that, looking at his white uniform. The cloak that Old Man Rey gave him is in his spatial ring. He doesn''t want to ruin it too, like the first one he gave him, after all. Raye knows that Ignis is a fire mage. ''It''s pretty obvious, actually. His name is fuckin'' Ignis¡ªit means ignite.'' He said in his head. Anyway... Raye currently... He''s Ignis'' natural enemy! That is why he was so confident to face him! ''In the game, Allen was the one that faced Ignis in this competition. And because he''s the protagonist''s rival and the story wants to portray that Ignis is on the same level of power, Allen struggled a lot fending him off.'' Raye recalled from the game. ''But he''s an easy opponent for me. With his magic useless, he''s not a threat to me. I just need to make sure not to let him cast High-Rank spells.'' ''My fire resistance isn''t that strong yet.'' He declared in his head. And opening his mouth... "Are you done now?" He asked that to Ignis! Tap¡ª Raye took a step forward, closer to Ignis. And unconsciously... Tap¡ª Ignis stepped back. ''Arrogant brats... Breaking their spirits is so easy. Once the thing they relied on the most doesn''t work, they lose their will to fight¡ªa bunch of idiots.'' Tap¡ª Raye said in his head as he took another step. ''If I was in his shoes, I would''ve relentlessly attacked and used stronger spells.'' He added, looking at Ignis. And seeing him get near... "Ugh...!" Ignis panicked. Bam! And then he kicked off onto the ground and rushed at Raye! And seeing him do that... ''That''s the stupidest thing he could''ve done.'' Raye thought that to himself! Ignis is a mage, he''s not really strong physically. Because unlike Raye and Devin, he only focused on improving his magic! He''s just above average in terms of physical strength, if ever! ''What is he going to do anyway? I have two swords, and he''s unarmed.'' Raye asked in his head. And when Ignis got near him not long... "HAAAA!!!" S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Fwoosh¡ª He punched out with his right hand! "That''s the lamest punch I''ve ever seen." Raye mumbled. SLASH¡ª And he just cut off Ignis'' whole right arm! Thud¡ª Ignis'' arm flew away and fell behind him! ''Haha, I just unarmed him.'' Raye joked in his head. Then, Ignis, realizing what happened... "GRAAAAAAH!!!" He crouched down on the ground, screaming in pain! "H-How...? I always beat anyone physically too, even against the close combatant students back in the academy...!" Ignis muttered with a confused expression on his face. "Well, they probably just didn''t want to receive your magic because they can''t win against that. So they made it easier for themselves by letting you beat them physically." And Raye just said that! (That''s what actually happened.) "..." Ignis looked up at Raye. And looking down at him for the second time... "I''m telling you, without your fire magic, you''re nothing special, really." Raye just casually declared that! "You''re wrong!" Ignis rebutted. Bam¡ª He jumped back and put a few meters of distance between him and Raye. "..." Raye just let him. He''s certain of his victory, after all. Tap¡ª Ignis landed on the ground. He stumbled a little because of the blood lost from having lost his right arm. And desperately opening his mouth while glaring at Raye... "[Incarnate Inferno!]" Ignis exclaimed that! "...?" A confused expression appeared on Raye''s face, hearing that. After all... ''What the fuck is that?'' He doesn''t know what spell that is! And just then... SWAAAAAASH~ Ignis'' whole body was swallowed by raging fire! But then, it slowly condensed into his body! And soon... "Urgh...!" His whole body became literal fire. His clothes were included too! Even his right arm was replaced by a bright yellow arm-shaped flame! "..." Raye was astonished seeing this. It''s his first time seeing something like this, even though he played [Brave Hearts] a bunch of times and went through this scenario numerous times before! ''That''s cool.'' Raye unconsciously thought. "HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!" And then, Ignis suddenly laughed maniacally. "It worked!" He exclaimed. Raye can''t see Ignis'' face because he''s just really a fire in the shape of a human at the moment, but he''s pretty sure he''s smirking. "I succeeded! I became one with nature¡ªwith fire!" Ignis added proudly proclaimed. Swaaa¡ª Everything around him was burning. And even though he''s standing a few meters away from him... "..." Raye could still feel the heat coming from Ignis! "You see this? Now physical attacks won''t hurt me. This is the realm of talent nobody can cross but me!" Ignis declared. "..." But Raye just looked at him, cringing... ''Does he think he''s the main character?'' He asked in his head. Anyway, moving on... "You." Ignis brought his attention back to Raye. And while pointing at him... "I''ll make you pay for humiliating me." Ignis threateningly said that! "What?" Raye asked. "You humiliated yourself for being stupid, stupid." And then he said that! "SHUT UP!!!" BAM! Ignis decided to rush at Raye once again to finally stop him from talking. And when he got to him... Swish¡ª He just raised his right hand and aimed his palm at Raye! FWOOSH¡ª And then a fireball just came out of his hand and blasted toward Raye! "Haaah... I don''t even need to use my swords on you." Raye casually said, kind of disappointed. And opening his mouth... "[Void Vortex]" He just calmly muttered that! Chapter 117 - 117: 117 - Monster Hunt [5] "[Void Vortex]" Raye calmly muttered. And immediately after he did so... Fwish¡ª A magic circle appeared on Ignis'' feet. And from it... SWOOOOOOOSH¡ª! A tornado was summoned! "Huh?" And Ignis was trapped inside of it! Psh¡ª The fireball then hit Raye. "..." But he didn''t even flinch! ''Huh... That hurt a bit.'' Raye thought. Anyway... "..." SWOOOOSH~! He just stood there, watching the tornado in silence! Rustle- rustle- rustle¡ª The surrounding trees shook violently, being sucked in by Raye''s spell! ''Ugh... My mana is almost drained just by casting a single second stage Mid-Rank spell.'' Raye thought with a slight frown. Then, looking around... "No one really came except him, huh." He mumbled that. "Leon and the others are probably fending them off nicely." Raye said. And after a few seconds... Fwish¡ª His magic was canceled, and the tornado he summoned died down! And when it disappeared... "Urgh..." Raye just saw Ignis face-flat on the ground where the tornado was before! His transformation was undone too, he''s back to his normal self! ''So what if I can''t hurt you physically, I can just extinguish your fire with wind magic.'' Raye thought with a shrug. Tap- tap- tap¡ª And then he started walking toward Ignis. Tap¡ª "..." Raye stopped in front of him. Fwish¡ª He put [Nyx] back into his spatial ring and crouched down. And with his right hand... Fwip¡ª Raye grabbed Ignis by the hair and forced him to face him! "Urgh?!" Ignis groaned, but he was in no condition to move or resist... Not that he could even if he was in perfect condition, Raye was several times stronger than him physically! "I told you, you''re nothing if your magic doesn''t work." Raye said. "..." Ignis didn''t respond, but he was just glaring at Raye. "Just eliminate me now, I''ll get my revenge on you later...!" He shouted. But hearing his words... "Eliminate you?" Raye frowned. "That can wait, I still need you." He said. "...?" Ignis was confused by his words. But without a care about him... Fwoosh¡ª Raye just transformed [Celestria] into a white gauntlet and covered his left hand with it! "Don''t clench your teeth." He muttered. "...?" And as Ignis was confused by his words... BAM! Raye smacked him in the face with his left hand! "Keuk?!" Ignis was surprised and in pain. And before he could even recover from that punch just now... BAM! Raye punched him again in the face, same place! "GAAH?!" And it didn''t end there! BAM! BAM! BAM! Raye continuously punched him! And not just in the face... BAM¡ª! He started attacking Ignis from all over his body too! "S-STOP...!" Ignis pleaded desperately. But Raye... BAM! BAM! BAM! He just continued his barrage of swift, heavy punches! ''This is payback for Devin and the other students from the A-Class.'' Raye thought while punching Ignis. "Ohh, don''t go passing out now." And then he said that to Ignis, seeing him close his eyes! BAM! ***** On the other side... Leon and the others were still fighting the students from the other academies. Their enemies started from fourteen, and now... They were down to seven! "These guys just really have numbers, huh." Allen said, having just cut down a student from the [Zephyros Institute]. "Still, don''t let your guard down." Leon replied to him. "He''s right, who knows what else they have." Then Lycus added. The three of them had been fending off the students from the other academies for about five minutes now. And while they were aggressively attacking... "[Lightning Bolt]" BZZZT¡ª! "Keuk?!" Lena was supporting them from the back! She was also currently casting a High-Rank spell! She''s not using much mana in case Raye wasn''t able to stop Ignis. ''I just hope Raye holds him there for a few more while.'' Lena thought, a bit worried that Ignis might suddenly ambush them from the back. Though, as she was worrying about that... "What? You guys aren''t done here yet?" She heard a familiar voice behind her! Lycus, Leon, and Allen heard it too. Fwish¡ª The four of them looked toward the source of it. And there... "Sup." They saw Raye, holding Ignis'' limp body by his red hair! "..." They were speechless upon seeing Ignis'' face. It was swelling and full of bruises and wounds! Also, his right arm was absent! "Ugh..." Ignis was barely conscious at the moment too! ''What the hell did Raye do to him?'' Leon asked in his head, frowning. It wasn''t that long since he left Raye! Leon was actually planning to finish off the enemies as fast as possible and go help him! But it looked like Raye didn''t need it after all! Anyway, breaking the silence... "Ignis!" A student from the [Crimson Academy] shouted that, seeing their leader in such a horrible condition. "You bastard!" He shouted at Raye with such strong hatred. "Leave him alone!" "You fucker!" And then the others followed suit. "Drop him, you coward!" One of them exclaimed. "Huh..." Raye muttered. "I''m a coward, you said?" He asked. "Yes, you are!" And then a response from the enemies quickly came. "Why?" Raye followed. And in rage... "You''re using our leader as a hostage, obviously! You fucking scum!" One of the remaining two students from the [Crimson Academy] answered. "Oh..." Raye mumbled. "My bad." And then he apologized! "...?" The students from the other academies were surprised by his response. On the other hand... "..." Leon, Lycus, Lena, and Allen were frowning! They just knew Raye was about to do something scummy! And as they thought of that... Swish¡ª Raye raised his right hand along with Ignis! Fwish¡ª Then he transformed [Celestria] back into an elegant sword! And immediately with it... Phuck¡ª! "Kuk?!" He stabbed Ignis straight in the neck! "There... Now I don''t have a hostage with me, you can fight again freely now." Raye then said that to the students from the other academies with a smile on his face! S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. That''s right, he captured Ignis alive just to kill him in front of his teammates! "..." The enemies were speechless. It looked like their souls left their bodies as they stopped moving! "..." Even Raye''s teammates weren''t able to say anything! They just had their mouths hung open, looking at Raye smiling! ''He''s twisted in the head!'' Leon and Allen thought. ''Yep, he''s lost it.'' Then Lycus and Lena said that in their heads! And from a mansion far away from where the competition was happening... "Hah!" Lucian let out a laugh while sitting on a soft throne-like chair in his office after seeing that scene! ''That''s funny.'' Lucian thought with a smile, understanding what Raye was doing and seeing his execution of his plan. Chapter 118 - 118: 118 - Out of the Forest [1] "..." Silence fell upon the area where Raye and the others are. Ignis, who has a sword stabbed in his neck... "urgh..." He weakly groaned. And after that... Fwoosh¡ª His whole body turned into dust-like particles and he disappeared! Ignis was eliminated and was sent outside of the Northern Forest! "See? I''m not using him as a hostage anymore." Raye said, he still has this annoying smile on his face! "..." The remaining seven students from the other academies looked at him in silence. And seeing Raye''s face... "YOU...!!" They became annoyed! "WE''LL AT LEAST ELIMINATE YOU!!!" They exclaimed. And with that... BAM¡ª! They all rushed at Raye! S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ''Seeing their leader gets eliminated was enough to make them lose their temper, they already accepted their lost and is launching a desperate suicide attack to eliminate me.'' Raye concluded in his head, seeing them dash toward him. This was his plan, to make the teams from the other academies disoriented by killing Ignis in front of them! And seeing that it''s working flawlessly... "Pathetic." Raye muttered that, pertaining to his enemies! "HAAAAA!!!" Just then, someone from the [Crimson Academy] reached Raye! He was glaring at Raye with bloodshot eyes! SWOOSH¡ª The guy swung his sword at Raye horizontally with all of his might. "..." And Raye just watched him do that in silence! ''Idiot.'' He said in his head. And before the enemies'' blade could even reach him... SLASH¡ª! "KEUK?!" Leon appeared from his left side and immediately slashed down the student that was targeting him! Thud- The enemy fell onto the ground, unmoving. And soon... Fwoosh¡ª His body started turning to dust-like particles too. "Thanks." Raye said, looking at Leon with a smile. And looking back at him... "Ugh, you''re still such a dickhead. You could''ve just eliminated him yourself." Leon grumbled that with a frown on his face. "Hey, I''m tired from fighting Ignis. Give me a break." Raye then replied, shrugging his shoulders too. His tone was even sarcastic. Though, he actually feels a little weak because he''s currently low on mana. Anyway... "Whatever." Leon just mumbled that. "Then just stay here." He said. And without waiting for Raye''s response... Bam¡ª! He dashed back to where Lycus and Allen are. The two of them were fighting off six students on their own! Then, not far from him... "Yep, we''re done here." Raye also saw Lena casting a wide-area lightning spell! ***** Just a couple of minutes had passed... SLASH¡ª And Lycus had already killed their last enemy by beheading him! Thud- The head of student from the [Night Academy] fell and rolled on the ground. And just a second after... Fwoosh¡ª His body became dust-like and disappeared all in all. He was eliminated. ''This artifact''s power is really overpowered and strange. If not for the restriction that one can''t re-enter the Training Dome for a week after having died inside of it, this artifact can literally make you immortal.'' Raye thought, seeing the last student from the other academies get sent out of the Northern Forest. And just then... "So, what now?" Lena asked that. Fwish- She looked at Raye, then... Swish- Lycus, Allen, and Leon followed suit. ''Why are you guys looking at me? It''s not like I know everything.'' Raye said in his head, noticing their gazes. And even though he said that, he actually knows what''s next. And so, with a shrug of his shoulders... "We already won, we''ll be contacted by the academy staff soon and be guided back to the entrance of the forest." Raye calmly declared that! And hearing his words... "Mhm." The others just accepted his words and nodded their heads! ''Well, at least they trust me.'' Raye thought with a smile. And suddenly... "Why did those guys ambushed us anyways?" Allen asked that. The other three became curious as well, and they all glanced at Raye again! "Ugh..." Raye frowned, seeing that. But opening his mouth... "They were trying to steal our points by targeting the proofs that we took from the monsters we killed on the first day." He still answered Allen''s question. "Huh? That works?" Lycus followed, slightly surprised. And while nodding his head... "Yeah, stealing points from other teams is possible. Ignis noticed that fact and banded everyone from the other academies to turn against us, they didn''t hunt on the first day, they were all just preparing to rob us." Raye responded. "They also want to eliminate us. For some reason, the students from the other academies are targeting us, the Zion Academy." He added. "Hmm... It''s probably because they want to dethrone Zion as the most prestigious academy in the empire." Lena mumbled. "Could be." Raye casually replied. And then... "Ehh, who cares. We should just rest now." Leon just muttered that. "..." Everyone looked at him, hearing his words. He was sitting comfortably on a tree stump. And seeing him like that... "Hmm, good point." The others just shrugged and started finding a place for them to sit on. ***** After a few minutes of waiting... Tap¡ª An academy staff member appeared just like Raye had said. ''Hmm? why does it seem like they''re already expecting me?'' The staff thought as she saw Raye and the others looking at her, unsurprised. Anyway, opening her mouth... "I''m here to guide you back to the entrance of the forest now." She said that. And silently... Fwip¡ª Raye and the others just stood up, not questioning anything! "..." The academy staff found this weird, but she didn''t put much thought into it. ''Whatever... My only job is to guide them back.'' Tap- tap- tap¡ª She said in her head before turning around and started walking away. Tap- tap- tap¡ª Raye and the others followed after her immediately. And as they were walking... "Ugh, finally... I don''t want to sleep in the forest again for the second time." Allen mumbled that. "..." The others just silently agreed with him. ''The bugs are annoying and the ground is uneven, it''s uncomfortable to lie on.'' Raye thought. Even though he lives at the entrance of the Northern Forest, he still sleeps in a comfortable place¡ªin Old Man Rey''s cabin. Chapter 119 - 119: 119 - Out of the Forest [2] After making sure that Raye and the others are following her... Bam! The staff started dashing to pick up the pace! Raye and the others did not get left behind, of course. BAM¡ª! They kicked off onto the ground and started running really fast too! "[Haste]" Fwoosh¡ª Lena used a spell on herself to make herself faster. And so, after just about half an hour of running... TAP¡ª The staff, Raye, Lena, Lycus, Leon, and Allen got out of the Northern Forest! They encountered some monsters on the way, but the staff took care of them casually. ***** TAP¡ª After getting out of the forest... "Haha, welcome back, guys!" Bryan immediately greeted Raye and the others with a big smile on his face. Sariel and Ramiel were just standing behind him, smiling too. ''Can''t you make it less obvious that you''re happy?'' Raye thought, seeing Bryan smiling ear to ear. And then, looking around... ''Whoa... Guess the headmaster is not the only one that can''t hide his feelings.'' Raye said that in his head. After all, he saw the staff from the other academies glaring at him, clearly annoyed! ''They''re not hiding the fact that they hate me, huh.'' He added with a smirk. And subtly looking back at them... "Heh." He just muttered that and shrugged his shoulders, pissing the people from the other academies even more! "¡­" Lena, Lycus, and Leon noticed this scene. ''He''s really good at making people he hates hate him too.'' They thought in unison, looking at Raye. Moving on... "Anyway, you must be tired. There''s a tent there for the eliminated students. You guys can rest there." Bryan suddenly said that, pointing to a huge tent behind where the professors and staff are sitting, watching the competition happen. "¡­" Raye and the others looked toward it. And before they could even say anything... "Ramiel, Sariel, guide them." Bryan instructed that. "Yes, sir." "Ehhh..." Sariel and Ramiel responded respectively. "Thank you, headmaster." Raye and the others then thanked Bryan, slightly bowing their heads. And with that... Tap- tap- tap¡ª Tap- tap- tap¡ª Tap- tap- tap¡ª They started following Ramiel and Sariel to the tent. ... Tap¡ª Raye stepped inside the tent. And the first thing he noticed... "Huh?" Were Ignis and the students from the other academies that were in [Set A] too! "Ah! Nice to see you guys, haha." Raye said, smiling and laughing. He''s this bold because he knows Ramiel and Sariel will protect him. ''This kid is really something else.'' Ramiel thought, looking at Raye and understanding what''s on his mind. ''He''s a good kid, but he still annoys his opponents too much.'' Then Sariel followed. "Tsk..." Ignis and the students from the other academies just clicked their tongues in annoyance and glared at Raye. And after that... Swish¡ª They looked away from him. They just decided to ignore him! On the other hand... Tap- tap- tap¡ª Lena, Lycus, Leon, and Allen just walked past Raye, ignoring him taunting the students from the other academies. They were tired, and by this point... They already got used to Raye doing stupid stuff like this! But then, as they were heading to the empty beds to rest... "Huh?" They noticed Josh Harris, a classmate of theirs from [Set B]! And he''s not alone... Joshua, Ravien, Lian, and Stephen¡ªall of their classmates from [Set B] are here! Meaning... "They''ve been eliminated, huh." Raye said as he walked behind Leon and the others. "They were ambushed the same way as us, but unlike us... They were probably caught off guard and eliminated." He added. S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "¡­" Lycus and the others kept quiet. They didn''t know what to say. And just then... "¡­!" Josh and their other classmates looked in their direction. "Oh, hi guys." Joshua mumbled weakly. "We''ve heard what you did in Set A. You guys are amazing." He said. "Thanks." Lena simply replied. "Yeah, thanks." And then Lycus and the others followed. "¡­" Not Raye though. He just remained silent. But, opening his mouth... "You guys are probably tired like us. We''ll leave you now to rest." He muttered that. "¡­" Lena and the others looked at him like he was cold-hearted. Though, contrary to their expectations... "Haha, thanks, Raye." Joshua and the others thanked him for it. "¡­?" Lena and the others were confused. And Raye noticed this... "Staying in front of them and talking normally is like saying we already expected them to fail¡ªlike we''re rubbing salt into their wounds. Let''s give them some space." He whispered under his breath, explaining his intention. Tap- tap- tap¡ª And then he started walking away without waiting for the others! "¡­" Lena, Lycus, Leon, and Allen were silent. They thought of Raye''s words deeply. And after a while... ''He''s right.'' They admitted that. And so... Swish¡ª They looked at Josh and their other classmates again. But this time... "¡­" They didn''t say anything. They just nodded their heads at them. And with that... Tap- tap- tap¡ª Tap- tap- tap¡ª Tap- tap- tap¡ª Lena and the others followed after Raye. "¡­" Josh, Ravien, Lian, Joshua, and Stephen remained seated on the folding beds. They were silent, just looking down at the floor. "¡­" None of them talked, even after a few minutes! But then, breaking the silence... "I will start focusing on my training after this." Ravien mumbled that! "I''ll even ask Professor Ramiel to train me." He added! (Whoa, calm down... Are you sure about that?) "¡­" Josh and the others looked at Ravien, hearing his words. "¡­" They didn''t say anything. Though, after a while... "Haha..." Josh laughed. "This is what we get for being complacent with our above-average talents and being lazy to train." He said with a bitter smile. "¡­" The others silently agreed with him. And then, opening his mouth again... "I''ll join you, Ravien... I''ll train much harder too." Josh declared that! And with him saying that... "I''ll join too." "I wouldn''t ask Professor Ramiel to train me, but I''ll increase my training''s intensity too." "Erm... I can try a bit harder, I guess?" The other three followed! "Let''s not get left behind by Raye and the others." Ravien muttered. "Yeah!" And the others replied. They now felt a little bit better... ''That''s good.'' Raye, who was on the other side of the room, thought of that after seeing them energetic. Chapter 120 - 120: 120 - Tired After resting for a few minutes... About 8 AM... "I''m going to go out for a while." Raye said that and stood up from sitting on the folding bed. "Hm, okay..." Lycus simply replied to him. "Mhm." And Lena just nodded her head in response. "..." Allen and Leon were sleeping, so Raye just ignored them. And so, with that... Tap- tap- tap¡ª Raye headed out of the tent. ***** Outside the resting tent... "Huh?" Raye saw someone familiar not far away from him. It was Old Man Rey! Jerusha, Zephyrus, and Pyro were also with him! And just then... "Ah!" Jerusha saw Raye! And with a sweet smile on her face... "Raye!" She exclaimed that and started running toward him! "Hm?" -Huh? -Meep! Old Man Rey, Zephyrus, and Pyro noticed Raye too at that point. They started heading toward him too... "..." Raye just let out a smile, seeing them get near. And when they reached him... "Good morning. You guys are here early, huh." Raye muttered that. "Yeah! And we saw what happened earlier! Congratulations on winning the Set A!" Jerusha excitedly said, looking at Raye. "Thanks." Raye responded, scratching his cheek. He was slightly embarrassed for some reason. But then, opening his mouth... "Where were you guys watching?" He asked that out of curiosity. And this time... "At the cabin. Jerusha brought her communication stone so we could watch there comfortably." It was Old Man Rey that answered. Raye turned to him. And before he could even say anything... "Congrats." The Old Man added that while smiling. "..." Raye became silent, hearing his words. The corners of his lips started to rise and form a smile on his face again. And with that smile... "Thanks, Old Man." He replied to the Old Man. Following that... -You did good, well done. -Meep! Meep! Meep! Zephyrus and Pyro greeted Raye too. Fwoosh¡ª Zephyrus then flew on top of his head, and Pyro landed on his left shoulder. "Haha, thanks, guys." Raye said to them with a laugh. And after that... The five of them started talking, catching up with each other. Raye was away for barely a day... But Jerusha and the others felt like they hadn''t seen him in a week or more! ***** Raye and the others talked about what happened inside the Northern Forest¡ªabout the competition. "You were amazing!" -Meep meep meep! Jerusha and Pyro kept on praising Raye''s performance, how he responded to the ambush earlier, and how he dealt with Ignis and the others! "Really? I don''t think I did something that amazing or hard, to be honest." Raye responded to the two of them with a shrug. On the other hand... "You hungry?" -Any injury? Old Man Rey and Zephyrus were checking on his condition. "Hmm, I''m fine. Kinda hungry, though." Raye answered. And hearing his latter words... "Then here, we brought you roasted deer meat." Old Man Rey said that and handed Raye a paper bag. "Hm?" Raye took it from him, and looking inside the bag... "..." He saw three big roasted deer meats! ''Wow...'' Raye dumbfoundedly thought, his mouth salivating. Then, suddenly... "You already ate earlier, Zephyrus. That''s for the brat." Old Man Rey muttered that, seeing Zephyrus salivating too on top of Raye''s head! "You''ll become fatter if you don''t stop eating." He added! -Ah... Zephyrus snapped out of his stupor after hearing the Old Man''s voice and words. And when he came to... -... He just saw everyone looking at him! "Haha, you really like that dish, huh." Jerusha said with a laugh. -Ugh... And Zephyrus became slightly embarrassed because of this! -meep meep... Even Pyro was laughing at him! "Pfft..." Raye laughed too, remembering Old Man Rey''s words just now about Zephyrus being fat! And seeing this... "You guys are mean." Zephyrus declared that, feeling betrayed! Fwoosh¡ª And then he flew away with his tiny wings! Zephyrus looked like a flying white cotton candy! ''He''s so cute.'' Raye and the others thought, watching him get away. ***** After Zephyrus flew away from everyone... "I''ll be going back to the cabin first. I''ll process the meat that I left behind earlier." Old Man Rey said that. -Meep! Pyro also decided to come with him. After all, he is the Old Man''s bodyguard. And so with that... Tap- tap- tap¡ª The two of them left. "..." "..." Leaving Raye and Jerusha on their own! ''Hmm, I don''t know what to say.'' Raye thought, avoiding looking at Jerusha directly. ''We''re alone again. I''m getting nervous.'' Then Jerusha said in her head. She kept on glancing all over the place and onto the ground. She''s looking at everything except Raye! And so, normally... "..." An awkward silence covered them. But breaking that silence... "Erm... I''m going to eat first." Raye muttered that. "Ah..." Jerusha was surprised by his words. But immediately after that... "Can I join you?" She went and asked shyly! "..." Raye looked at her, and with a smile... "Sure, I like being with you, after all." He just went and said that! "..." Jerusha was silent, hearing his words. Her face was turning red and her heart was beating fast! She was so happy to know that Raye was happy with her presence. And so, while blushing and with a smile... "Hehe, I feel the same." She simply replied to Raye. ***** Except for the resting tent... There''s actually another tent where the eliminated students can get free food while they were waiting for the competition to finish! And it was full of fancy and expensive dishes! But nevertheless... "I like Mister''s cooking better." "Same here." Jerusha and Raye still decided that they wanted to eat the roasted deer meat that the Old Man brought and cooked! So instead... Raye just borrowed utensils for him and Jerusha from that tent. And after that... "Thanks for the food." "Thank you." Nom- nom- nom¡ª "Hmm, thish ish gooshd..." "Yea... I agreesh!" The two of them started eating while sitting side by side to each other on a fallen tree trunk. sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. As they were eating though... "Where''s Devin and Kyle?" Raye stopped for a second and asked that. Gulp¡ª Jerusha swallowed the food in her mouth first, and after that... "Kyle is busy in the store, and Devin was resting. He''s pretty beat up after the first round of the small tournament alongside the monster hunt competition that you guys are in." She replied. "Oh, is that so..." Raye muttered. "Did Devin win?" He followed. And with a big smile on her face... "Of course. Devin is strong." Jerusha smirked and mumbled that. Raye was happy to hear that. And after that... Nom¡ª He started eating again. ... Raye and Jerusha talked after eating, and they were happy to catch up with each other. They were always awkward at first when left alone, but once they started talking... They almost didn''t want to stop. But not long after... "Well, I should head back to the tent and get some rest now." Raye said that with a weak smile. He''s really sleepy now after eating. "Alright. See you later, Raye." Jerusha replied warmly. "Rest well!" She added. And with that... "Thanks, see you later." Tap- tap- tap¡ª Raye stood up and walked back to the resting tent. ... After returning to the resting tent... Raye lay down on the folding bed. Exhaustion and lack of comfortable sleep from today''s events finally caught up to him. "...I''ll just sleep for a while." He mumbled to himself, closing his eyes. Lycus and Lena were already asleep when he came back. And soon... Raye drifted off into a deep sleep too. ***** After waking up a few hours later... The sun was lower in the sky, and the resting tent was quieter than before. Stretching his arms and yawning... "Man, that was a good nap." Raye muttered. Then, looking around... He noticed Leon, Lycus, Lena, and Allen were already awake. And as a matter of fact, they were preparing to leave! "I''m going back to my dorm. I''m still beat." Leon mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah, same here." Allen followed. "..." Lycus and Lena were also feeling the same. And noticing that everyone was planning to go back to their own places... "Ehh, wait for me for a bit." Raye stood up from the bed and started preparing to leave too. "..." The others just silently waited for him to finish. And after a few minutes... Tap- tap- tap¡ª The group¡ªRaye, Leon, Lycus, Lena, and Allen¡ªthey left the resting tent. They were still really tired. ... Raye got back to the cabin not long, it''s not far away, after all. And when he got there... He found Old Man Rey busy, he''s cooking. "You''re back, kid." The Old Man greeted him without turning around. "Yeah. You''re cooking dinner?" Raye asked, stepping closer. "Obviously. Sit down and wait. I can handle this." The Old Man then said, waving him off. But shaking his head... "I''ll help. Let me do something." Raye insisted that. And even though Old Man Rey keeps pushing him away... Raye still didn''t back down! And so, in the end... They finished preparing dinner together. ... After cooking... The two of them sat down at the table. Pyro and Zephyrus joined them too. -Meep! Pyro chirped happily. "Don''t eat too much, Zephyrus. You''ll get fat." And then Raye teased, grinning! -Ugh... Zephyrus let out a small noise of protest but kept eating anyway. And so, the four of them enjoyed their dinner together. ... After finishing the meal and cleaning up... "I''m heading to bed. Goodnight, Old Man." Raye said that with a tired voice. "Goodnight. Rest up." Old Man Rey then simply replied to him, he''s a bit tired now too. And with that... Tap- tap- tap¡ª Raye headed to his room. Phuff¡ª He immediately lay down on his bed. His body was feeling heavy because exhaustion. Raye then closed his eyes. And just after a few seconds... "..." He lost consciousness. Chapter 121 - 121: 121 - The Tournament [1] The next day... It''s the third day of the monster hunt competition. That''s right, it''s still ongoing because, in [Set B], the three teams are still fighting! And so, right now... Everyone who has been eliminated and those who are in [Set A] are free to do whatever they want for the day! "Hmm, what should I do?" Raye asked himself as he sat on his bed. ''Devin''s next match is still in the afternoon.'' He thought to himself. Then, looking around and seeing a lot of dust everywhere and cobwebs on the ceiling... "I guess I''ll clean up and help the Old Man around before that." Raye muttered that as he stood up! **** After getting up from his bed, Raye immediately fixed it and went out of the cabin. And there... He started chopping logs to be used as firewood. ''It feels like it''s been a while since I did this.'' Raye thought to himself. Then, not long after that... "Hmm, good morning." Old Man Rey came out of the cabin too and greeted him. "Good morning." Raye greeted the Old Man back. They''ve been together for so long that they''re casual with each other now. Moving without saying a word... "Ugh, I''m still sleepy." Old Man Rey started preparing breakfast like normal. "Do you want something?" He asked Raye. Twhack¡ª And while chopping up logs... "Nah, I''m fine with anything." Raye responded. "Mhm, okay." Old Man Rey muttered and nodded his head. ... Half an hour later, Old Man Rey finished making breakfast. Zephyrus and Pyro woke up around that time too. And so, with that... The four of them ate together! Raye then continued with his chores after that. He also accompanied the Old Man to the Northern Forest to check on his traps after such a long time of not being able to because of training. They caught a deer, a wild boar, and three rabbits! They brought them back to the cabin. And there... "Light me some fire, kid." -Meep! Old Man Rey started preparing lunch with Pyro. And Raye, on the other hand... "Hmm, this feels refreshing..." -Yep, I totally agree. He took a bath in the nearby river with Zephyrus. ***** Around 11 AM... Raye finished all of his chores, and he had already eaten lunch with the Old Man, Pyro, and Zephyrus. Devin''s fight in the tournament will happen around 3 PM. So Raye still has roughly four hours before that. And right now... Tap¡ª He''s standing in front of the library! ''Hmm, that spell that Ignis used in our fight... it gave me an idea.'' Raye thought, referring to the spell [Incarnate Inferno]! "I''m super excited to receive my rewards from the headmaster after this competition." Raye mumbled with a slight smile on his face. And with that... Tap¡ª He stepped inside the library! And there... Raye studied about [Spirits], [Artifact Engineering], and [Runes & Ancient Symbols] for hours! ***** After reading for hours straight... "Ah...!" Raye suddenly broke out of his zone and realized that he forgot Devin''s match! "Shit!" Raye immediately stood up and returned the books he had borrowed. And after that... Tap¡ª He walked hurriedly and exited the library! Then, as soon as he was out... BAM¡ª! He kicked off onto the ground and started dashing to where the tournament venue was! "Ugh, I hope I''m not late." Raye muttered to himself as he ran as fast as he could, blasting concentrated wind off his legs to propel himself forward and go faster! BAM¡ª! Raye left small cracks on the ground whenever his feet touched it, kicking off as hard as he could! FWOOSH¡ª He''s basically flying at this rate! ... ... The tournament is being held in one of the outdoor training grounds. And after running nonstop... Tap¡ª "Huff... huff... haaaa...!" Raye reached the specific place not long after¡ªit only took him about three minutes! ''There''s a lot of people here.'' Raye thought, looking around the resting area where the audience was to find Jerusha and the others. And not long after... "Oh..." He saw a nearly empty resting booth. And upon seeing that... "That''s where Jerusha and Lena are." Raye immediately concluded that! So, without further ado... Tap- tap- tap¡ª He headed to that resting booth. ... And just as Raye expected... Lycus, Lena, Sofia, and Jerusha were there! "Oh, you''re finally here." Lena muttered, seeing Raye arrive. "Yeah, my bad, I lost track of time in the library." Raye explained. Then, opening his mouth again... "How about Devin''s match?" He asked that. Then, pointing at one of the arenas... Swish¡ª "There... It''s just about to start. You''re right on time." Lycus replied to him. "Phew, that''s a relief..." Raye sighed and mumbled. "Come sit here, it''s going to start!" Then, Jerusha said that to him, patting the empty space beside her. "Oh, thanks." Raye said. Pat¡ª And then he took her offer. Looking at the two of them sitting side by side... ''Mwehehehehe...'' Sofia laughed weirdly in her head. ***** Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Anyway, a few moments after Raye arrived... "Fighters, climb up!" Charles exclaimed that. He''s hosting this event with three more staff members from other academies. (He''s the Close Combat Professor, Chapter 74...) Moving on, after that... Tap¡ª Devin stepped on top of the arena! He''s wearing a training gauntlet on both hands. And following him... Tap¡ª His opponent climbed up onto the arena as well! It was Jerome Adams from the [Night Academy]! (Along with Rickrey Marcos and the students from the other academies, they drugged Devin and the whole [A Class], Chapters 108-110.) "It seems like we''re fated to fight." Fwish¡ª Jerome mumbled, taking a fighting stance while holding a wooden sword. And looking back at him... "Are you sure you want to fight? You guys haven''t drugged me yet, you know?" Devin asked that sarcastically, faking a worried expression on his face! (He learned how to taunt people from watching Raye...) "..." His words pissed off Jerome a lot. But before he could even respond... "Start!" Charles announced that and started their match! Chapter 122 - 122: 122 - The Tournament [2] "Start!" Charles exclaimed, starting Devin and Jerome''s match! And as soon as it started... BAM! Fwoosh¡ª Jerome immediately rushed at Devin! He was really pissed! And upon reaching him, with both hands holding his weapon... SWOOSH¡ª Jerome swung diagonally down from the top right, aiming for Devin''s neck! ''I get it now why Raye always riles up his opponent.'' Devin thought to himself, seeing Jerome''s attack clearly! "Your attack pattern is really simple, and you raised your hands too high." Devin mumbled. BAM¡ª And then he closed in forward and body-slammed Jerome with the left side of his body! "Urgh...?" Jerome groaned, his attack was disrupted! And before he could even fix his balance... BAM¡ª "Keuk?!" Devin launched a body blow with his right fist straight into Jerome''s abdomen! His hand was covered with mana! "Gurgh..." Jerome stumbled back in pain. Bam¡ª And then he jumped back to distance himself from Devin! Tap¡ª "Fuck..." Jerome landed softly and grabbed his stomach where Devin had hit him. ''I need to recover and recollect myself.'' He thought. But then, suddenly, seeing Jerome like that... "See? You should''ve drugged me first again if you wanted to win." Devin confidently proclaimed that! "..." Jerome went totally silent after hearing that. Crack¡ª The handle of his wooden sword in his right hand cracked slightly from how tightly he was clenching it! "You bastard..." Jerome''s face was now slightly turning red in anger. But instead of stopping there... "Oh, or maybe did you drug yourself? Like something to make your strength increase a lot or whatever?" Devin still continued with his provocative words! "Because if you did... it''ll be embarrassing for you once I defeat you soon." He added. And when he said that... "SHUT UP!!!" BAM¡ª! Jerome finally snapped and dashed straight at Devin again! ''Haha, this is fun.'' Devin thought, seeing Jerome''s angry face. "No wonder Raye keeps on doing it." He mumbled to himself. Fwip¡ª Jerome then reached in front of him once again! And now, with a bit more carefulness... Swish¡ª Jerome launched a swift, horizontal attack! Shhhhh¡ª Devin covered his left arm with mana, and with it... Twhack! He blocked Jerome''s wooden sword! ''Ugh, that stings.'' Devin thought before countering with a right straight! Fwoosh¡ª "Ugh...!" Jerome frowned, seeing Devin''s fist approach his face! Fwip¡ª He immediately raised his left arm and coated it with mana! But in response to that... "[Fire Fist!]" Devin exclaimed that! SWAAAAA¡ª BAM¡ª! And then his flaming fist made contact with Jerome''s arm! "Keuk?!" Jerome''s whole left arm was flung up upon receiving Devin''s attack! But ignoring that... Fwoop¡ª He followed with a front kick using his left foot! "...!" Devin''s eyes widened seeing this. But calmly... Swish¡ª He rotated his whole body to his right... Fwoosh¡ª And Jerome hit nothing but air! Then, using the momentum of his spin... Swoosh¡ª Devin extended his left arm and performed a spinning backfist attack! Bam! Jerome was hit in the left cheek! "Gurgh..." But he twisted his head to the right to soften the impact, making Devin''s fist just slip through! ''I need to counter!'' Jerome thought as he immediately faced forward again, ready to attack! But then... BAM¡ª! He was suddenly hit by a strong attack straight to his left cheek again! "GAAH?!" And this time, Jerome didn''t expect it! Thud¡ª His brain shook, and he fell butt-first onto the ground! Turns out that Devin followed up with a heavy right hook as soon as he noticed that Jerome deflected his first attack! "Shit...!" Jerome cursed as he quickly looked up at Devin. And just as he expected... Fwoosh¡ª A flaming fist greeted him, just centimeters away from his face! "Keuk!" Fwish¡ª Jerome moved his head to the right and barely avoided his opponent''s attack. And from his position... Swoosh¡ª He launched a diagonally upward slash with his wooden sword, aiming at Devin''s left side of the torso! "Ugh." Devin frowned, he can''t block the attack. Bam¡ª So he decided to leap back and avoid it! ''Good!'' Bam- Jerome took that chance to get up and fix his stance. And so with that... "... " "... " The two of them were back in their starting positions! "..." Silence fell upon the arena. Both of them carefully watched each other''s next move. And then, after a few moments... BAM¡ª Jerome took the initiative once again! But this time... ''I need to calm down!'' He wasn''t rushing in anger! "Well, it was fun while it lasted." Devin whispered under his breath after noticing that. Bam¡ª He lightly jumped back... Fwoosh¡ª And Jerome''s thrust attack barely missed him! Tap¡ª Then, immediately after landing on the ground... "Shit!" Swoosh¡ª Devin crouched down to avoid Jerome''s follow-up horizontal slash! "Ugh...!" Devin then tensed the muscles in his thighs. And with all of his might... BAM¡ª! He kicked off the ground and charged at Jerome! THUD¡ª His body slammed into Jerome, and because of the momentum and his weight... "Gurgh?!" Jerome was pushed back! S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Fwip¡ª Devin then quickly grabbed his right wrist with his left hand. And immediately... Crunch¡ª He forcefully twisted it, breaking Jerome''s wrist! "GRAAAAH?!" Thack¡ª Jerome screamed in pain as he dropped his weapon. And before he could even do something... "Shut up. I win." He heard Devin mumble that! "[Fire Fist]" BAM! And then Jerome was punched in the nose! Crack¡ª "Urgh?!" Jerome groaned and his nose started to bleed! BAM! And then he got punched again in the same place! ''What the fuck?!'' Jerome grumbled in his head. BAM! And he got punched in the nose once more! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! Devin continuously punched Jerome in the nose with his flaming right fist! "Gurgh...! S-sto¡ª!" BAM! Jerome couldn''t respond, all he could think of was how much his nose hurt at the moment! And then, after about twenty punches... "Stop!" Charles exclaimed that and stopped the match! "..." Devin looked at his close combat professor. And after a few seconds... Fwip¡ª Thud¡ª He let go of Jerome, and his body fell onto the ground, unmoving! Jerome has been unconscious ever since the ninth punch! Anyway... Looking down at his opponent... "Raye was right... I could''ve easily defeated you guys in a fight back then if you hadn''t drugged me." Devin muttered that. And following that... Tap¡ª tap¡ª tap¡ª He just started walking away casually from Jerome! ''His moves got better.'' Raye and Lycus thought after seeing Devin fight. Chapter 123 - 123: 123 - In The Library "Devin wins!" Charles announced as Devin climbed down the arena. And hearing his words... "WOOOAAHHHH!!!" "I''M CHEERING FOR YOU, DEVIN! WIN THIS TOURNAMENT!!!" The students of Zion Academy, especially from [A Class], started roaring in excitement! "MAKE THOSE BASTARDS PAY!!!" "ACK, MY EARS!!!" They weren''t hiding the fact that they didn''t like the students from the other academies! And this was actually the same case on the other side! "Tsk, he just got lucky." Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Ugh, these idiots are so noisy. We already defeated them before. What idiots." "They''re annoying." The students from the other academies said, looking at the cheering crowds. They all had frowns on their faces. Anyway, everyone from Zion just ignored them... A lot of them didn''t hear what they said in the first place, their words were drowned out by the excited shouts of the crowd! ... ... "Oh, Raye, you made it!" Devin said with a smile as he arrived at the resting area where his friends were watching. "Well, I didn''t forget your match. I really just lost track of time." Raye replied to him. "Anyway, congrats on your win." Then he added. "Haha, thanks. It''s just like you said, they''re nothing." Devin mumbled. And proudly... "Of course I''m right. I''m always right." Raye proclaimed that with a shrug! "..." Lena and Lycus just stared at him with a frown after hearing that. But ignoring them... ''You''re someone who can go toe-to-toe against Lycus¡ªa main character. It''s obvious that those side characters would lose to you.'' Raye said that in his head, looking at Devin with a smirk. Just then... "Congratulations, Devin!" "Congrats." "Congrats!" Jerusha and the others greeted Devin too. And while smiling ear to ear... "Hehe, thanks." Devin responded to them, all giggly. And after that... Pat¡ª He sat on Raye''s left side. Then with that... "The next match is starting." They all stayed there and continued watching the other matches of the tournament! ***** As the matches of the tournament were happening... "Hmm..." Raye thought of something. "..." He remained silent about it for a while. But then, later... Swish¡ª He turned to his left. And opening his mouth... "I found a spell that fits you." Raye declared that! "Huh?" Devin was surprised by his sudden words. "..." He looked back at Raye. And with a confused expression on his face... "What are you talking about?" Devin asked that. "I''m serious..." Raye said. "It''s like this spell was specifically made for you." And then he followed without batting an eye! Hearing that... "..." Devin became silent. He also grew interested in the spell that Raye was talking about. So, after not replying to him for a while... "What is it?" Devin asked that curiously! And then and there... "It''s called [Incarnate Inferno]¡ª" Raye started talking about Ignis'' spell! The one that made his whole body literal fire! ''For someone that can''t emit magic and fights at close range... This is the spell for them¡ªfor Devin.'' Raye thought to himself. ... ... After hearing Raye''s explanation and description of the spell, [Incarnate Inferno]. "Hmm..." Devin pondered to himself for a while. "You''re right. It''s perfect for me." He mumbled. "See? I''m always right." And Raye responded with a shrug! "..." Devin just ignored him. "I don''t know how I''ll do it, though." He said. "Well, I''m trying to figure out the logic behind it too. I''ll tell you once I do." Raye muttered. "Hmm? You''re trying to use that spell too?" Devin asked Raye. He was confused, to be honest. Yes, Raye might be a mage that fights at close range... but he mainly uses swords! And he already has [Blaze], it was much more mana-efficient for him! Anyway... "Nah." Raye quickly responded. "Mhm." And Devin immediately accepted his word! "I''m just learning it, I''m planning to use it on something later." Raye added. "Can you tell me where?" Devin whispered. But with just a smirk on his face... "No." Raye simply replied! "Well, at the very least... I''ll tell you that it''ll be a power-up for me." Then he followed, looking back at the arenas to watch the matches. "Come on, just tell me!" Devin tried to pester Raye into revealing his plan. But even after trying for a few minutes... "Haha, no way." Raye just laughed at him and didn''t tell a thing! ''Ugh, you shouldn''t have told me that if you were going to keep it a secret!'' Devin exclaimed in his head, frowning. ***** After a couple of hours... The round two of the tournament came to an end. And including Devin... Only ten participants were left! In which, three are from the [Zion Academy]. Two each from the [Crimson Academy] and [Zephyros Institute]... And also three from the [Night Academy]! Then, moving on... "Tomorrow is the finals and the last day of the tournament. Come and watch again if you''re free." Charles announced that, ending today''s event. "That''s all for today. Enjoy the rest of the day." He followed. And as soon as he said that... Fwoop¡ª Tap- tap- tap¡ª Tap- tap- tap¡ª Tap- tap- tap¡ª Everyone stood up and started leaving the venue! "Today''s matches were awesome too! I''m definitely going to watch the finals tomorrow." "Me too." "My ears still kinda hurt..." "Ugh, shut up." Some of the students mumbled on their way out. Anyway... "A lot really came, huh?" Raye whispered that under his breath. They were still in the resting area where they had watched the whole event. They were waiting until the crowd dwindled in number. And as they were doing that, maybe out of boredom or just sheer curiosity... "Where are you guys headed after this?" Sofia asked that question. "I''m going back to the shop to help Kyle." Devin responded. "Back to my room. I''m still sleepy," Lena followed. Then, uninterested... "Library." Raye simply muttered. No one really minded him acting like that. They knew he was just in his energy-saving mode. And so... "How about you, Jerusha?" Sofia just continued. "..." Jerusha became silent at her question. She was being unusually shy too. And seeing her like that... "...?" A confused expression appeared on Lena''s, Devin''s, and Lycus'' faces! "Hmm?" Sofia waited for Jerusha''s answer. Then, after a while... And while slightly glancing at Raye... "I kinda want to read... so I''ll probably go to the library too..." Jerusha meekly mumbled that! ''Ahhhhhhh...'' Devin, Lycus, and Lena finally understood why Jerusha was acting weird. "Hehe..." Sofia smiled. She already knew it was something like that. And just then... "Oh, you''re going to the library too?" Raye asked Jerusha. And before she could even answer... "Let''s go together. I have some questions to ask you too, so this is nice." Raye followed, smiling slightly! And with a big smile on her face and rosy cheeks... "Okay!" Jerusha excitedly responded! ''IEGRIEHEKEBEU...!'' Sofia became giddy watching the two of them. "..." The other three just remained silent. Oh, and by the way... Sofia and Lycus were going on a date after this. { Ehem... me too (¡ª v ¡ª) } ***** After leaving the tournament''s venue and going separate ways with the others... Tap- tap- tap¡ª Raye and Jerusha walked side by side toward the library. The sky was already turning orange, the warm glow of the sunset stretching over the academy grounds. Neither of them said much on the way¡­ ''it''s just us again...!'' But Jerusha was clearly thrilled! Her steps were light, her eyes sparkling, and every now and then, she stole glances at Raye! But as for Raye¡­ "..." He just looked normal. Anyway¡­ The two of them eventually arrived at the library. Creak¡ª The door slowly opened, and the scent of old books and parchment filled the air. Tap¡ª They stepped inside. Then, walking past the shelves¡­ Rustle¡ª They reached the table where Raye was usually sitting, and there... "Hup." "..." The two sat side by side! ''Hehe...'' The joy on Jerusha''s face was obvious! And Raye¡­ "Hmm..." He seemed the same. Normal and unbothered. At least, that''s how it looked on the surface! Because actually... Thump- thump- thump¡ª Raye''s heart had been beating faster than usual for quite a while now! "..." He''s just ignoring it! Instead... Fwip- Raye casually opened a book about spirits, and he started flipping through the pages! "So, spirits are naturally drawn to people with high mana sensitivity, right?" He asked as if this was just a regular study session. "Y-Yeah." Jerusha nodded. She looked a little startled, as if she hadn''t expected him to talk so soon. "But their affinity and compatibility also matters like I told you before." She continued. "Even if someone has high mana, a spirit won''t approach them unless there''s a matching resonance." "I see." Raye tapped his finger lightly on the table, deep in thought. "Then, can spirits, like... Merge with things they have great compatibility with?" He asked that, eyes still fixed on the book. And hearing that¡­ Jerusha blinked, surprised. "That can happen." She mumbled. "But it''s rare." She paused for a second before tilting her head. "Why do you ask?" She questioned him curiously. And at that¡­ Raye remained silent for a moment. Then, calmly¡­ "No reason." He answered. "..." Then he just continued reading! Though, deep inside¡­ Thump- thump- thump¡ª His heart still hadn''t calmed down, not even for a bit! Chapter 124 - 124: 124 - A Nice Day Raye and Jerusha stayed in the library for hours, just reading and talking to each other. ''Hmm, weird.'' And this surprised Raye himself. Because normally... He wouldn''t have said a word while studying except when he was asking a question! But now... "Zephyrus got fat, huh." "Yeah, he really likes the Old Man''s cooking." The two of them are talking about the most random things from time to time! Though... ''This is nice.'' Raye didn''t hate it. He was liking it, in fact. And just like that... The two of them stayed in the library for a few more hours. ***** Around 7 PM... "Hmm, it''s getting dark. We should leave." Raye said that, looking around and noticing that almost everyone had left. "Yeah, we probably should." Jerusha replied to him. She was reluctant saying that, but she knew that it was getting late. And so, with that... "Hup." Raye stood up and started returning the books that they had borrowed to the right shelves. "Ah, let me help you..." Jerusha muttered. But without even looking at her... "Nah, I''m good. You can rest for a moment while I return our books." Raye said that. Though... "Well, I want to help." Jerusha still insisted on helping him. "..." Raye looked at Jerusha and saw her smiling at him. "Is that so." He said. Then, getting back to returning the books... "Okay." Raye simply replied to her. "Hehe..." Jerusha laughed a little, and then she started returning some of the books to the shelves too. "That''s the wrong shelf." Raye mumbled. ***** After they were done with that... Tap¡ª Raye and Jerusha left the library. They now stood at the entrance of it. "Well, see you later." Jerusha said, smiling at Raye. "..." Raye just looked at her in silence. Then, after pondering for a while... "What are your plans for the rest of the day?" He asked that. "Hm?" Jerusha was not expecting such a question from Raye at the moment. But opening her mouth... "Nothing really. I''m just going to pass the time, eat dinner later, then sleep." Jerusha answered casually. "Mhm." Raye nodded his head, hearing her. Swish¡ª Then, looking away and awkwardly scratching his cheek... "Want to eat dinner with us then?" Raye shyly asked that! "..." Jerusha was silent after hearing his words. Her eyes opened wide in shock. It was Raye''s first time inviting her for dinner. ''Normally, it was Mister or Zephyrus that would ask me.'' Jerusha thought. Anyway... "..." Raye just waited for her answer. And realizing that he''s waiting... "I''ll be more than happy to." Jerusha responded to him with a smile. "Phew..." Raye let out a sigh of relived after that. ... ***** After that short conversation... Jerusha and Raye went to the cabin. And there... "Let''s eat." -These smell good! -Meep! They had dinner with Old Man Rey, Zephyrus, and Pyro! Raye cooked the meals, by the way. He just roasted some wild boar meat and made deer stew. But still... "These are good, hehe..." Jerusha liked them. "That''s right, you really improved." Old Man Rey liked it too! -Shoo gooshd! -Meeep! Zephyrus and Pyro started eating faster. And seeing their reactions... "..." A small smile appeared on Raye''s face. "I''m glad you guys liked it." He said. And with that... Nom¡ª They all ate peacefully. Raye and Jerusha told Old Man Rey and the others about Devin''s match earlier while they were eating. ... After having dinner... Raye went out and started experimenting a bit with spirit magic with Zephyrus and Pyro. And because she had nothing else to do... "Hmm, you mean something like this?" Swooosh¡ª Jerusha helped him. She just made a spirit that she was contracted with grow smaller in size. "Yeah, how do you do that?" Raye asked, amazed. And with a clear voice... "Size is just a matter of form¡ªwill it to be smaller, and the spirit will compress itself accordingly. But be careful, force it too much, and you might distort their mana, hurting them too." Jerusha explained that. -She''s right. Zephyrus followed. -meep! Pyro didn''t really know what was happening, but he was cheering for Raye nevertheless. "Okay, I''ll try it now." Raye said after listening to Jerusha. Then, after him... -Try it on me. Zephyrus declared that, volunteering to be the experiment subject! "Huh?" Raye was surprised by his words. And before he could even say anything... -Pyro is just a kid, unlike me. You could hurt him. So try it on me... I can handle a few stings, don''t worry. Zephyrus added that! He was looking out for Pyro! Because of how long they''ve been together, Zephyrus now thought of Pyro as some kind of little brother that he needs to protect! Anyway, moving on... "..." Raye was silent after this. But then, slightly bowing his head... "Thank you." He muttered that to Zephyrus, who was flying in front of his face. -Meh, it''s no biggie. Zephyrus casually replied. "..." Jerusha sweetly smiled, seeing them like this. And with that... "I''ll start now." -Okay. Raye started his training, experimenting with the form of spirits! ... ***** Around 10 PM... "I guess that''s enough for today." Raye mumbled that. He was now kind of low on mana. "Yeah, it''s getting late." Jerusha replied to him. Then, looking up at the sky... "I should probably go too." She said that. "Oh, yeah..." Raye muttered. He was unsure of what to do or say... Then, he looked at Pyro and Zephyrus on the ground... -Mhm... -meeep... Zephyrus was sitting with his eyes closed, and Pyro was resting on him. They were both obviously sleepy. Just then... "Bye, Raye¡ªZephyrus and Pyro too!" Jerusha said her goodbye. -Take care... -meep. Zephyrus and Pyro responded to her. Though... "..." Raye just remained silent. It seemed like he was thinking of something. "...?" Jerusha just stood there, looking at him all confused. And then, after a while... "Mhm, yeah..." Raye just whispered that to himself. And looking back at the barely conscious Zephyrus and Pyro... "You two go to bed first. I''ll follow later." He declared that! -Got it. -Meeep... Zephyrus and Pyro were too tired to even ask him questions. Swoosh¡ª They both flew into the cabin¡ªstraight to Raye''s room to rest. "What are you gonna do?" Jerusha asked Raye as soon as the two left. And looking at her... "I''ll accompany you back to your dorm." Raye stated that like it was so obvious! "?!" Jerusha''s eyes widened. "You don''t want to?" Raye asked her. And immediately... "No, I''d really like that." Jerusha answered while violently shaking her head! ''Phew, I''m glad.'' Raye thought. Then, opening his mouth... "Let''s go?" He mumbled that. "Let''s go." Jerusha replied. And after that... Tap- tap- tap¡ª The two of them started walking. Tap... Tap... Tap... They both walked very slowly intentionally. "Today was a nice day." Jerusha said. "Yeah, it''s a nice day." Then Raye replied with a smile. ... ... ***** The next day... "Haaa..." Raye yawned as he woke up. "Hmm?" He was feeling more energetic than usual. ''That''s weird.'' He thought. "Meh." But he didn''t pay much attention to it. sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Hup." Raye immediately stood up and started fixing his bed. He just let Zephyrus and Pyro sleep more. And with that... Tap¡ª tap¡ª tap¡ª Raye left the cabin. And outside... "Hmm hmm hmm." He started humming while preparing breakfast for everyone! He just reheated some leftover roasted boar meat from last night, so it didn''t take him long. Then, after that... Nom¡ª He started eating! While he was eating though... "..." Raye paused for a moment. Then, looking up at the sky... ''They''re out, huh.'' He said that in his head. Who is he talking about? He''s talking about Ace, Christian, and Elias! The monster hunt of [Set B] is now done, and every participant is now out of the Northern Forest! ''They all came out around 5 AM.'' Raye thought. It''s about 7 AM now. Then, that means... "The three must''ve met their classmates by now from Set A and heard what happened on the second day." Raye mumbled. Nom¡ª And then he took another bite of his roasted boar meat. "They probably met Ignis too and heard what I did directly from him." Raye said nonchalantly. And with a mischievous smile on his face... ''I wonder what their faces look like right now?'' Raye asked that to himself. Though, he quickly lost interest about them and just continued on eating. ***** Meanwhile... Elias Alvah was in his dorm room. And also¡ªIgnis, Christian, and Ace! The four of them were currently having a meeting! "That''s what happened on the second day." Ignis had just told them what happened in [Set A]. He had an annoyed expression on his face. Ignis especially highlighted Raye''s actions and performance in his story, by the way. And hearing that... "..." Ace, Christian, and Elias fell silent. Ace and Christian were frowning really hard. Though, the one who''s more surprised than anyone else... "..." Was Elias Alvah! He was lost for words and couldn''t believe Ignis'' story just now! He was really confused at the moment! And unconsciously opening his mouth... "Raye now uses a sword?" Elias muttered that in disbelief! Chapter 125 - 125: 125 - The Tournament [3] "Raye used a sword against you?" Elias asked Ignis. "Yep." And Ignis answered casually, uninterested. Though... "Is he good?" When Elias followed that. "..." Ignis went silent! Then, reluctantly opening his mouth and while frowning... "Ehh... No..." He answered. "..." "..." Christian and Ace looked at him with disbelief. It was obvious that he was lying! "Ignis... Is he good?" Elias asked again. And this time... "I don''t know, he barely used it! He was toying with me, alright?!" Ignis snapped and exclaimed that. "For fuck''s sake..." He grumbled, turning his back against Elias. "..." Elias went silent after hearing Ignis'' response. "So he''s strong enough to toy with you, huh." Ace mumbled. He''s shocked by that fact, but he''s not showing it on his face. "I''m telling you, fire just doesn''t work on him for some reason! He''s just lucky!" Ignis rebutted. "Ehh, well... He''s strong enough for your fire spells to not work on him, just accept it." Then Christian just suddenly said that. "Gurgh..." Ignis groaned and glared at him for saying that. Though... "..." He wasn''t able to say anything back! So instead... "Whatever, I''m going back to my room." Creak¡ª Thud¡ª He just said that and left Elias'' room! "That bastard... If it wasn''t for his stupid fire resistance..." Ace, Christian, and Elias heard Ignis grumble from the inside after he left. Anyway, ignoring him... "It seems like the elite students of the Zion Academy were a lot stronger than we had anticipated." Ace muttered that with a serious expression on his face. "Yeah, I didn''t expect the five of them to defeat half of us, even Ignis." Then Christian followed casually. "..." Elias just remained silent. S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ''Raye... What is he doing?'' He asked in his head. But immediately shaking his head after... "Whatever, he''s not part of the family anymore... I shouldn''t care this much about him." He mumbled that under his breath. Then, looking at Ace and Christian... "So what if they were stronger than we had thought? We just need to win. Our plan still remains the same." Elias declared that! "..." The two looked at him silently, slightly surprised after hearing that. But with a smirk on their faces... "Heh, you''re right." "That''s correct, we''ll still win this competition." Christian and Ace answered respectively! Then, following that... "If they''re strong together... Then we just need to make them fight us individually..." Ace muttered that with a mischievous smile! Elias and Christian looked at him in curiosity. And after that... "Let''s tell the staff members that are with us to recommend a change to the Zion staff¡ªto just make us fight in duel style, like the competition." Ace declared casually! "Zion wouldn''t be able to just brush off their words. After all, we also have a say in this competition." He added. "Oh, that''s smart." Christian said to Ace. "That could work well." Elias nodded his head and mumbled that. Then, smiling slightly... "Those remaining five from Zion''s S-Class, they wouldn''t know what''s coming for them." He muttered that proudly! ***** On the other hand... "Hmm hmm hmm..." Raye was humming while on his way to the library. He still has a few hours before Devin''s match starts. Anyway, Raye... ''So the next event is the duel with the participants of Set B, huh.'' He knew what was going to happen next! He''s fully aware of Ace''s plan! He had already seen it in the game a lot of times before, after all! "They''re probably planning like an idiot right now." Raye muttered to himself with a smile. Tap- tap- tap¡ª And then he just continued on his way to the library! ... ... ***** Around 3 PM... "Sup, guys." Raye arrived at the same venue as yesterday. He had just come from the library. And this time, he was not late... "Oh, Raye!" Devin greeted him with a smile. "Cheer on me later when I''m up there." He said. "You really don''t need it. Just do your best, and you''ll win." Raye casually responded to him. And hearing his words... ''He''s really making me relax and boosting my confidence for later, huh. Thanks, Raye.'' Devin said that in his head! He thought that Raye was just saying things to make him feel better. Though... ''Those guys aren''t even named characters. Devin can handle them surely.'' Raye was a hundred percent serious about what he had just said right now! Anyway... "Hello!" "Hi, Raye." "Hello." Sofia, Lycus, and Lena greeted Raye too. "Mhm." Raye just slightly bowed his head at them. And then... Swish¡ª His eyes went to Jerusha who was staying silent. "Hmm?" Sofia muttered, seeing Jerusha avoid Raye''s gaze. "Can I sit there?" Raye then asked, pointing at the empty space beside Jerusha. And although she was shy... "Y-Yeah, feel free to..." Jerusha responded. Her cheeks were rosy. "..." Lycus, Devin, and Lena just glanced at the two in silence. But after a while... Fwoosh¡ª They looked away! "..." Not Sofia, though. She''s still watching them intently. Lycus wanted to give the two privacy, Devin was getting embarrassed too just by watching them, so he stopped. And Lena, well... ''Why don''t they just date?'' She was simply uninterested because she literally knew that Raye and Jerusha had something going on between them for a while now! ''Are they both thickheaded?'' Lena asked in her head, pertaining to the two. Moving on... "Thanks." Raye said that as he sat down beside Jerusha. "..." The two of them went immediately silent again. But strangely... ''Hmm...'' They weren''t feeling discomfort or awkwardness! There was even a warm atmosphere surrounding them! ''Ugh, I want to ask what happened yesterday...'' Sofia groaned in her head, seeing them like that. And it''s not just her... "Ugh..." "Fuuuuu..." "Hmm..." Lycus, Devin, and even Lena¡ªthey were curious too about what happened yesterday! Though, just then... "The tournament is starting. Participants... Please climb up to where I am." Charles stood up on top of one of the arenas and announced that. "Oh." Devin was slightly surprised by this. But without hesitation... Fwoop¡ª "I''ll be going for a short while, guys." He stood up and muttered that! "Good luck." "Do your best, Devin!" "We wish you luck." Raye, Jerusha, and the others said that to Devin. They''re fully cheering for him. Chapter 126 - 126: 126 - The Tournament [4] Devin and the remaining participants of the tournament climbed to where Charles stood. And after that... "So, this is what''s going to happen¡ª" Charles started explaining. "There are ten of you left, and we''ll be splitting you into two groups." He said, his voice carrying across the platform. Everyone in the audience could hear him too¡ªhe was enhancing his voice with mana, after all. Then, after pausing for a moment... "Each group will fight in a free-for-all." Charles suddenly declared that! "...?!" "Huh??" "What?!" "..." His words shocked everyone except Raye! But ignoring their reactions... "Two arenas, two battles happening at the same time. The last person standing in each group will move on to the final match." "Which will happen today as well." Charles just casually continued! The participants listened intently, their eyes sharp as they processed the rules. Then, with a small smirk... "And for the record, you don''t have to just knock out your opponents¡ªyou can also win by forcing them to surrender or getting them out of bounds." Charles added. Then, without further delay... "Here are the groups." Charles raised his hand. Swoosh¡ª Summoning a system window-like screen that displayed the names of the participants and their group! ===== [Group A]: Devin Dustin (Zion Academy) Rael San (Zephyros Institute) Sylva Blackwood (Crimson Academy) Orpheus Nacht (Night Academy) Gideon Kade (Night Academy) --- [Group B]: Terri Valentine (Zion Academy) Cedric Rufio (Zion Academy) Vale Stormbreaker (Zephyros Institute) Nero D''Angelo (Crimson Academy) Rickrey Marcos (Crimson Academy) ===== Seeing the placements... "..." Devin remained silent, his eyes scanning the names. He was separated from Terri and Cedric, his classmates! And knowing that... "Sweet..." Devin whispered that with a smile on his face! He was glad that he didn''t need to fight his classmates! And then, suddenly... "You have five minutes to prepare. Get ready fast, and we''ll start." Charles announced that. "The monster hunt competition is done¡ªnow, this tournament is the one being broadcast throughout the empire, so if you want to make a name for yourself... This is the perfect opportunity to do that!" He shouted as encouragement to the participants. And hearing him... "..." A determined look appeared on Devin''s face! And it''s not just him, everyone in the tournament was hyped up! And seeing the combatants like that... "I''m excited for the match." "I don''t know what group to watch!" The audience started to get a lot more excited! Tap- tap- tap¡ª Tap- tap- tap¡ª The participants then dispersed, mentally preparing themselves for what was about to come. They started strategizing too. ... ***** After a few minutes... Everyone in the tournament was done preparing. "Hup!" Tap¡ª Devin stepped onto the arena, already wearing leather gloves on his hands. And then, looking around... "Hmm..." He saw his opponents. Orpheus and Gideon, the two students from the [Night Academy], were both holding wooden swords¡ªnothing unusual. Rael from the [Zephyros Institute] was wielding dual wooden daggers. And lastly, Sylva from the [Crimson Academy] was holding a wooden staff. "Hmm, this is going to be bothersome." Devin mumbled. After all... "..." His four opponents were looking at him. It was clear that he was being targeted! ''I really hate these guys from the other academies.'' He thought with a frown. Anyway, not long after that... "Everyone, get ready!" Charles exclaimed. Fwish¡ª Devin immediately took a fighting stance. Fwip¡ª And the others followed suit! "..." The whole area went totally silent. Anticipation was rising among the audience, and the tense atmosphere thickened around the participants! Then, after a moment of silence... "START!!!" Charles suddenly started the match! BAM¡ª Orpheus and Gideon immediately ran toward Devin! And it wasn''t just them... BAM! Rael followed too! "Ugh, fuck you guys." Devin grumbled as he saw the three approaching him. Then, opening his mouth... "[Fire Fist]" He muttered. SWAAAAAA¡ª And his hands were swallowed by violent flames! But just as he prepared to strike... Whoosh¡ª A sudden burst of mana surged from Sylva''s staff! "Not so fast!" FWOOOSH¡ª! Sylva shouted as several fireballs shot toward Devin! "..." Devin''s eyes sharpened. Swish¡ª He quickly ducked under the first fireball! Then, twisting his body... BAM! He slapped the second one aside with his flaming fist! Whoosh¡ª Another fireball came! Clang¡ª! Devin clenched his fist and punched through it! The flames dispersed as if they were nothing! "...!" Sylva''s eyes widened in shock! But before she could even react¡ª BAM! Devin kicked onto the ground and dashed toward her! "No, you don''t!" "Hup!" SWOOSH¡ª Orpheus and Gideon tried to intercept him! But¡ª BANG¡ª! Devin parried Orpheus'' wooden sword with the back of his right hand! THWACK¡ª! Then, using his other hand, he deflected Gideon''s attack as well! "Tsk!" Orpheus clicked his tongue. But before he could step back¡ª BAM¡ª! Devin swung his left arm and struck Orpheus in the stomach with a clean counter! "Ugh!" Orpheus staggered backward! Then, before Gideon could react... BAM! Devin spun and slammed his left elbow into his jaw! "Kh¡ª!" Gideon gasped as he was sent flying! Then¡ª Whoosh¡ª! A wooden dagger came flying at Devin! Clang¡ª! Devin tilted his head and deflected it with his right fust! Fwoosh¡ª Rael then lunged at him! But Devin was already moving! Fwish- With a quick sidestep to his left, he avoided Rael''s thrust attack! BAM¡ª! And then Devin struck his wrist with his left fist¡ªmaking Rael drop his dagger! "Urgh...!" Rael groaned. Fwip- Devin grabbed Rael''s shoulder. And then... FWOOSH¡ª BAM! He threw him over his back! CRACK¡ª! "GAAARGH...?!" Rael hit the ground hard! So hard that he broke his spine and lost consciousness! And without wasting a second... FWOOSH¡ª Devin dashed toward Sylva! "...!" Sylva clenched her teeth seeing him approach! But before she could cast another spell... Whoosh¡ª Devin was already in front of her! And with a swift motion... BAM¡ª! He knocked her staff away! Then, with piercing sharp eyes... "Surrender." Devin commanded, looking straight into Sylva''s eyes! He was ready to punch her in the face if she showed any resistance! Sylva gulped, realizing that. And so... "I-I surrender." She declared that! "Good girl." Devin said. Fwip¡ª "Huh?" Then he grabbed Sylva by the collar of her uniform! Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. And without hesitation... "Hup!" FWOOOSH¡ª "KYAAAAAA¡ª!" He fucking threw her out of the arena! Thud- "..." Charles caught her. And then, after that... "Two down. Only you two left..." Devin said that with a smirk! Looking at the frowning Orpheus and Gideon! They had just recovered from being countered by Devin earlier! And seeing them holding their swords... "Still think you guys can defeat me? Without drugging me? " "Dream on." Devin started provoking them! Chapter 127 - 127: 127 - The Tournament [5] "Tch¡ª" "..." Orpheus and Gideon frowned as they saw Devin looking at them with a carefree expression on his face. Then, looking at the passed out Rael on the floor... And Sylva, who was thrown outside the arena... ''He''s a monster.'' Orpheus thought of that, referring to Devin. "What''s our plan?" Gideon asked, looking at him. And opening his mouth... "Let''s coordinate our attacks, try to respond to my moves." Orpheus answered! "Okay." Gideon simply replied, nodding his head. ''The two of us trained together back in the academy for a month. We can coordinate well now, and everyone calls us the Sync Duo!'' Orpheus proudly proclaimed in his head. And then, smirking... ''He just caught us off guard earlier. If we coordinate well... We''ll still win. It''s two against one.'' S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. He added that! Well, it was true that they were so complacent with their numbers that Devin caught them off guard and was able to eliminate two of them in a minute! Though, even if they were on full guard... "Hmm, yep..." Devin was confident that he would still win. It would just take him much longer! ''Fighting two sword users is a lot easier than fighting Raye, who''s dual wielding.'' He thought, looking at Orpheus and Gideon. And just then... BAM¡ª! The two of them rushed at him! "Oh..." Fwip¡ª Devin quickly got into his fighting stance. Tap- And when Orpheus stepped into his range... Fwish¡ª Devin threw a fast right jab with his flaming fist, aiming at his face! "Urgh...?!" Swoosh¡ª Orpheus tilted his head to the side and he barely avoided the attack! Though... ''Hah!'' He still confidently smirked! "...?" Devin was confused, noticing the smile on Orpheus'' face. And just then... Swish¡ª "...?!" He suddenly felt an attack coming from behind! Fwip¡ª Devin quickly retrieved his right hand, then, covering his arm with mana¡ª TWHACK¡ª! He used it to block a wooden sword coming from his right! "Ugh...?" Devin glanced back¡ª "..." And there, he saw Gideon looking at him with emotionless eyes! ''I didn''t notice him getting behind me.'' Devin thought with a frown. Just then... Fwoosh¡ª Orpheus thrust his wooden sword forward, aiming at Devin''s heart! He didn''t hesitate to attack as soon as Devin''s attention shifted away from him! ''You''re wide open!'' Orpheus exclaimed in his head! Though, to his and everyone''s surprise¡ª Fwop¡ª Devin caught his weapon using his left hand and without even looking! "Wha?!" Orpheus'' eyes widened in shock! And before he could even process what was happening¡ª BAM¡ª! "KAAK?!" He received a sidekick to the stomach! Fwip- Thud¡ª Orpheus fell flat on the ground after getting flung a few meters away. He even lost his weapon to Devin! And seeing that... "Huh?" Gideon was surprised! Not wasting that split second¡ª Fwip¡ª BAM¡ª! Devin twisted his body to the right and hit Gideon on the jaw again with his right elbow! "Keuk...?!" Gideon groaned and stumbled back. Then, before he could even recover his balance¡ª BOM¡ª! Devin launched a right straight punch to his face! Thud¡ª "Argh...!" Gideon fell on his back, his head slamming onto the concrete floor, making him dizzy! And when he opened his eyes again... "Sleep well." He saw Devin on top of him! BAM¡ª! "GAGH?!" Gideon got punched in the nose again! And this time... "..." He finally lost consciousness! "Another one down." Devin mumbled, standing straight and looking back at Orpheus. He saw Orpheus slowly getting up. Then, sarcastically... "Had a good rest?" Devin asked him that! "..." Orpheus wasn''t happy hearing that, obviously. And as if taunting him that much wasn''t enough... Fwoosh¡ª Tak- "...?!" Devin threw the wooden sword in his left hand back to Orpheus! "..." While Orpheus was silently staring at the wooden sword on the floor in front of him, all confused¡ª "We can still continue if you want. That last sneak attack of yours was well thought out, you were just too slow, you see." Devin declared that! ... ''Haha, he''s funny.'' Raye thought, watching Devin from afar. *** "..." Orpheus became silent after hearing Devin''s words just now. "Grrgh...!" He clenched his hands into fists real hard, and his face started turning red with anger! Then, retrieving his wooden sword from the ground... BAM¡ª! Orpheus dashed toward Devin once again! "DIEEE!!!" He shouted from the bottom of his lungs! Tap¡ª And when he reached Devin¡ª SLASH¡ª Orpheus swung his sword horizontally! "Oh!" Fwish¡ª Devin lightly stepped back and avoided it. But Orpheus didn''t stop there! Tap! SWOOSH¡ª He stepped forward and swung downward! "Hup!" Fwish- Devin twisted his body, dodging again! BAM¡ª! Orpheus only hit the floor! But ignoring that... SWISH¡ª He launched another attack! Fwoosh- Devin just easily dodged it again. Though, nevertheless... SLASH¡ª Orpheus still continued attacking! His eyes were now bloodshot in anger! SWOOOSH¡ª! Orpheus'' strikes were getting heavier and wilder! Then¡ª "GRAAHH!!!" He roared in frustration, raising his sword high! And with everything he had... SWISH¡ª He brought it down in one final, heavy strike! Though, this time, instead of dodging... Fwip¡ª Devin raised his left hand. CLACK¡ª! And he caught Orpheus'' wooden sword mid-swing! "Ugh..." Devin groaned a bit from the impact. "Wha¡ª?!" Orpheus'' eyes widened in disbelief. Then, as he was in shock... "[Azure Fist]" Devin muttered that! SWAAAAAAAAAAA¡ª! And then his right fist was engulfed with raging blue fire! And before Orpheus could even check what was that¡ª BAM¡ª!!! A devastating punch from Devin''s right fist slammed into his face! BOOM!!! Then the blue flame exploded in his face! In the next instant¡ª FWOOOOOSH¡ª! Orpheus was sent flying out of the arena! THUD¡ª! He crashed onto the ground outside the ring. "..." "..." Silence fell upon the area. But after a while¡ª "Winner, Devin Dustin!" Charles'' voice boomed across the arena, breaking the tension! The first finalist was decided in just about five minutes! And in response¡ª "YEAAAHHHH!!!" "DEVIN! DEVIN! DEVIN!" The audience erupted into cheers! But ignoring the noise... Fwip- Devin just simply dusted off his gloves! "Haha..." He laughed a little, remembering the fight. And opening his mouth... "It''s just like fighting Lycus and Raye at the same time." Devin stated that! He was thinking of Orpheus and Gideon as Raye dual welding. Then Sylva is whenever Raye uses spirit magic. And lastly, Rael uses dual daggers just like Lycus! "They''re much weaker though." Devin casually mumbled with a shrug. Chapter 128 - 128: 128 - The Tournament [6] "That new spell of his looks strong." Raye said, peeking at Lycus. "Yeah, I wonder where he got the time to develop it." Lycus replied. The two of them were two seats apart, with Sofia and Jerusha sitting between them. "You think he''ll use it in our next free-for-all training?" Lycus then asked. And with a small smirk on his face... "On you, probably. I''m resistant to fire, remember?" Raye said that. "Ah, that''s right." Lycus muttered. Then, realizing he would be the only one receiving Devin''s new strong attack... "That sucks." A frown appeared on his face! "Yeah, sucks for you." Raye mumbled while shrugging his shoulders, acting all haughty. "..." Lycus just stared at him with a scowl after that. ***** Meanwhile... "WAAAHHH!!!" "DEVIN! DEVIN! DEVIN!¡ª" "DON''T LOSE!" "GAH!? I THINK MY EARDRUM JUST EXPLODED!!!" Devin was enjoying the cheering coming from the crowd. ''I wouldn''t even have thought of receiving this much attention back then.'' He thought with a slight smile on his face. "Everything has changed ever since I met them." He mumbled, referring to Raye, Lycus, Kyle, and the others. ''It''s getting better now¡ªmy life is getting better.'' Devin thought. S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Then, with a determined look on his face... ''I''ll continue to strive and revive our household.'' He declared in his head! And opening his mouth... "Let''s start by winning this tournament." Devin followed that! And with that... "Hmm, I should probably rest." He started climbing down from the arena. Devin was headed to where Raye and the others were. ... ----- "Yo!" Devin greeted as soon as he arrived at the resting area where the others were. "Sup, congratulations on your win." Raye greeted him. "Congrats." "Well done out there, Devin!" "Congratulations!" "Good work." Then Lycus, Sofia, Jerusha, and Lena followed respectively. "Thanks, guys." Devin responded to them. He was really happy! Just then¡ª "Sit down and rest. I think the other group is about to finish too." Raye suddenly said that while watching the other arena. "Oh, right." Devin quickly sat beside Raye, and looking at the arena too... "So it''s just them two now, huh." He saw Terri, one of his classmates, and Rickrey Marcos¡ªthe one who had defeated him after drugging him! "..." Devin frowned as he noticed Terri was at a disadvantage. Terri was a swordsman, while Rickrey was a mage. Though¡ª He was a mage who was also pretty good at close combat! Rickrey continuously shot magic projectiles at Terri. And Terri would respond by dodging them and getting close! But when he did get close... Rickrey would use his wooden staff and fight him in close combat too! Terri was tired from fighting the other participants from the other academies earlier. They had targeted him and Cedric at the start of the match, just like what happened in Devin''s group! On the other hand... Rickrey was completely unharmed, and his stamina was as full as it could be! As a matter of fact... The fight was already pretty much decided! Terri was just still fighting to keep his pride and to help Devin! He was planning to tire Rickrey out, and he was hoping that Devin could watch their fight and study Rickrey''s attack patterns! And realizing this... ''Thanks, Terri.'' Devin silently thanked him in his head! After that... "Raye." He suddenly called. "Hm?" Raye turned his head to Devin. And when he did¡ª "How should I provoke that Rickrey guy?" Devin asked that! "...?" Raye was confused by his words. ''Why would you even ask me that? I''m not an expert in that field.'' He said that in his head. But then... "Well, I would probably say something like¡ª" He proceeded to roast Rickrey in front of Devin. ***** In the arena... Terri was panting, his grip on his sword shaky. Sweat dripped down his face as he glared at Rickrey, who was still standing firm, his wooden staff resting on his shoulder. "Heh... is that all you got?" Rickrey taunted, taking a step forward. Terri gritted his teeth... Bam-! "HAAAH!!!" And then he lunged forward! SWISH¡ª! His wooden sword sliced through the air! But¡ª FWIP¡ª! Rickrey just sidestepped with ease to dodge! And then¡ª WHOOSH¡ª! He countered with a horizontal swing of his wooden staff! BAM¡ª! "GAAH¡ª!" Terri was hit on the right side of his torso! His body twisted from the impact, and his vision blurred! And before he knew it¡ª THUD¡ª! He collapsed onto the ground, unconscious. "..." Silence filled the arena for a moment. Then, after a while¡ª "Winner, Rickrey Marcos!" Charles'' voice echoed. "..." The students of Zion didn''t cheer, they remained silent. But out of courtesy... Clap- clap- clap¡ª They started clapping their hands for Rickrey. But then¡ª BAM¡ª! A loud impact rang out! Everyone''s eyes widened in shock! Rickrey had kicked Terri''s unconscious body out of the arena! "Wha?!" "Oh my god!" "Why did you do that?!" Gasps and shouts of outrage filled the stadium! Even Raye, Devin, and the others were on their feet, their expressions dark! "The hell?!" Devin clenched his fists, glaring at Rickrey. "That bastard..." Lycus muttered, his jaw tight. "..." Raye''s eyes were cold. And then¡ª "Rickrey!" Charles'' voice boomed across the arena. Everyone turned to him. Charles stood with his arms crossed, his expression neutral, but his clenched jaw showed his anger. "That was uncalled for. You won the match. Do not disgrace this tournament with unnecessary violence." He warned him! But Rickrey... He simply smirked. "My bad, my foot slipped." He said that with clear mockery. "You¡ª!" Lycus took a step forward, but Raye held him back. "Tch..." Devin clicked his tongue, his blood boiling. And looking at Rickrey... ''I''ll make sure you pay for that.'' He swore in his heart. Rickrey simply turned his back and walked away, raising his hand mockingly as if waving off the accusations. But one thing was certain... This tournament had just gotten more personal. "Devin." Raye called. "..." Devin silently looked at him. Then, with a frown on his face... "Tell this to that bastard for me¡ª" Raye started cursing and insulting Rickrey! "..." Devin remained focused, taking note of everything he had just said. Chapter 129 - 129: 129 - Devin versus Rickrey The final contestants of the tournament¡ªDevin and Rickrey, were given a few minutes to rest up and prepare themselves. They were also healed by the standby healer team of Zion. And then, after nearly half an hour... "Devin and Rickrey, please step onto the arena." Charles stood on top of one of the arenas and instructed that with a mana-enhanced voice! "Fuuu..." Devin let out a sigh as he stood up from being seated. He''s not nervous. As a matter of fact¡ª ''Let''s get this started already.'' He''s more than ready to go up there and fight Rickrey! "Beat the shit out of him." Devin heard Raye behind him. He looked back, and with a smile... "Yeah, count on me." He replied confidently. "Give him a good punch." Lycus followed. Then¡ª "We''ll be waiting for you." "Don''t take too long up there!" "Good luck!" Lena, Jerusha, and Sofia. They all had no doubt that Devin would win. Responding to their trust... "Wait for me, guys. I won''t take too long." Devin declared that! Tap¡ª Then he turned his back against them and started walking away. ***** Devin silently walked toward the arena. "Go, Devin!" "Beat his ass!" Many were cheering for him. He was happy to hear their encouragement. Though... "..." He decided to ignore them and focus on the upcoming match. Fwish¡ª Devin looked up at the arena. And beside Charles... "..." He saw Rickrey, standing casually with an arrogant smirk on his face. ''His face is just so punchable.'' Devin thought, keeping a poker face. ... Tap¡ª Devin stepped onto the arena. And after that... "..." He stood face-to-face with Rickrey in the middle. "Nice to see you again." Rickrey said to him with a smug smile. "..." Devin didn''t reply, but he''s clearly displeased. "Oh, the silent treatment, huh..." Rickrey mumbled. Anyway... "It''s starting..." "The final match." The students from the audience whispered as anticipation filled the arena. Then¡ª As total silence surrounded them... Devin opened his mouth¡ª "You know, you''re such a loser." And then he said that, looking at Rickrey in the face! His voice was calm, but there was a sharp edge to it! "...What?" Rickrey asked as a vein popped on his forehead. "You heard me." Tap- Devin took a step forward. "You had to drug me just to win last time. Pretty pathetic, don''t you think?" He asked with a small smile on his face. Rickrey''s fingers twitched. "You¡ª" "And let''s not forget how you kicked Terri despite him being already passed out." Devin chuckled. "That was cute. Trying so hard to act tough, you know you can''t win against him without the help of the students from the other academies." And then he declared that! "..." Rickrey''s face darkened as he fell silent. "Oh? Did I strike a nerve?" Devin tilted his head mockingly. "Tell me, does it feel good? Knowing that even after cheating, everyone still sees you as a fucking loser?" He asked. "Gurgh...!" Rickrey gritted his teeth. Swaaa~! His mana flared uncontrollably! Charles glanced at Rickrey and Devin, frowning. "Enough talking. Go to your positions." Then he instructed that. "..." After glaring at each other for a while... Tap- tap- tap¡ª Devin and Rickrey silently complied. Charles nodded his head seeing them like that. He opened his mouth to start the match. "Star¡ª" But before he could even fully finish¡ª BOOM¡ª!!! A huge fireball exploded from Rickrey''s wooden staff! SWOOSH¡ª A blazing sphere, nearly the size of a boulder, shot toward Devin at terrifying speed! "Wha?!" The crowd gasped in surprise. Though, Devin... ''Hah!'' He reacted instantly! He was already expecting such action from an enraged Rickrey! "[Fire Fist!]" Devin exclaimed! FWOOOSH¡ª! Then raging flames engulfed his hands! Tap- Fwip¡ª He stepped forward with his left foot and twisted his torso to the right! Then with all of his might¡ª BOOM¡ª!!! He punched the giant fireball with his right fist! A loud explosion rocked the arena! SWAAAA¡ª The giant fireball dissipated upon receiving the impact from Devin''s attack! Though, behind it¡ª Swoosh¡ª Rickrey appeared! Turns out that he only used the giant fireball to hide himself! "?!" Devin''s eyes widened seeing him. Then, as he was in the air¡ª FWOOSH¡ª! Rickrey swung his wooden staff with both hands, aiming at Devin''s head! Fwip- TWHACK-! Devin raised his mana-coated left arm and used it to shield his face! Then responding¡ª FWISH¡ª He threw a right straight toward Rickrey''s stomach! BAM! Rickrey blocked it with his left knee! Fwoosh¡ª But he was sent flying a few meters away after! Tap- Rickrey landed softly on the ground. Then, looking back at Devin again... "Tch¡ª" He just clicked his tongue in annoyance. On the other hand... Fwip¡ª Devin lightly shook his right hand, it was a bit sore after punching Rickrey''s mana-enhanced knee. Though, ignoring the pain... "Attacking before the professor could even finish his words, huh. I couldn''t expect less from a coward such as you." Devin muttered that. "Though, you could''ve at least tried to land a hit, you know?" And then he provocatively followed with a smug smile on his face! ***** "..." Rickrey remained silent, he decided not to respond to Devin''s words. And noticing this¡ª "Hmm..." ''Time to do what Raye had told me.'' Devin thought of that! Then, opening his mouth¡ª "See what would''ve happened if I wasn''t drugged back then? Notice the difference between us?" He asked that! "You wouldn''t stand a chance against me." He said with a shrug. "You tried to become good at close combat and magic, overestimating your talent¡ªnow look at you, you''re mediocre at both of them." He added! Devin just wouldn''t stop! Then, to finish it off¡ª ''Time for Raye''s special message.'' Devin said that in his head. "Just accept it, no matter how hard you try¡ªyour younger brother''s talent is way above yours. He''s special unlike you, that''s why he was chosen to be the next family head despite being younger than you." And then he declared that! "He took your spot in a flash, your parents didn''t even hesitate to take it from you and give it to your brother, hah!" Devin continued. And just then¡ª "SHUT UP!!!" Rickrey snapped and shouted that, his face looking like he was ready to kill someone! ''Oh, Raye is really good at this.'' Devin thought to himself. "DIEEE!!!" SWOOSH¡ª! Rickrey''s mana erupted violently! Then, opening his mouth¡ª "[FLAME BARRAGE!]" BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! A storm of blazing projectiles exploded from Rickrey''s staff! Each fireball was fast, powerful, and merciless! Fwoosh¡ª Devin dodged one of them! Then, he twisted his body¡ª Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Bam! And deflected another with his flaming fists! Fwip- FWISH¡ª Devin moved through the barrage, barely avoiding the deadly flames! Then, one step at a time¡ª Tap- He was closing the distance between him and his opponent! ''Tch¡ª! Just go down already!'' Rickrey''s frustration grew. SWOOSH¡ª! He launched more fireballs, faster and stronger! But¡ª ''Yep, Raye''s provoking method should be classified as magic.'' Swish- Devin just easily weaved through them! A sharp gaze in his eyes¡ª And then¡ª Fwish-! He slid past the last projectile! And in an instant¡ª He reached Rickrey! "Huh?!" Rickrey panicked! "Shit¡ª!" He desperately tried to ward Devin off! Swoosh! Rickrey swung his wooden staff vertically upward! Though¡ª Twhack- Devin just caught it with his left hand! "Wrong move, shithead." And after saying that¡ª BOOM¡ª!!! His flaming right fist slammed and exploded into Rickrey''s face! The impact echoed throughout the arena! "UAAAAGH!" Rickrey''s body was sent flying! Bam¡ª thud- He crashed onto the ground, rolling multiple times before stopping! Szzzzz¡ª Smoke rose from Rickrey''s burnt cheek. "..." The whole area went silent. "Keuk..." Rickrey trembled as he slowly pushed himself up. His rage¡ª It was overflowing! "Y-YOU...!!!" His mana exploded violently! FWOOOOOSH!¡ª The entire arena shook! Rickrey''s eyes glowed bright red. "THAT''S IT! I''LL KILL YOU!!!" He raised his staff high! "[INFERNAL STORM!]" And after shouting that¡ª SWAAAAAAAAAAAA¡ª A tornado made of flames was summoned in front of Rickrey! "HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!" Rickrey started laughing maniacally like a madman. He was ready to end Devin with this magic! But before the storm could even fully manifest¡ª Swish¡ª Devin appeared to his right! "?!" Rickrey was surprised by this. But responding quickly¡ª "[Firebal¡ª!] He tried to blast Devin away! Though, he was a second too late! "[Azure Fist]" Devin muttered. FWOOOSH¡ª!!! Then, with an angry expression on his face¡ª BAM-! He punched Rickrey straight in the nose with his right fist covered in blue raging flame! BOOM! "GAHHH?!" And he slammed Rickrey''s body straight onto the floor! CRACK-! The concrete floor cracked from the impact! And with that... "..." Rickrey lost consciousness! His nose was crushed and his face was covered by his own blood! "..." Fwoosh- Devin stood straight as he looked at Rickrey''s ragdoll body planted on the floor. "That''s payback, you bastard." He said calmly. Then¡ª Fwish- He looked at Charles! "Ah...!" And Charles, snapping out of shock¡ª "Winner, Devin Dustin!" He announced that! "WAAAAAAAHHHH!!!" "WHOAAAAAHH!!!" Cheers erupted from the crowd after! "Fuuuuu..." Devin let out a sigh, calming his body and mind down after making sure of his win. And then, looking in the direction where Raye and the others were¡ª "I WON!" Devin exclaimed, raising his fist in the air and smiling proudly! "CONGRATULATIONS!!!" Raye and the others shouted in unison to respond to him. "Haha..." Devin laughed, he was happily waving to his friends. Chapter 130 - 130: 130 - Another Tournament! "DEVIN! DEVIN! DEVIN!¡ª" "CONGRATS!!!" "I KNEW YOU WOULD WIN!" "UGH...! HEALER SIR, MY EARDRUMS POPPED AGAIN!!!" The audience roared upon the announcement of Devin''s victory. The match lasted for barely three minutes, but the exchanges were so tense that everyone went silent throughout the fight! They only let out a sound when they cheered for Devin! ''Man, this is nice.'' Devin thought to himself. And with that¡ª Tap- tap- tap¡ª He started walking down the arena. Though, before he could even leave¡ª "Where are you going?" Charles asked him that. "Huh?" Devin stopped in his tracks and looked back at his professor, confused. Then¡ª "You will be awarded here and now by the headmaster." Charles casually declared that! "?!" Devin''s eyes widened as he heard that. Then, before he could even respond¡ª "Good work out there." He heard a voice in front of him! And when he looked at the source of it¡ª "Ah..." Devin saw Brian Blackwood, the Headmaster, standing dignified just a few inches away from him! "Let''s go to the middle, shall we?" Brian asked Devin, a big smile on his face. ''Hah! See this, you suckers from the other academies? We''re still the strongest!'' This was what was in the Headmaster''s mind at the moment, by the way. Anyway... "Oh, okay." Devin responded to Brian and complied. Tap- tap- tap¡ª The two of them walked to the middle of the arena. "..." Charles bowed his head to Brian as a greeting, then, after grabbing Rickrey by the neck¡ª Bam- He jumped down with him from the arena! Tap- Brian, with Devin on his right side, then faced the crowd. "..." The students went silent as his overwhelming presence covered the whole area. "Ahem..." Brian let out a fake cough, his voice echoed and were heard by everyone. Then, with a deep breath¡ª "As all of you know, this tournament is not only a test of strength but also a test of perseverance, skill, and resolve!" His voice boomed, carrying a weight that made the students straighten their backs! "And today, Devin Dustin has proven himself in all of these aspects!" Brian declared. "WHOOOOOOAHHH!!!" "DEVIIIIN!!" "CONGRATULATIONS!!!" The students cheered again, but with a simple raise of Brian''s hand¡ª Fwip- "Oof..." "Uup...!" "..." They went silent. ''See this people from the other academies? Our students are the best!'' Brian nodded his head in satisfaction. Then, opening his mouth again¡ª "In recognition of his efforts, I am awarding him a third-tier scholarship. And, as of this moment, he will join the ranks of the S-Class!" Brian announced that with a smile! "!!!" Gasps of shock filled the stadium. And before anyone could react further¡ª Brian turned to Devin. "You''ve earned this. Make the most of it." He said! Fwip- Brian extended his hand. Devin looked at it, then¡ª Clasp¡ª He shook it. "WAAHHHH!!!" The crowd erupted once more! And at that moment¡ª ''My first step.'' Devin Dustin had made his first move in reviving his household! ***** "Wow, Devin''s our classmate now." Lycus mumbled after hearing Brian''s announcement. "Yeah..." Raye replied. ''In the game, the S-Class only have ten students until the end of the story.'' He thought. "Guess he''s an anomaly now like me, huh." Then he whispered that to himself, wearing a smile. Anyway... "Well, he''s as strong or even stronger than our classmates, so I already expected this to happen sooner or later." Lena said that. "That''s true, you three aren''t far from each other in terms of strength too." Jerusha commented. "Aren''t you guys glad? You three are together now in S-class!" Sofia added. "Ugh, you four are classmates... I''m jealous." And then she followed that. "Me too, if only I was a grade lower..." Jerusha mumbled. She was slightly glancing at Raye when he said that. Then, together with Sofia¡ª "Haaaaa..." They let out a sad sigh. ... ***** "Guys, I''m back!" Devin exclaimed with a smile as he arrived where his friends were. "Good job out there." Raye greeted him. "Yeah, congrats, Devin." Lena said, smiling. "You were amazing in that fight." Lycus commented. "You totally dominated him. That was insane!" Sofia chimed in. "As expected of someone joining S-Class." Then, Jerusha said with a smirk. "Haha, thanks, everyone." Devin scratched the back of his head, feeling a little embarrassed by all the praise. "I really appreciate your support." He said. And while blushing¡ª "I''m glad I met you all." He declared that! "Hehe..." Jerusha giggled happily. Sofia grinned. Raye, Lycus, and Lena just smiled. They were happy to hear such words from Devin. Anyway, embarrassed... Fwip¡ª Devin plopped down onto his seat, beside Raye. And at that moment¡ª Tap¡ª Brian, the Headmaster, took a step forward, still standing atop the arena. "..." The entire stadium fell silent again, all eyes fixed on him. "Now, before we conclude this tournament..." Brian''s deep voice echoed through the place again. "I would like to remind you all of something important." His gaze swept over the students. "As you know, our academy does not exist in isolation. We stand alongside three other great institutions, each filled with students who, like you, strive to be the best!" He announced. A friendly competition between the four academies... It was an unspoken battlefield where pride, strength, and prestige were at stake. "Every now and then, we test our mettle against them." Brian continued, his tone calm yet commanding. "And this year will be no different!" The students listened intently. Some clenched their fists in anticipation. Others swallowed nervously. "Make no mistake, this is not just about winning." Brian said. He didn''t mean it¡ªit was all about winning for him. He was just saying all these flowery words to annoy the other academies! Then, with a mischievous smirk on his face¡ª "This is about proving that our academy¡ªyour academy¡ªis still the greatest!" He boldly announced that! S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "..." And the spirits of the students of Zion ignited in silence! Brian used this opportunity to annoy the competing academies while also encouraging his students! It was hitting two birds with one stone! ''Ahh, this feels good.'' Brian thought with a sly smile. Everyone thought he was done with his speech. But then, opening his mouth again... "Ah, one more thing." Brian remembered something. And casually¡ª "The second part of the competition between the elite classes will also be a tournament like this one, just with different rules." He dropped that news! "Wha?!" "Huh?!" Everyone was surprised, of course. They had expected the next part to be another round of monster hunting! "I know what you guys were expecting, but because someone went the extra mile and eliminated half the competitors... We, along with the other three academies, decided to speed things up with this." Brian explained, glancing at Raye with a smile mid-speech. And upon hearing his words... Fwish¡ª "..." Everyone''s eyes turned to Raye! ''Ugh, this would''ve happened even without me! Leon and the others still would''ve eliminated half of them!'' Raye exclaimed in his head. Anyway, continuing... "It''ll start the day after tomorrow, and the rules will be announced on the same day." Brian said that. Then¡ª "That''s all, you''re all dismissed." He followed up and simply started walking away! "..." Leaving the students speechless! Though¡ª "WAAHHH!!!" "ANOTHER TOURNAMENT LIKE THIS!!!" They later started celebrating in excitement! "After watching Devin win, I''m getting fired up for this." Lycus said as a smile threatened to appear on his face. "This will be an interesting one..." Lena muttered, her eyes gleaming. She was excited to fight too. "Good luck, you guys!" Sofia shouted in a cheerful voice. "We''ll be there cheering for you!" Jerusha was excited for Raye and the others too. Meanwhile¡ª "..." Raye just kept silent. But cracking his neck¡ª ''Hmm, time to make a name for myself, huh.'' He declared that in his head! Just then... "Aren''t you excited, Raye?" Devin asked. "Huh?" Raye looked at him. Then, thinking about it... "Well, it does excite me a bit." He mumbled. Moving on... Tap¡ª Tap¡ª Tap¡ª The students began filing out of the venue, still buzzing with excitement about the upcoming event. And as Raye and the others saw that¡ª They exchanged glances. "...We should probably leave and prepare." Lena spoke. "Yeah." "I agree." The others replied. And with that... They decided to leave too. ... As they were walking¡ª "Maybe it''ll be a team battle?" Lena suggested that. "They wouldn''t just repeat a one-on-one tournament, right?" "I don''t think they''d make it that simple." Jerusha and Sofia added. "There''s gotta be a twist." Lycus mumbled. "Yeah, I feel the same way." Devin nodded. Then, stretching his arms¡ª "Well, whatever it is, we''ll just deal with it when the time comes." Raye casually said that. "Ehh, true." "We wouldn''t even know if we guessed right." The others responded with a shrug. "Anyway, we should probably train tomorrow." Lycus suggested, looking at Raye and Devin. The two looked back at him. "Hmm... I''m down." Devin replied. "Same here." Raye simply followed. They continued walking down the path, the cool breeze brushing against their faces. Then¡ª Fwip¡ª Raye suddenly stopped in his tracks. "Hm?" The others looked at him, confused. "Something wrong?" Jerusha asked. "I just remembered..." Raye muttered. "...?" The others waited for him to continue. Then, after a short pause... "Kyle said we should go to the shop after this to celebrate. He was confident Devin would win, so yeah... He prepared something." He said that! And happily¡ª "Alright!" "Free food!" "What are we waiting for? Let''s go!" They all headed to Kyle''s shop. Chapter 131 - 131: 131 - Brawl [3] After partying and celebrating with Devin and the others in Kyle''s shop. "I''m back." Raye returned to the cabin. "Oh, you''re pretty early, huh? I was just about to make dinner." Old Man Rey said, seeing Raye. -Meep! Then, a floating fireball on top of his head chirped. It was Pyro. He was bragging about the fact that he was helping the Old Man. He was lighting firewood to cook on... ''That was one of my chores when I was taken in by the Old Man way back then.'' Raye thought, feeling nostalgic. Just then¡ª Fwoosh¡ª -What''s that? A ball of cotton flew in front of Raye and asked that. It was Zephyrus. He was looking at the paper bag in Raye''s right hand. "Hm?" -Meep? Old Man Rey and Pyro followed Zephyrus'' gaze. "Ah..." Raye then looked at the paper bag in his hand too. He had forgotten about it. Swish¡ª After that, he looked at the Old Man. And with a small smile on his face¡ª "That''s right. You don''t need to cook tonight, Old Man." Raye said that. "I bought something from Kyle''s shop. It''s for us four." He added. "Oh, that''s good! Better start preparing the table then." Old Man Rey replied. "Pyro, extinguish the fire." He instructed. -Meep! Fwish¡ª Then Pyro followed. He killed the fire with little to no effort! Fwip¡ª Old Man Rey started preparing the table. And seeing him do that¡ª "I''ll help." -Me too. Raye and Zephyrus followed. ... They fixed the table and sat down to eat. The aroma of the roasted meats from Kyle''s shop filled the cabin, and as they started eating¡ª "As usual, his food is always good." Old Man Rey commented, nodding in approval. "Yeah, Kyle never disappoints." Raye replied as he took another bite. Kyle''s beef skewers had a special place in his heart too, including the Old Man''s rabbit stew. After all¡ª ''This is the first food that filled my stomach when I got here.'' Raye thought, a smile on his face. By the way... Raye didn''t eat much at Devin''s celebration party earlier so that he could still eat dinner with the Old Man, Zephyrus, and Pyro. Moving on¡ª -Meep! Pyro chimed in, happily munching on his share. -Nom... nom... nom... Zephyrus, meanwhile, just enjoyed the meal in silence. ***** After dinner¡ª Raye leaned back in his chair and stretched. "That was great." He sighed in satisfaction. Then¡ª "By the way, Old Man, Devin won the tournament." He brought that up. Old Man Rey raised a brow. "That brat, Devin, huh? Well, good for him." Then, with a nod¡ª "I''ll congratulate him myself tomorrow." He said that, smirking slightly. Raye smiled. "Yeah, he''ll probably like that." And after saying that¡ª Fwip¡ª Raye got up. "Alright, I''m heading to bed." He muttered. It was earlier than usual, but Raye felt more tired than normal today for some reason. "Goodnight, Old Man." Raye mumbled. "Yeah, yeah. Goodnight, brat. I''ll stay here for a while for some fresh air." Then, Old Man Rey waved him off. After that¡ª Tap- tap- tap¡ª Creak¡ª Raye went straight to his room. -Sleepy... -Meeep... Zephyrus and Pyro followed after him. "Hup..." Puff¡ª Raye immediately jumped on his bed, and the two followed suit, landing beside him. The three of them lay down, closed their eyes, and not long after¡ª "..." -Mhm... -Mee...eep... They fell asleep. ... ***** The next day... "Can''t laze around today." Raye woke up early and started doing his chores in the morning. His day went on like normal. Chopping logs... Having breakfast with Old Man Rey, Pyro, and Zephyrus... Then, hunting in the forest and returning to the cabin to have lunch. ''Doing these things used to be so hard.'' Raye thought to himself. He was so used to his rough routine now that he felt weird when he wasn''t doing them. Anyway... He was currently in the river near the cabin, bathing. -This is refreshing... Zephyrus was with him, doing the same. "..." Raye ignored him floating in the water like a white ball. Then, looking down at his body¡ª "Yep, I like what I''m seeing." Raye mumbled that with a smile! His body¡ªit looked like the body of a veteran soldier! It was covered in small and large scars. His muscles were well-toned and well-defined! This was the result of his hard work and all the shits he went through! ''I looked like a fucking twig before. I was about to fly in the air back then, not because of magic.'' Raye sarcastically thought. "Now, this body is way better than what I had in my original body." And then he whispered that under his breath. Even Raye himself was amazed by the change that had happened to him! "Haha, sometimes I still can''t believe my situation." He muttered. A lot of things had happened to him ever since he came into this world more than half a year ago. "Though..." ''There are still more to come.'' Raye declared in his head. "..." He was thinking of a game scenario that involved demons. And this specific scenario in his mind... It would happen in the near future! "Why can''t the demons just stay low?" Raye grumbled, frowning. Anyway... "Whatever." Raye stopped thinking about it as it was just making his head hurt. It wasn''t like he could stop it from happening anyway. So with that¡ª He just continued on bathing. ... ***** After bathing in the river and dressing up... Raye headed to the library and studied there for a bit, just like normal. He knew there was a big event happening tomorrow, the tournament. But he just wasn''t nervous at all, so he didn''t feel the need to train more than usual. And after that... "Ah, Brother Raye, you''re here again!" He went and visited Kyle''s shop. "Yeah, how are you and your family doing?" Raye asked. Then, the two of them started catching up on each other''s lives. They hadn''t had a proper talk for the past couple of weeks, after all. Raye and Kyle talked for hours. They would only stop when there were a lot of customers and Kyle''s employees weren''t enough to handle them all. But nevertheless, despite the pauses¡ª "It was nice talking to you." "Yeah, I had fun too." They enjoyed their conversation. Then, around 5 PM... After saying goodbye to each other¡ª "I''ll come visit again." "See you then!" Raye left the shop and started heading back to the cabin. Oh¡ª "I''m excited for our free-for-all training! Get ready to be beaten, you guys!" Devin was with him, by the way. "Wow, your confidence really shot up high after winning the tournament, huh?" Raye said to Devin, smirking. Then, before Devin could even respond¡ª "Just wait till I put you in your place." Raye added that, his confidence was way higher than Devin''s! ***** After minutes of walking¡ª "Oh, you guys are finally here." Raye and Devin got back to the cabin. Lycus was there, sitting on a tree stump on the ground, waiting for them. "Did you wait long?" Raye asked him. And shaking his head... "Just got here too not long." Lycus responded. Then, impatient¡ª "What are you guys waiting for, let''s go!" Devin suddenly exclaimed that. "..." "..." Raye and Lycus just looked at him. And seeing him all excited... "Ehh, okay." "Sure, let''s go." Raye and Lycus replied respectively. "Nice!" Devin shouted with a bright smile. And with that... Tap- tap- tap¡ª The three of them entered the Northern Forest. ... They''re headed to the same place where they usually hold their sparring matches like this one. The sun was starting to set, casting an orange glow over the trees as the leaves rustled softly in the wind. S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. They walked deeper into the forest, their footsteps crunching against the dirt and fallen leaves. Soon¡ª They arrived at the familiar clearing. A wide, open space surrounded by tall trees, their branches forming a natural dome overhead. This was their battlefield. "Alright." Raye rolled his shoulders. "Let''s warm up first." He said. Then, Devin and Lycus nodded. They all began stretching, loosening their muscles for what was about to come. And after a few minutes¡ª "Alright, we''re ready." Devin said, cracking his knuckles. Lycus simply nodded, his usual composed expression on his face. Raye took a deep breath. Then¡ª The three of them took their positions. They stood at least ten meters away from each other, forming a rough triangle. "..." A heavy silence fell over the clearing. Fwoooo~ The tension in the air was almost suffocating. "..." Clench¡ª Raye and Lycus tightened the grip on their weapons. Raye has [Celestria] on his left hand as an elegant white sword, then [Nyx] on his right. "Fuuuu..." Clank- Devin let out a sigh, banging the knuckles of his metal gauntlet together to calm himself down. Each of them focused on the others, watching for even the slightest movement. Then, after a few moments of silence¡ª ""START!"" They all shouted that at the same time! BAM- WHOOSH¡ª And they dashed at each other in an instant! Their free-for-all training had begun! Chapter 132 - 132: 132 - Brawl [4] ""START!"" Raye, Lycus, and Devin shouted in unison, starting their match! And as soon as it started¡ª BAM! WHOOSH¡ª They all kicked off the ground and dashed forward! The three of them were going to meet in the middle! Tap¡ª Raye reached the middle a second faster than the other two. And with his feet safely planted on the ground¡ª SWOOSH¡ª He swung [Nyx] horizontally, straight from his left to right! "Urgh...!" "...!" Devin and Lycus frowned, seeing that! ''Ugh, he''s annoyingly fast!'' They exclaimed in their heads, cursing Raye''s speed! Bam¡ª Lycus and Devin used their left foot as an anchor to forcefully stop their advance! And with that¡ª SWISH¡ª They both crouched down to avoid Raye''s attack! Then, as a counter¡ª Fwip¡ª Lycus held the dagger in his right hand in a saber grip¡ª Fwish¡ª And thrust it forward, aiming at Raye''s stomach! ''Always quick with the response, Lycus!'' Raye said in his head. CLANG¡ª! And then he parried Lycus'' dagger to the side using [Celestria]! "..." Lycus already expected this to happen and was about to launch another attack with the dagger in his left hand. Though¡ª ''Don''t forget about me!'' FWOOSH¡ª Devin, who was crouching on his right side, unleashed a fierce right straight! "?!" Lycus'' eyes widened at this, and instead of attacking Raye¡ª CLANK¡ª! He was forced to block Devin''s fist! Bam¡ª Lycus jumped to his left to soften the impact and get some breathing distance from the two. Bam¡ª Devin jumped back too after that, leaving Raye in the middle of them! "..." The three silently looked at each other again. Then¡ª "..." Lycus'' and Devin''s gazes met! Devin slightly tilted his head toward Raye, signaling Lycus to team up and defeat him first. ''Okay.'' And as a response, Lycus nodded his head! ''Sweet.'' Devin thought as a small smile appeared on his face. ''In our match this time, we''re allowed to use magic and skills as much as we want.'' He added. Devin plans to pincer Raye with Lycus, and after reaching him¡ª ''I''ll use [Azure Fist]...'' Devin declared that in his head! ''Raye might have a fire resistance skill or whatever, but I bet it''s not invincible.'' ''Really strong or hot fire can still hurt him.'' He calmly concluded in his head. And he was actually right about this! Devin''s [Azure Fist] was strong enough too to pierce through Raye''s fire resistance! So with that plan in mind... Fwip¡ª Devin fixed his stance. Then, with a smile on his face¡ª ''Now!'' He exclaimed that in his head and decided to dash toward Raye! Though, before he could even lift his feet off the ground¡ª "[Flash]" He suddenly heard that! And Raye, who was originally standing a few meters away from him¡ª Fwish¡ª Appeared in front of him! "?!" Devin was surprised. Fwish¡ª He immediately raised his arms to cross them and block! But before he could even fully move his arms¡ª "[Blaze]" SWOOSH¡ª TAANG¡ª!! Raye''s flaming black sword hit his left arm! A loud sound of metal clashing was produced! Crack¡ª Then Devin felt something break in his arm! "Urgh...?!" He groaned as his face cringed in pain. But ignoring that¡ª Tap¡ª He strictly placed his left foot forward, near Raye! And after twisting his body to the right¡ª "GRAAAAAHHH!!!" SWOOOSH¡ª Devin unleashed a heavy strike with his right fist! "[AZURE FIST!]" He exclaimed mid-attack! SWAAAAAAAA¡ª And blue flames covered his right hand! Then opening his mouth¡ª "TAKE THIS!!!" Devin shouted that! Looking at him... S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ''Your swing is too big. You should''ve considered my speed.'' Raye casually said that in his head! Whoosh¡ª And then he transformed [Celestria] from a sword to a beautiful gauntlet covering his left hand! And with it¡ª BAANG!!! He caught Devin''s fist! And smoothly¡ª Swish¡ª Raye redirected and used the force behind the attack, throwing Devin over his shoulder! "Huh?" Devin was surprised! But before he could even process what happened¡ª BAM! His back slammed onto the ground! "KEUK...?!" Confused, Devin groaned and frowned. His back hurt like hell! Then, when he opened his eyes... Fwip¡ª "..." He saw Raye''s flaming sword, [Nyx], aimed at his face! "Haaaaaa..." Devin sighed in resignation. And with a small smile on his face... "I lost." He simply declared that! "Don''t use big attacks on fast opponents." Fwish¡ª Raye said as he watched Devin stand up. He withdrew his sword now too. "Got it." Devin replied, nodding his head. And after standing up... Fwish¡ª fwish¡ª He dusted off dirt on his shirt. "Ugh, my left arm hurts... Raye, you idiot..." Devin grumbled, holding his left arm. Then after that... "You guys have fun, I''ll watch from the sidelines now." He said that while walking away! He was talking to Raye and Lycus, who were left to fight! ... After Devin got to the side¡ª "Thanks for not attacking while I was fighting Devin." Raye said that with a smirk, looking at Lycus. Then with a casual shrug... "I just let you guys fight because you two are my opponents. One of you would eliminate the other one, and the one left¡ªThey''ll be tired." Lycus muttered that, acting all smug. "Haha, that''s smart." Fwip¡ª Raye complimented him while taking a fighting stance. And opening his mouth again¡ª "Don''t worry, though..." "I''m not tired." Raye declared that slyly! He sounded really arrogant and cheeky when he said that! ''Man, I really need to learn how to annoy people from Raye. It''ll definitely come in handy when I want to provoke my opponents in future.'' Devin thought to himself as he sat down on the ground, stretching his legs out to get comfortable. Then, as he watched Raye and Lycus lock eyes... ''Anyway, I should watch carefully. If I lose focus, I might miss something important.'' "When these two fight, it''s always fast-paced. Blink once, and you''ll miss a lot of things." Devin declared that! His eyes glowed in anticipation! Meanwhile... "..." Raye and Lycus just silently stared at each other. Swoosh~ The wind blew on their faces as the atmosphere surrounding them grew heavier. They were a few meters apart, each carefully watching the other''s next move. Then, after a few moments of silence... BAM! Lycus dashed toward Raye without saying a word! Chapter 133 - 133: 133 - Brawl [5] BAM! Lycus dashed toward Raye without hesitation. And when he reached him¡ª SLASH¡ª He threw a fast swing with the dagger in his right hand! Fwish¡ª Raye dodged it by slightly retreating his torso. And as a response¡ª SWISH¡ª He launched a swift counter with the flaming [Nyx], aiming at Lycus'' neck! Fwoosh¡ª Lycus ran toward Raye''s left side to get out of the attack''s range. Then from there¡ª Swoosh¡ª He slashed in a horizontal arc with the dagger in his left hand, aiming for Raye''s ribs! Raye, anticipating the attack¡ª TING¡ª Parried it with [Celestria] that was formed as a gauntlet in his left hand! Fwoosh- Then he thrust his sword toward Lycus'' stomach! CLANG¡ª! Lycus received the blade of Raye''s sword with the same dagger he used to attack just now! And to nullify the impact that he would''ve received¡ª Swish¡ª He rotated his body to his left, going back in front of Raye! Then, making use of his spin too¡ª SWOOSH¡ª Lycus performed a heavy, spinning slash with his right dagger! Though¡ª TINK! Raye just caught his weapon mid-attack with his left hand! And from the thrust attack that he just did¡ª SLASH¡ª Raye followed with a horizontal slash from his left to right! His sword would cut Lycus in half if nothing was done! "...?!" A frown appeared on Lycus'' face as soon as he realized that! Swish- TIIING¡ª He immediately placed the dagger in his left hand to his right side of the torso to block Raye''s attack! Then, as the two of them had both their hands occupied¡ª BAM¡ª!!! They both launched knee kicks at the same time! Their knees collided, and both their attacks were halted! "Tch¡ª" They clicked their tongues in unison. BAM¡ª And then they both jumped back, distancing themselves from each other! Tap¡ª Raye landed softly on the ground. He looked at Lycus and saw him looking back at him. Then, smiling¡ª "Hah!" Raye let out a laugh. "None of our attacks went through, huh." He mumbled. And with a shrug of his shoulders¡ª "That''s because you wouldn''t lower your goddamn guard even for a second." Lycus responded, smirking. "Ehh, you do that first and I''ll consider doing the same." Raye followed. Then, taking his fighting stance again¡ª "No thanks." Lycus mumbled. "Too bad, then." Raye replied, fixing his stance too. And without further ado¡ª "[Flash]" He muttered. SWISH¡ª Then he suddenly appeared in front of Lycus! ''Ugh, you speed devil!'' Lycus exclaimed in his head. TAAANG-!!! And then he crossed his daggers in front of him to block the left straight Raye had thrown! "Urgh...!" Lycus groaned as he felt the force of Raye''s attack in his arms. But steeling himself through that¡ª "Heh." Lycus laugh! "...?" This confused Raye. "The moon''s out, huh." But when he heard Lycus say that¡ª "!!!" His eyes widened! It was about 6 PM, and it was getting dark. The moon was also a bit visible from Lycus'' spot. ''Fuck!'' Raye cursed in his head, realizing what Lycus was about to do! FWOOSH¡ª He thrust his sword forward in a desperate attempt to stop his plan! But just before Raye''s blade could reached Lycus¡ª "[Moonlit Reaper]" Lycus muttered that with a smirk! And when Raye''s attack made contact with him¡ª Swoosh¡ª His body just dissolved like a shadow! And now, Lycus was nowhere to be found! "Fucking hell, that''s cheating." Raye whispered to himself, smiling. SLASH¡ª And then he did a full spin slash attack! Though... Swoosh- His sword hit nothing but the air! ''This stealth skill of his is annoying.'' Raye thought, looking around, trying to find Lycus. "..." He remained vigilant, watching out for an attack that might come from anywhere and at any time! Though, just then¡ª Fwip- He felt something cold on his neck. S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "?!" Raye was surprised. Then, when he glanced down... "..." He saw a sharp dagger pressed against his neck! ''I didn''t even know he was near me.'' Raye said in his head. Lycus was standing behind him! And with a mischievous smile on his face¡ª "I win." Lycus declared! "Ughhh..." Raye just sighed, hearing him. Fwip- Then Lycus retrieved his weapon. "Wow, good job, Lycus!" Devin shouted from the sideline, smiling. "Hahahahaha!" He was laughing at Raye. "That''s bullshit!" Raye exclaimed, looking at Lycus. "I would''ve sensed that attack and stopped it if there was a murderous intent behind it." He grumbled. "But because you don''t really hate or want to kill me, you got near without me noticing." And then he added, feeling wronged. "I don''t know what you''re talking about." Lycus shamelessly replied, smiling as if to mock Raye. And seeing him like that¡ª "Ugh..." Raye just decided to let it go and stop talking. "Haha, even I don''t know if that was unfair or not." Devin said, standing up and walking toward the two. ... ***** After their free-for-all match... The three of them continued training. Not by fighting again. Instead, they started sharing ideas and tricks with each other and practicing them. Techniques, stances, blocking, attacking, parrying, and many more! They took turns demonstrating different techniques, focusing on refining the smaller details! Raye showed Lycus a more fluid way to transition between attacks, while Lycus helped Raye improve his parrying timing. Devin, though not as skilled with swords, offered suggestions on speed and agility, which were surprisingly useful. As the sun began to set, they paused to catch their breath. The air was filled with the sound of their heavy breathing, a sign of the intensity of their training. And after a while... "Alright, I think that''s enough for today." Raye said that, wiping the sweat from his forehead. "We''ve still got things to do tomorrow." He followed. "Mhm, that''s right." Lycus nodded his head. "Training with you two is really enjoyable, that was fun." Devin commented with a smile. And with a final stretch... They all agreed to call it a day. And just then¡ª Rustle- rustle- rustle¡ª "Oh, here you guys are..." Jerusha appeared from the woods! And looking at them three¡ª "Mister said that the dinner will be done soon." She declared that with a sweet smile! The three of them stood immediately as soon as they heard that and went back to the cabin with Jerusha. Chapter 134 - 134: 134 - Talent [1] Around 7 PM... Raye, Devin, Lycus, and Jerusha got back to the cabin. "Oh, you kids are here. Help me prepare the table so we can eat." Old Man Rey greeted them. "Sure, let us handle it." Raye replied to him. "Mhm." Lycus, Devin, and Jerusha nodded their heads with a smile on their faces as a response. And with that... Fwish¡ª They started preparing the food that the Old Man cooked and setting up the table. And after they were done... "Pyro, Zephyrus! Dinner is ready!" Old Man Rey exclaimed that. Fwish¡ª -meep! -We''re here! And when the two arrived and landed on the table... "Okay, let''s eat." The Old Man said. ""Thanks for the food."" Raye, Jerusha, and Lycus mumbled. "Thanks!" Devin exclaimed. -Meep! -Thank you for the dinner. Pyro and Zephyrus followed. And then¡ª Nom¡ª The seven of them started eating. ... As they were eating... "Ah..." Old Man Rey remembered something. "...?" Raye and the others stopped eating and glanced at him, curious. Then, opening his mouth¡ª "I forgot to say earlier, but congratulations on winning the tournament yesterday, Devin." The Old Man declared, looking at Devin! -meep meep! -Oh, good job. Pyro and Zephyrus congratulated him too! And hearing them... "Haha, thanks." Devin bashfully replied, smiling ear to ear! Raye, Jerusha, and Lycus smiled too. They were happy for him. They all then continued eating while talking about the tournament. ***** After having dinner... Devin and Lycus cleaned up the table and dishes. And when they finished, around 8 PM... "We''ll be going now." "Bye!" They decided to head back to their dorm. "See you tomorrow!" "Bye." Jerusha and Raye saw them off. Then, after saying their goodbyes... Fwish¡ª Devin and Lycus turned their backs against them and started walking away. "They look like a married couple, and we''re just some friends who visited them and are about to leave." Lycus whispered to Devin, glancing back and seeing Raye and Jerusha standing side by side, waving at them. "..." Lycus waved back at them, smiling. "Right? How can they not be dating?" Devin whispered back, waving to Raye and Jerusha too. Then¡ª "... " Lycus and Devin looked at each other. And after a while... "Meh." They just shrugged their shoulders and decided not to think about it any further. ''They''ll come around.'' Devin thought. Then, glancing at Lycus... ''Hopefully, he''ll come around too.'' He added that! ... After Devin and Lycus left¡ª "Urgh...!" Raye started training again with spirits. "Just a little more concentration..." Jerusha was with him. Anyway, Raye was trying to change the size of Zephyrus. -... Zephyrus had a frown on his face, feeling slight stings all over his body. Then, after a while¡ª Fwish¡ª He became slightly smaller! And seeing that¡ª "Ah! You did it!" Jerusha exclaimed excitedly! Fwoop¡ª Raye retreated his mana, and with a smile... "Haaaaaa..." He let out an exhausted sigh. Then, glancing at Jerusha¡ª "Thanks for staying with me." Raye said that. But Jerusha, crossing her arms¡ª "Don''t mention it. It''s nothing special." She just brushed it off, smiling sweetly. Meanwhile, as the two of them were talking... -Listen, Pyro. Zephyrus called out to the little fire spirit. -Meep? Pyro tilted his head, looking at him. Fwoosh¡ª Zephyrus flew closer to him. And opening his beak¡ª -You need to get stronger too, not just Raye, your contractor. He declared that! -meep... Pyro blinked, slightly surprised. -If Raye grows but you stay weak, you''ll just be a burden to him in battle. Then Zephyrus added, folding his tiny wings. Hearing that¡ª -Meep! Pyro immediately shook his head! He doesn''t want to be a burden! And with a resolute expression on his face¡ª -Meep. Pyro chirped. Zephyrus nodded, seeing his face. And with a smile¡ª -Good... -Then let''s begin, I''ll teach you a few tricks on how to get stronger. He said that! -Meep! Pyro nodded eagerly. And with that... Raye, Zephyrus, Pyro, and even Jerusha¡ªthe four of them continued training for a bit more! ... 9 PM arrived... Jerusha decided to head back to her dorm. "I''ll accompany you back again today." Raye muttered. And while smiling ear to ear and blushing¡ª "Hehe, okay." Jerusha simply replied with a giggle. And with that... Tap- tap- tap¡ª The two of them left and started walking away. Zephyrus and Pyro were still training outside the cabin, they were going to wait for Raye to come back. ***** Around 10 PM... Creak¡ª "Fuuuu..." Raye got back to the cabin and entered his room. -I''m tired... -Meeeeep... Zephyrus and Pyro were perched on each of his shoulders. Poff¡ª Raye lay down on his bed. Zephyrus and Pyro followed. "..." Raye closed his eyes, exhausted. "..." He remained still, not doing anything. But just after a few seconds¡ª "Hup!" He shot back up and sat on the bed. His eyes were wide open. -...? Zephyrus and Pyro looked at him weirdly. Fwish¡ª Raye looked at Zephyrus. Then, opening his mouth¡ª "I''m going to take another enhancement pill, help me." He mumbled that! And Zephyrus... -Bruh. He frowned after hearing that! -It''s time to sleep! Zephyrus exclaimed. But still, looking straight at him... "I want to get much stronger." Raye muttered that with a serious expression on his face. -Gugh... Zephyrus groaned. Then, finally, after a few moments¡ª -Ugh, fine... Zephyrus decided to agree on helping Raye! -Mee...eeep... Pyro, not sure what was happening and exhausted, ignored the two of them and went to sleep. ... ... "How many should I take?" Raye asked Zephyrus, sitting in a lotus position. -How many do you have left? Zephyrus replied with a question too. "Three." Raye simply responded. Then, with a nod of his head¡ª -Then take three. Zephyrus said that! And that''s not all¡ª -Take them all at the same time. He followed that! "What?!" Raye shouted, confused. "I thought you said not to take more than one at the same time?" He asked. -That''s right. Zephyrus casually replied. "Then why?" Raye followed. And this time, without beating around the bush... -Raye, you''re talented in taking drugs. Zephyrus declared that! Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "???" Raye tilted his head and frowned, he was confused as fuck. Chapter 135 - 135: 135 - Talent [2] -Raye, you''re talented in taking drugs. Zephyrus casually declared that. -Well, not drugs particularly... but everything with essence and mana. Then he followed. "???" Raye was confused by his words. And seeing him like that... -You said you have no talent, right? Zephyrus asked that. "Yeah..." Raye responded, slightly frowning. And just then¡ª -That''s actually not the case. Zephyrus declared that, and Raye''s frown was replaced by surprise! "What do you mean?" Raye questioned. He was brimming with anticipation. I mean, why wouldn''t he? All this time, he thought that he was not talented¡ªthat he could only be mediocre at most in the things that he did! But just now... ''Zephyrus said that I have a talent.'' Raye said in his head, dumbfounded. He immediately believed Zephyrus'' words because he was a ''High-rank'' spirit that had lived for more than a couple of centuries. Anyway... Using his tiny white wings, Zephyrus shrugged and started explaining... -I''ve seen you absorb enhancement pills twice now, and you even did something wrong the last time. -But instead of their effects being low to normal... you always get an abnormally high effect! He proclaimed! And while pointing at Raye with his cute wing¡ª -I think you absorb more or less twenty percent more than normal people from essences! He exclaimed that proudly! And hearing him... "Haha..." Raye let out a laugh in disbelief. ***** Processing Zephyrus'' words just now... Raye furrowed his brows, deep in thought. S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Then, after a while¡ª "So you''re saying... My body is just better at absorbing essence and mana than normal people?" He asked for confirmation. -Yep. Zephyrus simply nodded his small, cute head. "And this means... If I take an enhancement pill, I get stronger faster than others?" Raye followed up. -It''s not just limited on enchantment pills... But basically, yeah. Zephyrus confirmed again. And hearing that¡ª ''This is nice.'' Raye thought with a smile on his face. He was relieved to know that he''s good at something! Raye was already thinking about how to get stronger with this information! Anyway, moving on¡ª -Alright, alright, you get it now. Let''s move on. Zephyrus interrupted Raye''s stupor, waving his tiny wing. -Let''s not waste any more time. Take the pills already! He instructed to Raye. "Ah, right." Raye weakly whispered. He briefly forgot about this plan of his because of what he had just learned about himself. Then, silently... Fwish¡ª Raye opened his spatial storage and took out the three remaining enhancement pills! And with the pills on his hand.... Raye looked at Zephyrus¡ª Their eyes met. "Mhm..." -Good luck. They nodded their heads at each other. And then, without any more further ado¡ª ''Come on talent, help me get stronger...!'' Gulp¡ª The three enhancement pills slid down Raye''s throat. And immediately¡ª "Ugh...!" A scorching heat erupted from his core, spreading through every inch of his body like wildfire! Inside and out! "GAAAH...!" His skin flushed bright red in an instant, veins bulging across his arms and neck. His breath hitched¡ªhe felt like he was being cooked alive! "Haaa...!" Raye''s body trembled, his muscles spasming uncontrollably as an unbearable burning sensation surged through his bones, his flesh, his very bloodstream! And seeing this¡ª -What the hell?! Zephyrus frowned real hard! -Raye, focus! Control your breathing! He shouted, his small wings fluttering anxiously. -Guide the essence properly! Let it spread evenly, don''t let it stay in one place! Zephyrus kept yelling instructions! Though¡ª "Kh...!" Raye could barely even hear him. His ears were ringing. His heart pounded like a war drum, hammering against his chest as if trying to escape! His lungs burned with every short breath he managed to take! His entire body felt like it was being stabbed by thousands of red-hot needles, sinking deeper, twisting, and tearing his insides apart! ''It hurts...! It hurts so fucking much!'' Raye exclaimed in his head. Then¡ª SPLASH¡ª Blood started gushing out his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth! And it''s streaming like an open valve! ''Fuck...'' Raye''s vision blurred. His nails dug into the bedsheet, gripping it so tightly. He couldn''t scream¡ªno, he doesn''t want to scream and worry the old man! ''Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!'' Biting down hard on his lower lip, Raye forced his mouth shut! -I covered your room with my skill, there''s no sound that will come in and exit this place, don''t hold back! But when he heard that from Zephyrus... "GRAAAAAAAHHHHH¡ª!!!" Raye roared in pain! "GAAAAAAAAARGH!!!" He continued shouting to ease off the pain he was feeling at least, even for a bit! But then¡ª SWAAAAAA¡ª He was still feeling hot as fuck inside out! It was as if lava was flowing inside his veins! Every muscle in his body kept convulsing violently! Raye felt like his bones were melting. His skin felt like it would peel right off! ''Don''t fucking pass out!'' Raye said to himself! He had to endure this. He had to! "Hah...! Hah...!" Tears fell out of his eyes along with the blood. Saliva started mixing too with the blood from his mouth! Raye looks like a fucking mess right now, he was disgusting to look at! But he couldn''t care less about that at the moment! After all, his mind teetered on the edge of unconsciousness! -Damn it, Raye! Stay awake! Zephyrus'' voice pierced through his hazy mind. "GUURGH...!!!" Raye groaned, the pain hadn''t gone away nor even eased a little. -You wanted to get stronger, right?! Then fight through it! Guide the essence! Absorb it properly or it''ll burn you from the inside! Zephyrus declared. He knows that Raye couldn''t hear him right now... -Listen! The essence is too chaotic! Calm it down! Circulate it evenly, or your body might explode! But he still continued, nevertheless. Raye''s breathing was ragged. His body was drenched in sweat, blood, and saliva. His mind was screaming for relief, for escape¡ª But he clenched his fists! ''No. I''m not going to fail here!'' He refused. And so¡ª Even through the excruciating pain, Raye tried to focus. Tried to grasp the mana that was rampaging inside his body. He had to. Because if he lost control now¡ª He wouldn''t just pass out. He''d die! ... Then... As Raye was struggling to stay conscious¡ª "...?" He suddenly felt a lot less hot! This confused Raye. It was still hot as fuck, but it''s much better than before! Curiously, Raye slightly opened his eyes and forcefully looked to his side... And there¡ª -Meee..eee..p! He saw Pyro, sending mana to him! He was feeding Raye''s passive skill, fire tolerance, to make it stronger! Pyro was struggling to do this... He was just woken up by Raye''s scream, but after seeing his contractor in pain... The cute fireball wasted no time and started helping him! -Pyro! That''s good! Very good! Zephyrus exclaimed with a smile. ''Thanks...'' Raye said in his head, looking at Pyro. And with that, he continued absorbing the essence of enchantment pills! "GRRRRRRGH...!!" ... ... After receiving Pyro''s help... Raye started screaming less! His body returned to the normal color too, it was just slightly reddish! And then, after about an hour of hellish pain¡ª Swoosh- Raye successfully absorbed the essence of the three enhancement pills! And as soon as he did¡ª Poff- He let himself fall on the bed¡ª "..." And he lost consciousness! Chapter 136 - 136: 136 - Stronger [1] -Meeeep! Pyro chirped loudly. He was worried after seeing Raye pass out. -He''s alive. Probably. Then, Zephyrus said that to calm him down. Fwoosh¡ª Zephyrus flew on top of Raye''s head and carefully¡ª Pat- pat- He started nudging Raye to wake him up! -Yeah, he''s out. He''ll live, though... He mumbled. Then, looking at the worried Pyro, floating above him... -You helped a lot in his survival. Good job, kid. Zephyrus declared that with a smile! -... Pyro just remained silent. He was glad that he was of help to Raye, but seeing his contractor''s current condition, he couldn''t bring himself to be happy. -... Zephyrus understood what Pyro was feeling too, so he just let him be for now. Instead, looking at Raye¡ª -[Gracious Wind] Zephyrus muttered that! And then¡ª One of his personal skills activated! Swish¡ª A small dome made of wind covered Raye''s whole body. And inside it... Fwoosh~ Raye''s body started healing! His weak heartbeat started becoming normal again after that. And Raye''s expression relaxed! -He''ll live. Zephyrus repeated, watching Raye sleep inside his wind dome. Then, looking around... -Haaaaa... He let out a sigh. And looking at Pyro¡ª -We should probably clean up again this time too. Zephyrus said that! -Meep? Pyro looked around. And then, seeing the bloodied bed and the pool of blood under it... -meeep... He agreed to Zephyrus'' words. And with that... FWOOSH~ SWAAAA¡ª! The two of them started cleaning up the mess. Just like the first time this happened... Zephyrus was collecting the blood up in the air again with his wind magic, and after that, Pyro would burn it! ... After about an hour... -Finally, the room''s clean. -meep... Zephyrus and Pyro finished cleaning up. They were really tired now. Zephyrus also stopped healing Raye now too. He deemed that Raye was already good and didn''t need it anymore. Anyway¡ª -Ugh... -me..eep... Zephyrus and Pyro couldn''t relax and sleep. After all¡ª -Raye stinks. -meep! And so, to avoid having to smell that¡ª -Let''s go. -meep! FWOOSH¡ª Zephyrus and Pyro flew out of the room and went to Old Man Rey''s room. And after entering... Poff¡ª They immediately laid down on top of the Old Man''s bed. This wasn''t actually their first time doing this, so they acted all natural. And just like that, they closed their eyes¡ª -... And they both fell asleep soundly. ... ***** The next day... "..." Raye regained his consciousness, and he immediately opened his eyes! "Ugh..." His head hurt, and he was really tired. He didn''t have much energy. Though¡ª "...?" He was feeling a lot more energy in his body! And that''s not all... ''My mana capacity got larger.'' He felt a lot more mana circulating in his body! The mana was even flowing smoothly! "My overall physical abilities probably shot up too." Raye added, mumbling. And then¡ª "Ugh, what the fuck?" He smelled something rotten! It was coming from his mouth! And not just there... ''I smell like shit!'' Raye exclaimed in his head, frowning! His whole body smelled like fucking waste! "Ugh..." Raye groaned in disgust. And without further ado¡ª Fwish¡ª He stood up and walked toward the door. He planned to wash himself in the nearby river. Creak¡ª Then, when he opened the door¡ª "Oh, hello." Old Man Rey greeted him. He was just outside by complete coincidence. "Urgh...? Why do you smell like that?" The Old Man asked, pinching his nose and backing away from Raye. "Erm, shit happened." Raye replied. "I can tell. You smell like shit, after all." Then the Old Man replied with a smirk. "..." Raye just stared at him for that joke. After a while, though¡ª "Whatever. I''m going to the river." Raye said that. Tap¡ª And he walked past the Old Man. "Eat breakfast when you come back!" Old Man Rey shouted, watching Raye walk away. "Yeah." Raye simply responded, waving his hand in the air. And when he got out of the cabin¡ª WHOOSH¡ª! Raye immediately started dashing toward the river! Just then¡ª "Ah, doesn''t he have an event at the school to attend? Isn''t he going to be late?" The Old Man asked that to himself. "Meh." But he just shrugged his shoulders after! He couldn''t catch up with Raye now anyway, so he just decided to tell him after he came back. ***** Raye arrived at the nearby river not long. After all, he was dashing with all of his might! Tap- And as soon as he got there¡ª Splash¡ª! He got into the water, even with his clothes on! They smelled too, that''s why. Anyway, getting in the water... "Welp, here we go." Raye started rigorously washed himself and his clothes. He was scrubbing himself and his clothes so bad¡ª That''s how bad the smell was! Raye was brushing his teeth too¡ª Rinsing them¡ª He made sure every part of his body was clean and that no smell was left behind! Raye was so dirty that the water around him turned murky from all the filth! He frowned, seeing this. "Disgusting." He muttered that, watching the dirt swirl away with the current. ... After about half an hour¡ª Raye''s whole body was finally clean. "Fuuuu..." He stretched his limbs, feeling refreshed. He didn''t bring any clothes with him so he''s currently topless. The sunlight reflected off his wet skin, highlighting his toned, well-defined muscles. His blue eyes gleamed as he ruffled his soaked hair. ''Damn, I bet I look good.'' Raye declared in his head with a smirk. But then¡ª "Haaaa... My clothes are still wet." He mumbled, looking down at his soaked pants and his shirt that he was holding in his right hand. "Hmmm..." Raye thought to himself for a while. A smirk formed on his face. Then¡ª Click- With a snap of his fingers¡ª FWOOSH¡ª! A powerful gust of wind enveloped him! Raye spun around, using his mana to manipulate the air¡ª And just like that... Fwish~ The excess water on his clothes and body was blown away! "Heh." Now dry, Raye stood by the riverbank, satisfied with his work! Then, cracking his neck¡ª "Alright. Time to head back." S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. He said that. And in the next moment¡ª WHOOSH¡ª! Raye dashed off toward the cabin! ''I''ll probably name that skill, [Dryer].'' Raye thought, pertaining to the skill earlier that he used to dry himself. Chapter 137 - 137: 137 - Stronger [2] After getting back to the cabin... Raye didn''t enter inside to change clothes immediately. Instead¡ª "Hmm hmm hmm... breakfast..." He decided to have breakfast just like Old Man Rey told him earlier. He was humming as he prepared his food. And after he took bread and skewered deer meat... Nom¡ª Raye sat down outside the cabin on a tree stump and started eating. ''Hmm, this is good.'' Raye said in his head, slightly nodding in satisfaction. He had been hungry as fuck ever since he woke up. He really just had to deal with the way he smelled earlier first. Anyway, as Raye was enjoying his breakfast¡ª Tap- The Old Man came out of the cabin. "Oh." He saw Raye, and Raye saw him. "You''re back." Old Man Rey said. "Mhm." Raye nodded his head as a response. He was still eating. And then¡ª "Shouldn''t you be leaving now? It''s past ten AM. Doesn''t the thing at the academy start at eleven?" The Old Man asked that! And hearing his words... "..." Raye froze in place and stopped eating! "What?!" Then he exclaimed in shock! Raye panicked and immediately placed his food on top of the table. And without saying a word¡ª Bam! He bolted inside the cabin, rushing straight to his room! Thud! His door slammed open as he dashed in, frantically pulling out his uniform from his small closet! "Shit, shit, shit!" Raye muttered, hurriedly stripping off his pants and throwing it with his shirt to the bed. Then¡ª Fwoosh¡ª! He slipped into his academy uniform, buttoning up in his record time! His hands moved fast as he fixed his collar, ran his fingers through his damp hair, and made sure he looked at least presentable. And within only a few minutes¡ª "I''m leaving!" He exclaimed that, bursting out of his room and heading straight for the door! Tap¡ª He stepped outside, his breath slightly ragged from rushing. "Good luck on the thing in the academy! I''ll be in Kyle''s shop with Zephyrus and Pyro, watching the whole thing!" Old Man Rey shouted from behind. And without even looking back¡ª "Watch me closely, I''ll do my best!" Raye answered, determination laced in his voice. Then¡ª Bam! He kicked off the ground! WHOOSH¡ª! Raye shot forward like a bullet, dashing as fast as he could toward the tournament venue! The winds surged around his legs¡ª A violent vortex of air wrapped around his calves, spiraling furiously! BAM! Swoosh¡ª! Every step he took sent powerful bursts of wind exploding behind him, propelling him forward with incredible speed! His figure became a blur, tearing through the dirt path like a storm! ''Ugh, and here I wondered why the breakfast was already cold!'' Raye grumbled in his head. He was stressed! The venue today was the same as where the previous tournament had happened, in one of the outdoor training grounds! ***** ... Normally, it would take Raye about half an hour to reach the venue from the cabin. But with his desperate run¡ª Tap- He made it in just about 8 minutes! "Haaa... Haaa... Haaaaaa...." Raye stopped in front of the entrance and started catching his breath. He had used a considerable amount of mana and stamina, forcing himself to the limit just to make it on time! Fwip- Raye combed his hair backward with his right hand. Then, after fixing his uniform¡ª Fwish- He finally looked inside the venue. And that was just when he noticed that almost everyone was looking at him! "..." Raye stood silently as he felt a lot of gazes on him. The outdoor training ground was silent too. A slight frown appeared on his face, and he was feeling slightly embarrassed too! Though, ignoring everyone... Tap- Raye took a step forward confidently! His footsteps echoed with how silent it was! Tap- tap- tap¡ª Raye continued walking and entered the site. And when he got inside¡ª "Looks like everyone''s here now." He heard Bryan''s voice¡ªthe Headmaster! "Hm?" Raye looked toward where he heard it. And there... He saw Bryan standing boldly on top of one of the arenas! ''Ugh, so that''s why they were looking at me? Everyone was already here, except me...!'' Raye thought as his face slowly cringed. Good thing though, the attention of the students shifted away from him to Bryan when the Headmaster started talking. Raye took advantage of that and went to the resting area where Jerusha and the other were. Of course it didn''t take him long to find it... ... "Wow, I can''t believe you''re late, nice timing." Lycus said teasingly as Raye arrived to where they are. "Looks like you slept well, huh?" Lena followed with a smirk. "Did you lose track of time again while reading in the library?" Devin questioned, he was teasing too. But then¡ª "Oh my god, were you exhausted because of last night?" Jerusha suddenly asked that! And as soon as she did... Swish¡ª "...?!" Lena, Devin, and Lycus went and looked at her with wide eyes! Their heads turned violently just now! "Wha..." Even Sofia didn''t know what to say when she heard that! Though, not long¡ª ''Nah.'' The four of them shook their heads. After all, they know that they''re probably just misunderstanding things because of Jerusha''s wording. Though... "...?" "What the fuck...?" The students near them that don''t personally know Raye and Jerusha didn''t know that. (Jerusha was talking about her and Raye''s training last night, and when he accompanied her back to her dorm.) Anyway¡ª "No, it''s not about that." Raye responded to Jerusha. "Just things happened." He added. Jerusha and the others were about to say something more to Raye or tease him¡ª "Let me start by greeting you all." But Bryan started talking again. Pat- Raye took that chance and sat down beside Jerusha. He put his focus on Bryan, the Headmaster. So now, the others couldn''t question him any further or tease him. Then, opening his mouth¡ª "Today, we''re here once again to witness a tournament between the elite classes of the four academies!" S§×arch* The Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Bryan announced that! And hearing his words... "WHOAAAAAHH!!!" "START THE TOURNAMENT!!!" "WE''LL WIN!!!" The students roared in excitement. Meanwhile, Raye¡ª "Hmm..." He''s looking at his hand, curious. And then¡ª ''I feel a lot stronger.'' He said that in his head! Chapter 138 - 138: 138 - The Battle of Elites [1] Bryan stood tall on the arena platform. "Hmm..." His sharp gaze swept over the gathered students from Zion Academy, Crimson Academy, Zephyros Institute, and Night Academy. "..." The excited crowd immediately went silent because of Bryan''s overwhelming presence. The tension in the air was thick, anticipation crackling like static before a storm. Then¡ª Tap¡ª Bryan took a step forward. "Hello, everyone." His voice boomed across the silent training grounds. "This tournament is not just a competition¡ªit''s a proving ground for the elite. Each academy has five members left from their elite class because of what happened in the monster hunt." Bryan mumbled. "Half of the S-Class from Zion was eliminated in Set B." He said, shaking his head. After that, with a subtle smirk on his face... "Then, half of every elite class from the other academies was also eliminated in Set A." He added! "..." His words annoyed the staff members from the other academies, that''s for sure. "We originally planned to continue the monster hunt until only five students from each academy remained... We didn''t expect to reach that count after just one round." But Bryan just continued, smiling as he said that. He was so smug about it. ''Haha, he''s such a dickhead.'' Raye thought, looking at the Headmaster taunting the other academies with such backhanded words. "Anyway..." Bryan mumbled, moving on. He looked at the competitors and, with a mana-enhanced voice¡ª "Today, the competitors will stand here in the arena not just as students but as representatives of their institutions. Whether you fight with a blade, magic, or both, you are the best of the best¡ªand now, it''s time to prove it!" He declared that. "Zion Academy, known for its discipline and rigorous training. Crimson Academy, where raw talent and relentless ambition thrive. Zephyros Institute, the home of innovators and strategists. And Night Academy, the embodiment of unpredictability and deadly precision." Bryan stated. He let his words sink in before continuing... "Each of you has worked tirelessly to reach this moment. Today, you will clash against the best of the best. Some of you will rise. Some of you will fall. But every battle fought here will push you beyond your limits, forging you into something greater." He crossed his arms, exuding authority. "Victory will not be given. It must be earned. Show us your strength, your spirit, and your will to fight." Then¡ª Raising a hand. And with a smile¡ª "Let the tournament begin!" Bryan announced that! ***** After announcing the start of the tournament, Bryan started explaining the rules. "As you guys must''ve guessed, there''s a twist in this tournament." He said with a sly smile. "It''s not just a plain old tournament like before." He added. "As you all know, there are twenty competitors." Bryan muttered. And then, with a clear voice¡ª "One of them will be called up here in the arena, and once they get up here... they''ll be given the freedom to choose their opponent from any opposing academy!" He followed that! "And that''s not all¡ª" "Also, if they win the fight, they''ll be given the choice to continue fighting and pick their next opponent, or they could just pick someone else to fight after them. Anyone from any team!" Bryan declared! "The same choice will also be given in case the opponent they picked won instead." He said. And with excitement written all over his face¡ª "The winner will be decided based on whose team has the last standing participant!" Bryan exclaimed. "It doesn''t matter how many times you win. It doesn''t matter if you didn''t fight, if you fought multiple times, or whatever. All you need to do is¡ª" Bryan''s sharp gaze swept over the competitors. "¡ªmake sure your academy has the last student standing!" And then he finished with a triumphant grin, his voice booming across the arena! And hearing Bryan say all that... ''This is it, my stage is ready.'' Raye declared that in his head! ... After explaining the rules of the tournament, Bryan gave the participants time to prepare themselves and get ready. And after that... Tap- tap- tap¡ª He started climbing down the arena. The moment Bryan stepped down from the platform... A low murmur spread through the gathered competitors. Some discussed strategy, while others remained silent, lost in thought. Raye, however, simply stretched his arms. Rolling his shoulders as a smirk tugged at his lips. "Half an hour, huh..." He muttered to himself, glancing at Lena and Lycus. The two of them are super relaxed too. "Except those three, I''m confident I can win against anyone from the other academies." Lycus whispered that, he was pertaining to Ace, Elias, and Christian. "Mhm." Lena nodded her head, agreeing to Lycus'' words. Then¡ª "You guys could do it, I just know it!" Devin suddenly exclaimed that with a dumb smile on his face. Hearing his words and seeing his face... ''Hah! He''s really something else...'' Raye, Lycus, and Lena felt a lot more eased. And just then¡ª S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Fwish- Jerusha turned to Raye. "...?" Raye looked at her with questioning eyes. Then, shyly... "I wish you luck, I''ll watch you up there later." Jerusha muttered that! "..." Raye froze in his place, unmoving and speechless. "Thanks." That''s all he could say after processing Jerusha''s words. And without saying, Jerusha was sad because of this! But when she saw Raye''s rosy cheeks from being embarrassed... "..." A small smile formed on her face. (Raye is just an awkward person.) On the other hand¡ª "Good luck out there, Lycus!" "I will, Sofia... Watch me." Sofia was also cheering for Lycus. Of course Lycus was happy because of this! If he was a dog, he would''ve wagged his tail for at least a hundred times now! And seeing the two couples like that... "..." "..." Lena and Devin went silent. The two of them are sitting on opposite ends of the group. They''re looking at each other, slightly frowning because of what''s happening around them. ... ***** Some of the participants were meditating, sharpening their weapons, or gathering with their teammates. Lycus, ever composed, adjusted the straps on his dual daggers. Lena, being perfectionist, cleaned her wooden staff. The tension in the air was thick¡ªanticipation, excitement, and a hint of dread mixing together. Up in the observation booth... Bryan took his seat among the staff members. His sharp eyes surveying the participants below. A few instructors exchanged quiet words. Some visibly displeased by the tournament''s unpredictable format. "Tch. This format favors endurance freaks." One of the staff members grumbled. "Or just those crazy enough to fight back-to-back." Another added. Bryan, overhearing them, simply smirked. "So what?" Then he asked that! "..." And the staff members fell silent at his words! ''These guys are such a boomer, this is definitely more fun.'' Bryan thought to himself. ***** After a while... "Fuuu..." Raye let out a slow, steady breath. His fingers brushed against the hilts of his swords, the cool metal grounding him. His heart pounded¡ªnot with fear, but with something far more exhilarating. Excitement. His blood thrummed in his veins, his body itching for movement. For battle. The weight of countless gazes pressed down on him, but he didn''t falter. Instead¡ª A smirk ghosted across his lips. This was it. The tournament was about to begin. ... Half an hour passed... Tap¡ª And this time, Charles stood firm on top of the arena platform! His sharp gaze swept over the competitors, his presence weighing down on them. "The preparation time is over." He simply declared. Swoosh¡ª And just like that, the entire training ground fell silent! "...Mnm." Charles nodded in satisfaction, scanning the students with an unreadable expression. His presence wasn''t as overwhelming as Bryan''s, but the authority in his stance and voice left no room for doubt! Then, without further ado¡ª "The first participant..." Charles started calling for someone. And after a slight pause¡ª "Ace Silvercrest from the [Night Academy]!" He shouted that! Then, without a fucking hesitation... Swoosh¡ª Ace stood up in one fluid motion! Tap- tap- tap¡ª And he started walking toward the arena, his every step was steady and deliberate! Ace exuded confidence¡ªan unshakable presence that turned heads. And as he climbed onto the platform, his expression remained unreadable, his sharp eyes fixed ahead. Charles turned to him. "As per the rules, you may now select your opponent from any opposing academy. Choose wisely." He stated that. But¡ª Before Charles could even finish explaining... "I challenge you." Ace declared that. No hesitation. No buildup. His voice cut through the air like a blade. And then¡ª He raised his hand and pointed. Every eye followed his motion. And at the end of his finger¡ª They saw Raye! "...!" The crowd stirred, murmurs of excitement spreading like wildfire! Jerusha, Lena, Lycus, and Devin immediately turned to Raye, their expressions shifting. And Raye? "...Haah." He let out a small sigh, closing his eyes for a moment. A small smile tugged at his lips. "Just as I expected." He quietly mumbled. Then¡ª Tap¡ª He stood up. "Good luck." "Beat him to pulp, Raye!" "Do your best." "Go quick." Lycus, Devin, Sofia, and Lena said to him. Raye just smiled at them. Then¡ª He slightly glanced to his right, and there¡ª "..." He saw Jerusha. Just looking at him, not saying anything. Raye smiled at her too. And opening his mouth¡ª "Watch me." He simply said that. And without further ado¡ª Tap¡ª He started heading toward the arena! Chapter 139 - 139: 139 - The Battle of Elites [2] Everyone''s eyes followed Raye as he walked over to the arena. Tap¡ª Each of his steps was confident and steady. And his eyes... "..." They were just focused on Ace! And not long¡ª Tap¡ª Raye stepped onto the arena platform. He stood face-to-face against Ace. "You don''t seem surprised that I picked you as my opponent." Ace mumbled, looking at Raye. Raye just shrugged. "It was so obvious." He said that. ''I stirred up things so bad now that you guys have no choice but to look in my direction.'' Raye thought boldly. "Is that so?" Ace asked him. And then, as a smirk appeared on his face¡ª "Then, is what I''m about to do next obvious too?" He questioned that! And before Raye could even reply¡ª Swish¡ª Ace raised his hand and looked in the direction where Bryan and the other staff members from the other academies were watching. "...?" Charles looked at him weirdly. And so did Bryan! He tilted his head, and in curiosity¡ª "Yes? What is it?" He asked that. And without hesitation¡ª "I have a suggestion." Ace stated that. Then, opening his mouth again... "Because this is the battle of elites, wouldn''t it be much more exciting if we could use our personal weapons? Not just some wooden ones?" He declared that! "We could use the dome artifact again and just cover the arena." S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Ace added arrogantly. And at his suggestion... "Heh..." Bryan smirked. He leaned back in his chair, amusement flashing in his eyes. Then¡ª He glanced at the staff members from the other academies. Some of them exchanged glances, whispering amongst themselves. A few looked hesitant. But¡ª One by one, they nodded their heads. "We''ll allow the use of the dome artifact for this tournament." A staff from the Zephyros Institute said. And with that¡ª They accepted Ace''s suggestion! "Alright then." Bryan announced, his voice carrying across the arena. "We''ll allow the use of personal weapons. The dome artifact will be activated for the competitors'' safety." He stated, and with a wave of his hand¡ª Swish¡ª The staff members moved quickly. Several of them stepped forward, bringing out the dome artifact¡ªa large, crystalline orb that shimmered with faint energy. Then¡ª Fwoosh¡ª The artifact released a wave of mana! A translucent barrier surged outward, enclosing the entire arena in a protective dome. The moment it settled, a faint hum filled the air. Fwish- Ace looked at Raye, he was looking all smug. "So, did you predict this too?" He asked. And Raye¡ª ''Bruh, this is how it was supposed to go, fucking idiot.'' He just thought of that. "Yeah." Then he simply answered. "...?" Ace just frowned at his words, not believing it. Raye ignored him and started preparing his swords. ... ... Raye and Ace prepared with their personal equipment. Ace adjusted the grip on his sword, rolling his shoulders as if testing the weight. His weapon was a bright yellow katana. Raye, on the other hand¡ª He ran his fingers over the hilts of his twin blades, [Nyx] and [Celestria]. "..." His expression unreadable. The atmosphere shifted. Tension. Anticipation. And only after five minutes... "The setting up of the dome artifact is now done." They were all good to go again! The crowd buzzed with excitement. This battle... Was about to get real! ***** "Are you guys ready now?" Charles asked, slightly feeling impatient. And in unison¡ª "Yeah." Ace and Raye responded. "Then, to your side." Charles instructed. "..." Raye and Ace just briefly glanced at each other. And after that¡ª Tap- tap- tap- They turned their backs against each other and started walking the opposite side of the arena. And there¡ª Fwip¡ª They took their fighting stances. Ace slightly bent his knees, his katana crackling with faint arcs of electricity. Raye, on the other hand¡ª Fwoosh¡ª A gentle breeze stirred around him as he adjusted his stance, his twin blades steady in his grip. His left hand gripping [Celestria]¡ªthe white, elegant sword that shimmered faintly. His right holding [Nyx]¡ªa simple, yet refined black sword. Both of them¡ª "..." Silent. Focused. The air between them grew heavier. And then¡ª Szzzt¡ª! A sudden spark erupted from Ace''s blade! "START!!!" And Charles declared that! Then instantly¡ª BAM¡ª! Ace vanished. A burst of lightning flickered where he once stood! Raye''s eyes sharpened. ''Tch¡ªFast.'' He thought, frowning. But¡ª He''s not someone who would lose in terms of speed! Fwoosh¡ª! Raye''s figure blurred as he twisted to the side, wind surging at his feet! Szzzt¡ª! Ace appeared right behind him, his katana already mid-swing! CLANG¡ª! Raye barely blocked in time, [Nyx] grinding against the crackling yellow blade. Sparks flew. Ace grinned. "Not bad." He said. Fzzzt¡ª! Then a sudden jolt of electricity surged down Ace''s sword, aiming to paralyze Raye''s arm! In response to that¡ª Bam- Raye lightly jumped back, breaking the contact. And with [Nyx] again¡ª Swish¡ª He countered with a sharp arc swing! "?!" Ace''s eyes widened at this. He barely tilted his head back¡ª Shnk¡ª A few strands of his hair were cut. "...Tch." Ace clicked his tongue in annoyance. And Raye¡ª Fwoosh¡ª He didn''t stop! His footwork blurred, his wind-imbued speed pushing him forward! And the next thing everyone knew¡ª SWISH¡ª! His left hand moved¡ª[Celestria] flashing white! Ace''s eyes narrowed! Fwish- He brought his katana up¡ª TANG-! And he blocked Raye''s attack! But¡ª Raye smirked. And in that instant¡ª Fwoosh¡ª! [Celestria] changed shape! The moment his mana flowed into it¡ª The blade thinned¡ªelongating into a slender rapier! Ace''s pupils dilated. "What¡ª?!" He asked in pure shock. And before he could even reply¡ª Shnk¡ª! [Celestria] extended past his guard! "...?!" Then a thin, sharp cut appeared on Ace''s cheek. And the crowd¡ª "Wooooaahhh¡ª!" Roared in excitement! Bam! Ace took a leap back, touching his cheek. A single drop of blood. And then¡ª His smirk widened. "...This just got interesting." He said, looking back at Raye. And Raye¡ª "Really? I don''t think so." He just mumbled that and casually readjusted the grip on his swords. Fwoosh¡ª A light gust of wind swirled around him. This fight¡ª Had only just begun... ***** After a slight pause in their fight¡ª BAM¡ª! Raye and Ace exploded forward at the same time! FWOOSH¡ª! Wind blasted from Raye''s legs, his body propelled like an arrow released from a bow. FWOOZZT¡ª! Meanwhile, arcs of electricity crackled violently around Ace''s feet, leaving a trail of scorched marks on the arena floor as he surged ahead! SWISH¡ª! Their speed was unreal. To the spectators, they were nothing but streaks of wind and lightning! Blurred figures¡ªclashing in an instant! And then¡ª TANG¡ª! CLANG¡ª! TING¡ª! Steel rang like a chorus of war! Raye and Ace met in the middle, exchanging rapid, complex attacks! SZZZT¡ª! Ace twisted his katana in a sharp arc, a pulse of electricity snapping down the blade like a whip! FWOOSH¡ª! Raye sidestepped, the crackling energy barely missing his shoulder! TANG¡ª! Then [Nyx] parried a lightning-fast thrust from Ace, the force pushing Raye''s arm slightly back! SWISH¡ª! At the same moment, [Celestria], still in rapier form, flicked forward¡ª TING¡ª! Ace barely deflected it, twisting his katana at the last second to redirect the strike with its hilt! "Tch¡ª!" Ace''s muscles tensed as another gust of wind brushed past him. Raye was relentless! He wasn''t just reacting¡ªhe was controlling the tempo of the fight! BAM¡ª! He kicked off the ground, his wind-enhanced speed surging even further. FWIP¡ª! Celestria shifted again, thickening into a curved saber mid-swing. And seeing that¡ª Ace''s pupils shrank. ''Shit¡ªthis sword¡­!'' Before he could react¡ª SWOOSH¡ª! Raye''s saber carved through the air toward him, its edge whistling with sheer momentum! FZZZT¡ª! Ace raised his blade in an instant¡ª CLANG¡ª! And barely managed to block! But¡ª BZZZZT¡ª! A violent surge of electricity exploded from his katana! "Ugh¡ª!" Raye felt a tingling numbness crawl up his arm¡ªAce had used the impact to channel a shockwave through his sword! Though, calmly¡ª FWOOSH¡ª! Raye twisted mid-air, letting his wind dispel the lingering electricity before it could paralyze him! "?!" Ace''s eyes widened seeing this! And just then¡ª Tap- Raye''s foot barely touched the ground¡ª BAM¡ª! But he lunged forward again! CLANG¡ª! TING¡ª! And the fierce exchange between him and Ace continued! Their blades becoming nothing but blurs of silver, black, and yellow light! Ace swung down¡ª Raye swung horizontally¡ª TIIING¡ª! Their weapons met in unpredictable angles, the sound of steel-on-steel echoing nonstop! Every strike¡ªprecise. Every dodge¡ªflawless. The crowd was breathless. And then¡ª BOOM¡ª! A shockwave blasted outward as both of them clashed with full force! Dust kicked up. The entire arena trembled. And when the dust cleared¡ª The two stood a few meters apart. "...Hah." Ace wiped his lip, a faint cut there. "..." Raye simply exhaled, rolling his shoulders. This battle¡ª It was far from over! "You''re pretty fast, huh. I''ll admit that." Ace mumbled, eyeing at Raye. "...?" Raye just squinted his eyes at him. Then¡ª "You''re the fastest guys I know, next to me, of course." Ace followed confidently, there''s a smirk on his face again. And seeing that... "..." Raye frowned. He was getting annoyed at Ace''s face! And so¡ª ''I should probably put him in his place now.'' He decided that! And opening his mouth¡ª "[Flash]" Raye muttered! Chapter 140 - 140: 140 - The Battle of Elites [3]—In a Flash! Raye opened his mouth, and casually¡ª "[Flash]" He muttered that! FWOOSH¡ª! A sudden, violent gust of wind erupted beneath Raye''s feet. BOOM¡ª! The air cracked as his body vanished¡ª propelled forward at an almost instantaneous speed! "?!" Ace''s eyes widened in shock. "What¡ª?!" He barely saw Raye move! His instincts screamed¡ª React! But¡ª Just as he raised his right hand, katana poised to defend¡ª SLASH¡ª! A sharp whistle cut through the air! And for a split second¡ªAce felt nothing. And then¡ª SPLURT¡ª! Blood sprayed into the air! His right hand¡ª It was gone! Ting¡ª His katana clattered onto the ground, severed fingers still locked around the hilt! "Haaa??" Ace''s breath hitched. His body froze. The pain had not even registered to him yet! The only thing he could process¡ª "..." Was Raye''s cold, piercing gaze, staring directly at him! Then, snapping out of his stupor¡ª "Urgh¡ª?!" Bam! Ace leaped back, his mind was racing. ''My hand. My right hand is gone!'' His left hand clamped down on the bleeding stump, desperately trying to stop the blood flow. ''What the fuck was that?!'' Ace''s heart pounded, his thoughts scrambled. He was shocked. Confused, even. After all¡ª ''I haven''t seen anyone my age faster than me!'' Ace thought. Tap¡ª Then his feet hit the ground. His stance shook. And then¡ª A sharp, searing pain shot through his body! "Gurgh?!!" Ace''s face twisted in agony as his brain finally registered the loss of his right hand. Fwish¡ª His gaze snapped back up. And there¡ª "..." He saw Raye standing calm and unshaken! And Raye, seeing Ace''s reaction... Smirked¡ª "Is that too fast for you?" He asked that! "My bad." He followed with a mocking tone! And hearing him... "..." Ace''s frown just deepened. ... ***** Ace''s irritation boiled over into fury! ''This bastard is getting on my nerves.'' He thought. Fwish- Then his eyes flickered to his katana¡ªlying just beside him. Annoyed¡ª Fwip- Fwoosh¡ª Ace picked it up with his left hand and threw away his severed right hand! CRACKLE¡ª! Electricity surged through his blade! And after gritting his teeth¡ª [Thunder Step!] He exclaimed that! BZZZZZT¡ª!! Then Ace''s figure vanished! WHOOSH¡ª His speed was blazing fast! Ace just used a skill that could rival [Flash]! FWOOZZZH¡ª!! A lightning-clad blur shot straight at Raye! ''DIE YOU FUCKING MONKEY!!!'' SWOOSH¡ª Ace shouted in his head as he swung down his katana with his left hand ! But responding quickly¡ª TING¡ª! Raye just simply blocked it with [Nyx]! "!!!" Ace''s face cringed in annoyance when he saw that! And then¡ª Ace''s gaze met Raye''s. And opening his mouth again¡ª "Too slow." Raye said that! BAM! Then he launched a brutal kick¡ªstraight to Ace''s gut! BAM¡ª! Ace''s body flew backward! THUD¡ª! He crashed, bouncing against the floor before tumbling down hard! "Tch¡ª!" Ace gritted his teeth, his body was screaming in pain! But he didn''t even have time to breathe¡ª ''Up, fast!'' He thought that Raye was going to attack him again, making use of the situation! He was sure of it! "Ugh...!" Ace forced himself to move. But¡ª His body struggled. With only one hand left, pushing himself up was difficult. And yet¡ª To his surprise¡­ "..." Raye didn''t attack him. No finishing blow. No rush to end the fight. Just silence. The storm had stilled. And Ace¡ª Didn''t know what was more terrifying... ***** Ace panted, his breaths ragged. His left hand still gripped the bloody stump where his right once was, but the pain was already dulling¡ªhis fury was burning it away. And yet¡ª Raye wasn''t attacking. Ace''s sharp gaze locked onto him, eyes filled with confusion and disbelief. "...Why?" His voice came out rough, uneven. Raye, standing there, merely shrugged his shoulders. Then he smiled. "Because there''s no need." He said. And at his words... "..." Ace froze. ''No need?'' He repeated in his head. On the other hand... Fwip- Raye shifted his grip on his twin swords, his stance completely at ease. His expression? Unbothered. Was it confidence? No¡ª Raye was being arrogant. Ace''s face twitched seeing him. His fingers tightened around his katana''s hilt. ''This bastard...!'' He feels insulted. Then finally¡ª "HAAAAAA!!!" Ace fucking snapped! And with rage fueling his body¡ª BAM! He launched himself forward, pushing off the ground at breakneck speed! And seeing him approach... "Hah!" Raye''s smirk widened! Fwish- Ace appeared in front of Raye. Then, with a hateful expression on his face¡ª FWOOOSH¡ª! He heavily brought down his katana! A powerful, furious strike! It was fast! But¡ª TING¡ª! Raye just blocked it! Though, not stopping there... "HAAAAAAA!!!" SWOOOSH¡ª Ace followed a horizontal strike! But even how many attacks he threw... TANG¡ª! CLANG¡ª! TING! Raye just deflected them. Again. Again. And Again! Ace kept swinging, pouring everything into his attacks! Lightning surged through his blade, his strikes growing faster, stronger¡ª But¡ª TING! TANG! CLANG! Raye blocked every single one. Easily. Ace''s frustration exploded. ''Why?!'' He was fast! Strong! His technique was sharpened from years of training! But Raye¡ª He wasn''t just blocking¡ª He was toying with him! And Ace knew it. "RRRRAAAAAAGH!!!" Ace roared and lunged forward, this time aiming directly for Raye''s throat! A full-powered, final strike! CRACKLE¡ª! The air burned with electricity¡ªhis blade surging with raw energy! But¡ª Raye''s eyes flashed. And then¡ª FWOOOSH¡ª! He disappeared. Ace''s blade sliced through nothing. His heart dropped. "Wha¡ª?" And before he could react¡ª BAM! A crushing elbow slammed into his ribs! Ace''s body lurched to the side! "Guh¡ª!" Then, before he could even recover¡ª THWACK¡ª! A sharp knee to the gut! "GRRK¡ª!!" His vision blurred. He stumbled. His feet barely found balance. But Raye¡ª Didn''t let him. FWISH¡ª! Raye appeared beside him¡ªso fast Ace barely saw him move! And then¡ª BAM!!! A spinning kick smashed into Ace''s ribs, sending him flying! CRASH¡ª! Ace slammed into the ground, skidding across the concrete floor before finally stopping. His body refused to move. His vision swam. His breath came out in shaky gasps! Pain. Pain. Pain. But above all¡ª Humiliation. "Keuk..." Ace gritted his teeth, glaring up at Raye through hazy eyes. And there he was¡ªstanding calm, swords still in hand, looking down at Ace like he was already defeated. Ace clenched his fists. ''No¡­ I won''t lose like this¡­'' He refused. He wouldn''t¡ª But then¡ª Raye sighed. And in the most infuriatingly casual tone¡ª "You''re done." He spoke. Ace''s body stiffened. "Fuck..." He muttered weakly, the curse escaping his lips in a breathless rasp. His mind reeled¡ªmemories flashing through his hazy vision. The first time he held his sword, the weight of it in his hands, the promise of becoming strong. The countless hours spent in sweat, fighting through pain, through doubt. The endless training¡ªendurance, technique, and that fiery passion that pushed him forward. But now¡ªnow it all felt like a joke. And yet¡ª His pride flared, burning hotter than any pain he''d felt! The fire of his struggle, his sacrifices¡ªit ignited. "GRAAAHHHH!!!" Ace forced himself to stand once again. His body screamed, the world spinning beneath him, but he stood. His stance wobbled¡ªbarely holding together¡ªbut he stood. Raye, ever the indifferent figure, simply watched him. The crowd''s eyes were locked on Ace, watching the boy who refused to yield, no matter the cost. Ace''s eyes burned. His fist clenched around the hilt of his katana, his grip tight enough to crack the handle. He was done. No more holding back. Swoosh¡ª The air around him began to hum, electric tension rising. Ace focused, circulating mana through every muscle in his body. The storm of energy churned, building, ready to burst. He was preparing to unleash his all¡ªone final attack to end this. His heartbeat thundered in his chest, matching the rising energy. Swoosh¡ª The air was thick with anticipation. And then¡ª BZZZT¡ª! Electricity crackled around Ace, coating his body in a violent, yellow glow! His heart pounded harder¡ªstronger. "[Thunder Step]" Ace muttered, his voice low, barely audible over the hum of power. Fwoosh¡ª!! In a blur, he launched himself forward, a streak of lightning aiming for Raye''s throat. SWIZZH¡ª! His katana came down with everything he had left¡ªsharp, quick, and deadly, covered in crackling electricity! But¡ª SWOOSH¡ª! A cold whisper of steel. Ace''s eyes widened. His final strike... It missed. No¡ª TING! Raye had deflected it with [Nyx]. His katana had been knocked aside, the lightning crackling uselessly as his momentum carried him forward¡ª And in that moment¡ª Swoosh¡ª Raye''s left hand moved. [Celestria] gleamed under the light. And then¡ª SLASH¡ª! A perfect arc. A clean cut. Ace felt nothing. For a second. And then¡ª His vision spun. The battlefield tilted unnaturally. His world flipped upside down. A strange, dull sensation filled his body. No¡ª Not his body. He couldn''t feel it anymore. THUD¡ª His head hit the ground. His body then crumpled. A pool of blood spread beneath him, his katana lying still beside him. Ace''s final expression¡ª Frozen in shock. "..." The crowd was silent. No one moved. And Raye¡ª Fwip- He simply flicked the blood off [Celestria] with a casual motion. Then, glancing down at Ace''s unmoving body¡ª "Still too slow." sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Raye mumbled. And with that, he turned away. The fight had ended. And Raye¡ª Had clearly won. Chapter 141 - 141: 141 - The Battle of Elites [4]—Different than Before After decapitating Ace''s head off his shoulders... Tap¡ª Raye turned away and walked back to his starting position, the right side of the arena. His steps were calm, measured¡ªunbothered. Not once did he glance back at Ace''s unmoving body. "..." The crowd was silent, their breaths held in stunned disbelief. Then soon, as if the life was finally drained from it¡ª Fwooosh~ Ace''s body began to disintegrate! Small particles of light broke away from his form, floating upward like glowing dust. They shimmered softly, beautiful and eerie, before fading into the air. His head followed, dissolving just as silently, the empty eyes losing their luster before vanishing completely. And after a few moments¡ª Fwish¡ª Ace''s body was gone. Not a single trace of blood or flesh remained! The arena floor was spotless, cold, and indifferent. Then¡ª Fwoop¡ª "Urgh?!" Ace''s eyes snapped open. His vision spun, his body tumbling as he was forcibly thrown out of the arena, landing on the ground with a loud sound! Thud! Ace was whole again! His head was firmly attached to his shoulders, and his body was intact. Not a scar, not a single drop of blood. Even the minor cuts and bruises from earlier had vanished, leaving his skin unmarked! The only thing that remained was the fatigue¡ªthe exhaustion that weighed on his limbs, the emptiness in his core. His mana was depleted, and his stamina was drained, but he was alive! The dome artifact truly was miraculous. A barrier that ensured the safety of every participant, no matter how brutal the battle. It reversed death itself, restoring the body to a pristine state! Though... It didn''t restore one''s spirit. Because even though his body was fine... "..." Ace couldn''t lift his head. His eyes were glued to the ground, his fingers digging into the dirt beneath him. His shoulders trembled, his jaw clenched tight. The crowd''s murmur reached his ears, the whispers of disbelief, of shock. But not a single cheer. Not a single voice praised his efforts. Not a single soul celebrated his perseverance. Because he had lost. So thoroughly¡ªso mercilessly¡ª His pride... shattered. His sword... meaningless. His struggle, his hard work¡ª All of it was reduced to nothing. He felt sick. The emptiness grew, a hollow void eating away at his chest, threatening to swallow him whole. His hands shook, his eyes stung, but no tears came. The pain of absolute defeat. "..." Ace sat there, his head bowed, his spirit broken. And on the other side of the arena¡ª Tap¡ª Raye stood in his spot, his eyes distant and confident. And just then¡ª "Winner, Raye!" Charles loudly announced that, breaking the silence! And when the students of Zion heard that¡ª "WHOOOAAAAHH!!!" "RAYE, YOU''RE AWESOME!!!" "THAT WAS SO COOL!!!" "I DIDN''T SEE THE LAST PART PROPERLY!!!" "THAT WAS SO FAST!!!" They started roaring and cheering! "My ears don''t hurt anymore. I brought earplugs." Raye''s match against Ace only lasted for five minutes. ***** In a place away from the Zion Academy, sitting on his elegant throne behind his desk in his lavish office¡ª "Haha, he''s good." Lucian mumbled that with a laugh. He was watching the tournament through a communication crystal that projected a rectangular hologram before him. He had witnessed Raye''s fight against Ace. And after seeing that... ''I''m sure of it now.'' Lucian''s eyes narrowed, his gaze fixed on the hologram. Then, opening his mouth again¡ª "That''s not Raye." Lucian declared that, his voice low and cold, his piercing eyes locked on Raye''s calm figure through the hologram! ***** Back to the tournament¡ª "..." The students from the other academies were silent. Especially Christian and Elias... "..." They both wore deep frowns on their faces. Ace was undeniably one of the strongest four from the three academies. But now¡ª Raye had already defeated two of the so called [Strongest Four]! First was Ignis. And now, Ace. "Tch¡ª" Ignis clicked his tongue in annoyance, his jaw clenched as he watched Raye stand victorious. Then, shifting his gaze to Ace¡ª "..." Seeing him kneeling on the ground, head bowed in utter defeat¡ª ''Pathetic.'' Ignis spat that word in his head. And turning his glare back to Raye¡ª "I''ll get my revenge on you soon, just wait..." He mumbled that under his breath, his fists tightening. ... Anyway, Elias... "..." His eyes were glued to Raye. The way he fought, the way he moved... ''It was different.'' Elias thought. The Raye now was far too different from how Elias used to remember him. Back then, Raye couldn''t even wield a sword properly. His stances were clumsy, his movements awkward. Yet now¡ª His form was flawless. His strikes were sharp and precise. Even his magic, specifically the [Flash]... It was basic to medium at best, but he used it efficiently, complementing his swordsmanship perfectly! Elias'' brows furrowed deeper. Raye''s technique... His sword movements... ''It''s not the Divine Swordsmanship...'' The swordsmanship of the Alvah Dukedom. ''What is that...?'' Elias questioned in his head. S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ''Where did he learn it?'' ''Who taught him?'' ''When did he even practice it?'' He added. Then, most importantly... "Why did he look so... different?" Elias mumbled that! The Raye that he saw today was not the same person that he knew just a few months ago! Elias'' heart pounded, a chill running down his spine. His instincts were screaming at him, a nagging feeling gnawing at his mind. He knew Raye quite good, like how untalented he was or whatnot. Or at least, he thought he did. ... Meanwhile, just beside Elias, sitting in the special spectator''s booth¡ª Christian''s eyes were locked on Raye as well. His usual laid-back demeanor was gone, replaced by a cold, calculating stare. He had known Ace''s strength firsthand. And Raye didn''t just win. He dominated the fight. Effortlessly. ''This... doesn''t make sense.'' Christian''s eyes narrowed. The Raye he heard was a nuisance. A disgrace to the great Alvah name. Yet here he was... Strong. Confident. And wielding a strong swordsmanship to perfection! ''Every known information about him is useless now, they''re not true anymore for some reason... It''s time to update them.'' Christian decided in his head. ***** Moving on, going back to Raye... "So, according to the rules, what do you plan to do now?" Charles asked him that, his voice echoing throughout the arena. And hearing his question¡ª "..." Everyone went silent. Not just Raye. The crowd held their breath, eyes wide and unblinking. All of them were waiting for his response. Raye had already defeated two of the strongest four. He could stop now. No one would question him if he did. In fact, it would be the smartest choice. He had already proven his strength, his dominance. Continuing further would be foolish. He was exhausted, his mana running low. His body bore the signs of battle, hidden beneath his calm expression. Yet¡ª "..." Raye''s gaze remained steady. His eyes were sharp, unwavering. His posture was firm, no sign of hesitation. Then, his lips parted¡ª "I''ll fight again." And he declared that! His words cut through the silence like a blade. "...!" The crowd erupted in shock! "He''s going to fight again?!" "Is he insane?! He already took down two of the strongest!" "Does he even have any mana left?!" "Who is he challenging next?!" The arena buzzed with disbelief. Even Charles'' eyes widened for a moment. But he quickly composed himself. "I see... You choose to continue." Charles spoke, his tone monotone. "Then, who will be your next opponent?" The crowd fell silent once more when that question was asked, anticipation hanging heavy in the air. Now, people are cheering for Raye! This would''ve been unthinkable a few months back then! Anyway, everyone watched Raye, waiting... Everyone from the empire! Then, finally¡ª Fwish¡ª Raye raised his hand. His arm extended with confidence, his fingers pointing¡ª Straight at Christian! And seeing that¡ª "...!" Christian''s eyes widened in shock. "Wha-?!" The entire arena gasped. Raye didn''t choose an easier opponent! He didn''t choose someone weak or just an extra in the story. No. He chose Christian, one of the strongest contenders in the tournament, a named character in the game! The one who hadn''t fought yet and was still at full strength! The one who was known to be a prodigy! "...This guy..." Christian muttered under his breath, his eyes narrowing as he smirked. The tension in the air grew heavy, suffocating. It felt as if time itself had stopped. And in that frozen moment¡ª Raye''s voice rang out, clear and firm. "Christian. I challenge you." His serious expression showed no doubt. No fear. He was completely calm. Even as the arena exploded into chaos¡ª "HE''S CHALLENGING CHRISTIAN?!" "IS HE OUT OF HIS MIND?!" "WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH HIM?!" "DOES HE THINK HE CAN BEAT ALL OF THE STRONGEST FOUR?!" The disbelief was palpable. The tension was electric. And Christian just stood there, his expression unreadable. A heavy silence settled between them, their gazes locked. Then¡ª Christian''s lips curled even more. "Heh... You really are interesting, Raye." He spoke calmly, his tone laced with amusement. "Very well... I accept." The arena roared once more! The next battle was set. Raye versus Christian. Chapter 142 - 142: 142 - The Battle of Elites [5]—Christian versus Raye! After accepting Raye''s challenge... Tap- tap- tap¡ª Christian began his ascent, climbing up the arena''s steps at a measured pace. "..." All eyes were on him. The air was thick with tension, the atmosphere heavy with anticipation. "It''s Christian..." "I heard he was the weakest of the elite four." The crowd''s whispers followed his every step. (Elite Four: Elias, Ignis, Ace, Christian) "Still, he''s one of the strongest four." "Yeah, can Raye still win?" "I don''t know, why did he challenge him anyway...?" The murmurs grew, uncertainty rippling through the audience. The other contenders watched with narrowed eyes. "Does that guy plan to take all the fun?" Lycus asked, smiling while looking at Raye from the spectating area with the others. "Haha, he''s greedy, alright." Devin laughed. "..." Lena just stayed silent, observing Raye and his opponent. "..." This was the same for Jerusha, she''s confident that Raye would win. "Raye''s awesome." Jerusha unconsciously mumbled, remembering Raye''s first match. And at her words... "Hmmmm...?" Sofia''s ears perked up, a small smile appeared on her face. Anyway... Everyone knew Christian''s strength. They knew just how dangerous he could be. And yet¡ª "Hmm..." Raye stood firm, his expression unchanging as he watches Christian approach his direction. His eyes were locked on his opponent, unwavering, unyielding. Tap¡ª Christian reached the top of the arena. His movements were calm, almost casual. And as he faced Raye¡ª "Why me?" He asked that, his voice steady, curious. "Why did you pick me as your opponent?" His eyes were sharp, searching for an answer. And at his question¡ª "Meh." Raye just shrugged his shoulders. "Just because." And then he said that. "...?" Christian blinked. "...No reason?" He asked in confusion. "Mhm." Raye nodded his head as a response. "..." A silence hung between them. Christian''s brows furrowed, his gaze locked on Raye''s face. But then¡ª "...Hah." Christian let out a laugh. His lips curled into a small smile. "I see... Well, I''m not as strong as the others, you know." His tone was light, almost humble. "The truth is... I''m the weakest of the four. So please go easy on me." His words were spoken softly, yet they echoed through the arena. "..." The crowd went silent at his admission. But then¡ª "Pssh..." Raye let out a dry scoff. "That''s bullshit." Then he declared that. His voice was cold and dismissive. "...!" Christian''s eyes widened, he was taken aback. And opening his mouth again¡ª "You''re not the weakest." Raye followed. His tone was absolute. "And you know it." "..." Christian''s smile faltered. A flicker of surprise crossed his face. And Raye... ''In the game, Christian didn''t do much in the monster hunt, he also got a low presence, almost like an extra. But later on, in this part of the competition, it was revealed that he was actually the strongest of the four.'' He just recalled that from the [Brave Hearts]! "He''s even the smartest." Raye mumbled to himself. Meanwhile... "..." Christian was speechless, he couldn''t rebut Raye''s words. Because in that moment¡ª He knew Raye was serious and sure of his words. "...How did he saw through me?" Christian questioned under his breath. His shoulders relaxed, his posture shifting. Then¡ª FWOOSH¡ª! A surge of mana erupted from his body! The air around him grew heavy, electrified with power! Rumble¡ª Crack - The ground beneath him trembled, small cracks forming from the sheer force of his presence! "Whoa...!" "This pressure...!" "Is this really the power of the weakest?!" The audience felt it too. Their breaths caught in their throats, hearts pounding wildly. The shock rippled through the crowd, disbelief painted on their faces. But Raye¡ª "..." He remained unfazed. sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. His expression was calm, just smiling and staring straight at Christian. ''People really likes intimidating others with their dominating presence, huh.'' Raye said in his head. And just then¡ª Swoosh¡ª Christian reached into his spatial storage. His hand moved swiftly, expertly. And with a single motion¡ª FWISH¡ª He pulled out his personal weapon! It was a long, sleek spear! Its blade gleamed under the arena''s lights, reflecting a cold glint. The shaft was black, adorned with intricate green patterns that seemed to pulse with mana. It was elegant yet deadly, radiating a powerful aura! And as Christian held it¡ª Fwip- His posture shifted. His stance was perfect, balanced. His eyes grew sharp, focused. His demeanor changed completely, no longer humble, no longer casual. He looked like a predator, ready to strike! Raye felt it. The weight of Christian''s intent. The pressure of his aura. The overwhelming power he had been hiding all along. Raye''s expression didn''t change. He didn''t flinch. Instead¡ª A small smirk appeared on his lips. ''This is kinda exciting...'' His eyes gleamed with excitement! Then¡ª Tap- Charles stepped forward, his presence instantly commanding attention. "..." His gaze shifted between the two contenders. "Are you both ready?" Charles'' voice boomed across the arena. Fwip- Christian''s grip tightened around his spear. His posture was firm, his mana was steady. "I''m ready." Christian declared. And following him¡ª "I''m ready too." Raye muttered, fixing the hold on his swords. Raye cracked his neck, his body was relaxed. His eyes gleamed with anticipation. And hearing both their answers¡ª "THEN START!!!" Charles suddenly announced that! The sound of his voice signaled the start of the match! And in that instant¡ª BAM! FWOOSH¡ª! Raye moved first! His figure shot forward, his speed explosive! The ground beneath him cracked, dust erupting in his wake! His movement was direct, aggressive. He was aiming straight for Christian! The crowd gasped! "He''s charging in!" "Is he crazy? Christian''s got the reach advantage!" Christian''s eyes narrowed. His stance remained firm. And then¡ª Swoosh¡ª! He reacted swiftly, his spear slicing through the air with incredible precision! He took full advantage of his weapon''s length, aiming to intercept Raye''s approach! A quick thrust forward¡ª The spear''s blade shimmered, its mana-infused edge deadly! But¡ª Fwish¡ª! Raye''s body shifted mid-dash, his movements agile! He twisted his body, narrowly avoiding the spear''s tip! The wind howled as the blade missed his face by a hair''s breadth! But Raye didn''t stop! His momentum carried him forward, closing the distance between them! His hand tightened around his sword''s hilt. And then¡ª SWISH¡ª! He unleashed a horizontal slash with his right! Swoosh- [Nyx] cut through the air with speed and precision! Mana surged along its edge, creating a faint, dark trail behind it! The black mana-enhanced slash shot towards Christian''s torso! And seeing that¡ª CLANG¡ª! Christian reacted with lightning speed! He spun his spear, deflecting the attack with its shaft! The force behind Raye''s strike reverberated through his arms, but Christian''s stance remained unshaken. Their weapons clashed, sparks flying from the impact! The shockwave was felt across the arena, sending dust and debris scattering! The audience felt it, the intensity of their collision. The sheer power behind their attacks! Neither of them backed down. Raye''s eyes slightly shone with excitement. Christian''s expression grew serious, his stance firm. Their mana clashed, the tension between them escalating. Raye''s lips curled into a grin. Christian''s gaze hardened. And in that moment¡ª They both knew. This was just the beginning. Chapter 143 - 143: 143 - The Battle of Elites [6]—A Beautiful Swing Raye and Christian''s weapons clashed with a deafening roar¡ª TINGG¡ª!!! Sparks erupted from the collision, lighting the fierce expressions on their faces. Fwoosh~ Christian''s spear danced with precision, each thrust calculated, each movement fluid. His eyes were sharp, tracking Raye''s every motion, waiting for an opening. But¡ª FWISH¡ª Raye was faster. His body twisted, narrowly avoiding another deadly thrust. His agility was unmatched, his footwork flawless. He moved like the wind, swift and unpredictable! ''Ugh, he''s annoying...'' Christian thought with a small frown. And just then¡ª SWOOSH¡ª! Raye retaliated with a rapid horizontal slash using [Nyx]! His black sword cut through the air with blinding speed! Christian''s eyes widened¡ª THUNK¡ª!! He spun his spear, deflecting the attack just in time. He felt the impact of Raye''s attack through his arms again, still, his form remained firm! "...Tch." Christian clicked his tongue, his grip tightening. ''He''s faster when you faced him personally.'' He wasn''t expecting Raye to be this fast. But Christian wouldn''t back down. His eyes grew colder, his resolve hardening. And then¡ª Fwip- FWISH¡ª Christian''s body moved with precision, his spear striking once more! SHING¡ª! The blade of his spear shimmered with a green mana surrounding it, cutting through the space between them! Its reach was long and its speed was deadly. "...!" Raye was caught off guard by it! But¡ª FWISH¡ª TANGG¡ª!! He deflected it with [Celestria], his white sword glowing with mana too! His movements were smooth, effortlessly redirecting the attack! Christian''s forehead wrinkled. ''He''s good... Too good.'' He said in his head with a frown. And at that moment¡ª FWOOSH¡ª! Raye started attacking relentlessly! FWISH¡ª SWOOSH¡ª WHOOSH¡ª Each of his swings was faster than the last! But Christian... TING¡ª CLANG¡ª TANGG¡ª!! He was blocking and deflecting every attack that was thrown at him! The sound of metal clashing against metal echoed across the arena. Sparks flew, mana collided. Their battle was fierce, intense. But neither of them backed down. TING¡ª! "Hah...!" Raye''s eyes gleamed with excitement. His blood was boiling, his heart racing. Facing an opponent this strong... It was exhilarating for him! And just then¡ª SWOOSH¡ª! Christian found his chance. A single opening in Raye''s barrage of strikes! His eyes focused, his body moved instinctively. And with precision¡ª FWOOSH¡ª! Christian drove his spear forward, aiming for Raye''s heart! The blade of his weapon shot towards Raye like a lightning bolt! It was fast. Too fast¡ª! But¡ª TINGGG¡ª!!! Raye responded by twisting his body and deflecting it with [Celestria]! "Urgh...!" Shhhk¡ª! The spear skidded off his sword, narrowly missing him! Raye thought that he had done well deflecting such attack... But Christian wasn''t done just yet! Swish- His movements flowed like water, transitioning seamlessly. He spun his spear around¡ª SWOOSH¡ª! Then performed a horizontal slash aimed at Raye''s neck! S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. It was another terrifyingly fast attack! And sensing it come¡ª FWIP¡ª! Raye instinctively ducked, the blade slicing through the air above him! His reflexes were now really inhuman. "...!" Even Raye himself was surprised he dodged that attack just now. But recomposing himself¡ª SWISH¡ª! He countered with an upward slash from [Nyx]! The black sword surged with mana. Christian''s eyes widened¡ª CLANG¡ª! He barely blocked it with the bottom part of his spear! The force behind Raye''s attack was immense. The impact rattled Christian''s bones, his stance faltered a little now... But his eyes remained sharp! And then, this time¡ª FWOOSH¡ª! It was Christian who unleashed a barrage of attacks, his spear dancing with incredible speed! FWISH¡ª His strikes were precise, aimed at Raye''s vital points! ''The left!'' FWOOSH¡ª He was meticulous, observant. Always aiming for the counter. And Raye¡ª "Keuk...!" ''Fuck this!'' He was struggling to dodge the attacks! Slash- Fwish- Small cuts started appearing all over his body, his uniform was slowly getting torn. Ting¡ª Raye deflected some of the attacks, his swords moving like the extensions of his body. His footwork was light, his movements elegant. WHOOSH¡ª! Charles was planted on his place, thrusting and slashing his spear. Bam! FWISH¡ª "Ugh...!" While Raye was all around, dodging and deflecting attacks! He was slowly getting used to Christian''s style and speed. And then, after a few moment¡ª Bam! Raye jumped back! FWOOOOM¡ª! Then a burst of mana suddenly surged from his body! It was powerful, overwhelming! Christian''s eyes widened in shock. ''What is this¡ª!?'' He instinctively paused for a second and asked that question in his head. And then he saw it¡ª [Celestria] was glowing. Its elegant white blade shone with mana¡ª Swoosh~ Then it started changing its shape! Raye''s mana flowed into it, molding it to his will. And in just a second¡ª FWOOM¡ª! The sword transformed. It became a beautiful white gauntlet, encasing Raye''s left hand! It intricate patterns adorned its surface. It radiated power, gleaming under the arena''s lights. "..." Christian''s breath caught in his throat. ''What is that...?!'' He asked. But he didn''t have time to think. Raye''s eyes narrowed¡ª "[Flash]" And then he muttered that! FWOOOSH¡ª! Raye''s figure became a blur and he disappeared from everyone''s sight! And seeing that¡ª ''?!'' "Gotcha!" Christian shouted that! Hie instincts screamed! And reacting purely on reflex¡ª FWOOSH¡ª! He thrust his spear forward, aiming for Raye''s head! The blade shot in front of him, faster than before! It was a killing blow! And then¡ª Fwish- "...!" Raye suddenly reappeared in front of Christian''s spear, he was surprised to see a blade in front of his face! ''You can only travel straight when you use that skill, right?!'' Christian asked in his head with a craze smile, seeing Raye''s face about to get stabbed! But then¡ª Fwish¡ª TANKK¡ª! The spear was suddenly caught by something. Christian''s eyes widened¡ª ''No way...!'' His gaze followed the path of his spear... And there it was¡ª Raye''s left hand. Encased in the beautiful white gauntlet, its intricate patterns glowing with mana. His fingers were wrapped around the body of the spear, holding it in place! "..." Christian''s mouth fell open. His eyes trembled. And as he was in his stupor¡ª "You''re too slow." He heard Raye''s calm voice. "...!" It sent shivers down Christian''s spine! And before he could even say anything¡ª SWOOSH¡ª! Raye swung [Nyx]! The black sword sliced through the air. It was beautiful. "Gurgh!" Fwip¡ª Christian desperately raised his left arm to shield his head. He even covered it with mana. But at that moment¡ª "[Blaze]" Raye mumbled that mid-swing! SWAAAAA¡ª A raging fire covered his sword! And with a clean, precise swing¡ª SLASH¡ª!! Raye cut through Christian''s left arm and neck! "...?!" Christian''s vision blurred. His body felt weightless. His head... It was flying. Time seemed to slow. He could see his own body below him, blood gushing from his neck. The crowd''s faces were frozen in shock. Raye stood there, his posture relaxed. His swords gleamed under the light. And then¡ª Christian''s vision faded. Darkness enveloped him. THUD¡ª! And his head hit the ground. Chapter 144 - 144: 144 - The Battle of Elites [7]—A Sudden Quest The whole area went silent again as another head, cut off by Raye, hit the floor. They couldn''t dare to utter a word. Everyone was looking at Christian''s unmoving body on the floor. And then, soon enough¡ª Fwoosh~ Christian''s head and body started disintegrating. Particles of light danced around his remains, vanishing into the air. And just like what happened to Ace¡ª Fwish- Thud! "Ugh...?!" He was thrown out of the arena, falling butt-first just inches away from the sulking Ace! Christian looked up at the arena. And there¡ª He saw Raye. But Raye wasn''t looking at him. His gaze was fixed on Charles. Cold and unwavering. And at that moment¡ª "Winner, Raye!" Charles loudly announced it. His voice echoed throughout the arena. And for the second time¡ª "WHOOOAAAAHH!!!" "YOU''RE SO COOL, RAYE!!!" "LET ME GIVE YOU A KISS!!!" "My ears are still fine because of my earplugs, heh." Cheers for Raye erupted from the crowd again! Their excitement was palpable, their voices deafening. Though... "Tch¡ª!" The students and competitors from the other academies weren''t happy, obviously. They were all glaring at Raye with hatred in their eyes. Their faces twisted in anger, jealousy burning in their gazes. Raye was just ignoring them. Their animosity meant nothing to him. Anyway, just then... "Tsk." Rickrey left the training grounds, frustrated. (Devin''s opponent in the finals of the tournament before.) His shoulders were tense, his fists clenched. And with a frown on his face¡ª "Guess I''ll go with his plan then." He mumbled that and started walking away, avoiding everyone''s eyes. His figure disappeared into the distance, his mind clouded with thoughts. ***** Meanwhile... In the audience¡ª "...!" Elias'' eyes were wide with shock. His mouth was slightly agape, his mind struggling to process what he had just witnessed in the last part of the duel. "That... That was the second stage of aura, wasn''t it...?" He muttered under his breath, his voice trembling. He was talking about Raye''s skill, [Blaze]. The second stage of aura is simply called [Elemental Aura]. It enhances the weapon''s power much greater than early-stage auras. And depending on your aura''s element, fighting certain opponents could either give you an advantage or a disadvantage... But¡ª "No... That wasn''t it..." Elias''s brows furrowed as he concluded. "Aura doesn''t use mana... But the skill Raye just used... It was surging with mana..." He added. His heart was pounding, a deep frown appearing on his face. ''What was that...?'' Elias asked in his head. Then¡ª Fwish- His attention went back to Raye. And, opening his mouth slightly... "Is that really Raye...?" He asked. ***** On the other hand... In his office¡ª Lucian watched the fight through a holographic projection. His arms were crossed, his eyes sharp. He observed everything in silence. And then¡ª "Hmm..." He tilted his head, a curious smile forming on his lips. "Did he hit his head and change personality and stuff?" His voice was light, playful even. But his eyes were serious. His gaze was focused on Raye. Everything he knew about him... It wasn''t the same as before. Raye was nothing like this just months ago. ''It was as if he was a completely different person.'' Lucian thought. "Well... It''s interesting..." Then he just leaned back in his chair, a glint of amusement in his eyes. "And that skill... Was it [Blaze]? That''s pretty good. It could rival aura." His smile widened. "Did he make that himself? That''s something you don''t see every day." Lucian''s fingers tapped rhythmically on his armrest. His mind was now fixated on Raye. "Just what are you hiding, Raye...?" His voice was soft, almost a whisper. His curiosity was now burning. And as the magic hologram continued to show Raye standing victoriously in the arena¡ª Lucian''s smile deepened. "I wonder if we''ll ever meet again..." He mumbled under his breath. ***** (Raye''s POV) "Huff... haaaaa..." I let out a heavy sigh as exhaustion caught up to me. I''m kind of feeling sleepy now. ''I bet my face looks so serious right now. I''m tired as fuck.'' I thought. Anyway... I glanced down at the arena. And there¡ª I saw the students from the other academies, frowning at me. ''Uwahh, they really hate me, huh.'' I immediately turned my head away from them. I also caught a glimpse of Ace and the others, but I just ignored them. And looking on the other side... "Raye, win this thing!" "You''re so amazing!" "WAAAAHHH!!!" I saw my schoolmates cheering for me. I even saw Jerusha and the others shouting something at me. I could hear them, but I couldn''t understand their words. They were being drowned out by the noise in the crowd. And then¡ª I saw Allen and Leon not far from the others. The two of them were looking at me with complicated expressions on their faces. And I think I know why... They want to win this tournament, of course. So they were cheering for me. But they were having conflicted feelings now about the fact that I took out half of the elite four. "I bet they trained hard for this event. My bad, really..." I mumbled before looking away from them. ''Don''t worry, guys. I''m done showing off now.'' I said in my head, feeling happy. My plan was to attract the attention of everyone in the tournament to gain fame and secure my future success. And there''s no easier way to do that than by defeating two of the elite four. Still... "My body feels light. I feel a lot stronger." I didn''t expect this to be this easy. Moving on¡ª I decided not to think about that for now. I was planning to step down from the arena and stop fighting. The fatigue and lack of mana were already making my body feel heavy. "I did more than enough. I can stop now." I mumbled to myself. I left Elias alone because he''s for Leon¡ªthe protagonist¡ªto fight. In the game''s story, Leon defeated Elias, and that''s what got him connected to the Alvah Dukedom, other than through Raye. And so¡ª "What''s your plan now?" When Charles asked me that, I opened my mouth and was about to tell him that I''d stop here. But before I could even let out a sound¡ª Fwoosh- A bluish holographic system window appeared in front of my face. "...?" I was surprised by its sudden appearance. This rarely happens. I read what was written on the system window. And upon reading it... "Bruh." I muttered that in disbelief. ===== Sudden Quest: Blood versus Blood Condition: Fight and win against your biological brother¡ªElias Alvah! Rewards: +5 points to all stats ===== The system was telling me to fight again! I became silent, thinking to myself. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Charles was just standing in front of me, waiting for my response. ''I''m already tired, and if I accept this, I''ll actively change the flow of the game story.'' I thought. But still¡ª The reward looked good as fuck! And so, after a slight pause¡ª ''Fuck it.'' "I will continue fighting." I declared that! And hearing my words... "WHOOAAAAAA!!!" "WAAAAAHHHH!!!" "RAAAAAAAHHH!!!" "GAH?! SOMEONE BUMPED INTO ME AND MY EARPLUGS FELL! I CAN''T FIND THEM!!!" The crowd went wild again. ***** "That''s enough." Charles silenced the crowd, his authoritative voice cutting through the deafening cheers. "..." And after that... Fwish¡ª He turned back to Raye. "Who do you want to be your next opponent?" Charles asked. And without hesitation¡ª Fwip¡ª Raye moved. His hands lifted. His fingers pointed. Then, with a calm expression on his face¡ª "I challenge Alvah." Raye declared that, pointing directly at Elias! And hearing his words¡ª "WHOOOOAAAAHHH!!!" "WHAT?!!" "IT''S BLOOD AGAINST BLOOD!" "DUDE, THIS IS INSANE!" "BROTHERS FIGHTING EACH OTHER?! IS THIS A DRAMA NOW?!" "ACK! MY EARS!!!" The crowd erupted once more, their voices colliding in chaotic excitement. Some were thrilled. Some were confused. But all of them knew¡ª This was no ordinary match. On the other hand¡ª "..." Elias was speechless. He blinked. His mind struggled to keep up with what had just happened. Raye... was challenging him? His own brother? The one that couldn''t even properly look at him in the eyes before? "..." He couldn''t believe it. His body tensed, confusion washing over him. But when he snapped out of his stupor¡ª His gaze locked onto Raye. Raye was looking down at him. Cold eyes. Unwavering. It was as if he was nothing more than an obstacle for him. And seeing that¡ª Clench¡ª Elias clenched his fists. His heartbeat pounded in his ears. Then, immediately¡ª Fwip¡ª He stood up. And with a deep breath¡ª "I accept the challenge." He said that. His voice was low, steady. But his mind was racing. This wasn''t just any duel. Raye wasn''t just looking for a fight. He was making a statement. But why? ''Is he trying to prove something?'' Elias asked himself. But whatever it was... ''I''m not just going to back down.'' He declared in his head, his determination settling in. Fwoosh~ The atmosphere shifted. The air felt heavier. The crowd, once loud, fell into murmurs. All eyes were on them now. The tension crackled like electricity. A fight between blood¡ª A battle between brothers¡ª It was about to begin. Chapter 145 - 145: 145 - The Battle of Elites [8]—A Fight Between Brothers "..." Elias stood a few meters away from Raye, holding the golden handle of his longsword with both hands. "..." Raye just stared at him, [Nyx] on his right and [Celestria] on his left¡ªit was in its sword form. "It''s starting..." "I''m excited." "Uwahhh, finally, silence... My ears..." Murmurs from the crowd erupted as the two faced off. Anticipation filled everyone''s bodies as they grew excited about what was about to come... Elias wasn''t the strongest of the Elite Four. And Raye had already defeated Ace and Christian¡ªthe arguably strongest of them. So, the result was already set, right? No, it wasn''t... ''Ugh... My body aches.'' Raye''s condition wasn''t good. His body felt heavy from being low on mana and stamina. His breathing was already rough¡ªhe was just making sure nobody heard it. Everyone knew this. That''s why no one can be a hundred percent sure of the outcome. After all, Elias is also a member of the [Elite Four] from the other academies. And so, after calculating a bit¡ª ''I should finish this quickly.'' Raye declared that in his head. He was sure that he would lose if the battle dragged on. So after deciding that¡ª Fwip¡ª Raye tightened his grip on his swords. And just then... "You''re already tired. I''ll put you to rest." Fwish¡ª Elias said that, taking a stance. "..." Raye just looked at him without changing expression. Then, crouching down and preparing to kick off the ground¡ª "Try it if you can." He said that in a monotone voice, a small smirk resting on his face. "..." Elias frowned at his words. And at that moment¡ª "START!" Charles exclaimed, starting the match! And as soon as they heard his voice¡ª BAM!! FWOOSH¡ª Elias and Raye immediately dashed toward each other! CLANG¡ª!! Their swords clashed mid-air, in the middle of the arena, sending sparks flying! S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Fwip¡ª Elias twisted his wrists, seamlessly flowing into a second strike. ''Oh no you don''t.'' Fwish¡ª But Raye reacted instantly¡ªtwisting his body to the right and barely dodging the blade by a hair''s breadth! TINGG-! TANGK¡ª! SWISH¡ª Elias pressed forward, his swordplay like a flowing river, each movement chaining into the next without pause. His cold blade cut through the air in a smooth, relentless assault... But Raye was fast... Too fast. WHOOSH¡ª He ducked under a horizontal slash, moving to the side before Elias could fully recover his balance. And in that split second¡ª SWOOSH¡ª Raye''s [Nyx] slashed forward, aiming for Elias'' left leg! Seeing that¡ª Fwip- Elias immediately turned his sword upsidedown¡ª TINGGK¡ª!! Deflecting the attack with a sharp metallic ring! But in doing so¡ª Shhhhk¡ª! He slid back! The force behind Raye''s attack sent him back by a few inches! "..." Elias just glared at Raye, not taking his attention away from him. And looking back at him... ''Tch¡­ I thought I got him there.'' Raye thought, tightening his grip on his weapons. He wasn''t used to fighting someone with such fluid swordplay. ''That''s the Alvah swordsmanship, right? No wonder they''re a reputable swordsman family.'' Raye thought, his brows furrowing. Each of Elias''s movements¡ªprecise, disciplined, and efficient¡ªcarried the weight of generations of refined technique. On the other hand... Elias smirked. ''He''s distracted. Now!'' He exclaimed in his head. Then¡ª BAM! He kicked off the ground, the force cracking against the arena floor. And in a split second¡ª FWISH¡ª He closed the gap, his sword blurring as he unleashed a lightning-fast combo! SWOOSH¡ª An upward slash! FWISH¡ª A diagonal cut! And lastly¡ª FWOOSH¡ª! A spinning strike that curved unpredictably! His blade cut through the air with deadly speed, each movement fluid, seamless¡ªrelentless. But¡ª SWOOSH¡ª Raye twisted his body to the side, just barely avoiding the first strike! FWISH¡ª He bent backward, feeling the wind of the diagonal slash narrowly missing his face! Then¡ª He dropped low. Fwip¡ª His feet skidded across the ground as he shifted under Elias''s spinning strike, his eyes sharp, calculating. He successfully avoided the three attacks! But suddenly¡ª TAAANGK¡ª! A direct hit! Elias followed up with a fourth move in his combo! It was a downward vertical slash! "Urgh?!" Raye managed to block it just in time by crossing his swords, but the sheer force sent a violent tremor up his arms. ''Damn it...'' His muscles tensed, his grip tightening around his weapons. He was ready to attack back! But before Raye could even launch a counter¡ª Elias suddenly changed the tempo. And with a sharp pivot¡ª FWIP¡ª He pulled his sword back¡ª FWOOSH! And lunged forward! A sudden thrust aimed straight for Raye''s chest! Fast. Precise. Ruthless. But¡ª "..." Raye saw it. And at the very last second¡ª He twisted his torso back to the left! Fwish¡ª! Elias'' blade grazed past his ribs, the cold steel slicing through the air instead of flesh. Then¡ª Bam! Raye leaped back, flipping backward and landing gracefully on his feet a few meters away! "That was a close one." Raye mumbled, straightening his stance with a frown on his face. But not letting him rest or get away¡ª FWOOSH¡ª Elias disappeared from where he stood! Fwish- And he reappeared in front of Raye! ''He''s this fast?!'' Raye was surprised. And before he knew it¡ª FWOOSH-! Elias launched another fast thrust! SWISH~ Raye spun backward to the right, barely avoiding a fatal hit¡ª Slash- But the blade still grazed his right side! Red blood appeared on Raye''s clean white uniform coat. The crowd gasped. Elias'' smirk deepened. And with a sly smile on his face¡ª "Slowing down, are we?" He taunted. "Fuuuu..." Raye exhaled sharply, ignoring Elias'' provocation. And after that¡ª ''No choice.'' Fwip- He clenched his swords. Then¡ª BOOM! Mana surged through his body! And opening his mouth¡ª "[Flash]" Raye activated his skill! Fwish¡ª His figure blurred, vanishing from sight! Elias''s eyes widened¡ª He expected the skill, but he didn''t expect it to be this fast in person! WHOOSH! Raye reappeared behind him in an instant, his [Celestria] already swinging down! "...?!" CLANG!!! Elias barely managed to turn and block, the sheer force of Raye''s speed-enhanced attack sending a shockwave through the arena! ''Fast¡­ but not enough.'' Elias declared inwardly. Fwoosh~ Then his sword glowed as golden energy enveloped it¡ªit was Weapon Aura! BOOM! A massive force erupted from Elias'' blade. "...?!" Shhhhk! Raye was slightly pushed backward despite his defensive stance. The ground beneath them cracked. ''His aura is something else, huh.'' Raye thought. Swip- His grip tightened again as he channeled more mana into his swords. And at that moment¡ª Elias stepped forward. Raye''s eyes sharpened. And¡ª FWOOSH¡ª!!! They vanished at the same time. The crowd held their breath. Then¡ª BOOOOOM¡ª!!! A deafening shockwave tore through the arena. Sparks of energy crackled around his blades as he met Elias''s weapon aura head-on. TINGG-! CLANG! TANGGK¡ª! Their swords met in a blinding barrage of attacks¡ªeach strike sending shockwaves through the battlefield. Swoosh- swish¡ª Raye weaved through Elias''s precise, fluid combos, countering with blinding speed. "...!" But Elias remained composed, using his aura to extend the reach of his sword and suppress Raye''s movements. "Your speed is commendable, but it''s not enough!" Elias muttered, his golden aura flaring even brighter. "Tch¡ª" ''[Flash]'' Then Raye suddenly vanished again¡ª And the next thing everyone knew... SCHWING! His sword slashed at Elias from the left with [Celestria]¡ª CLANG! Blocked! "Keuk...?!" Elias was able to block it. Then instantly, Raye flickered again¡ª "[Flash!]" SCHING! A strike from the right! TINGG¡ª! Blocked again! "Tsk!" Raye clicked his tongue, his mana running low from consecutive [Flash] activations. "Hah!" Elias smiled mischievously. FWAAAAA~ His golden aura intensified as he raised his sword overhead. And then¡ª "Here''s your rest!" SWOOOSH¡ª!!! His sword came crashing down, golden energy surging toward Raye in a wave of destruction! A simple, downward vertical slash¡ª BOOM!!! Dust and debris erupted into the air as the attack landed. Swooooosh~ "..." Silence. Nobody in the crowd said a word, they were waiting for the dust cloud to disappear. Then¡ª FWOOOSH¡ª A transparent white light flickered through the smoke! And when the dust settled¡ª "..." They saw Raye standing tall, his entire body radiating intense mana output! His swords crackled with raw energy, fighting off Elias''s aura with sheer force. Raye smirked. "This fight''s just getting started." He said. And opening his mouth again¡ª "[Blaze]" He muttered! SWAAAAAA¡ª A violent raging fire engulfed [Celestria] and [Nyx]! Bam- Elias jumped back when he saw that. FWOOSH¡ª! His gaze locked onto Raye''s blades, now wreathed in fierce, flickering flames. ''So he''s finally using it again.'' He said in his head, landing softly on the ground and readjusting his grip on his sword. Then¡ª FWAAAAAAAA¡ª! Elias'' golden aura started surging in response! FWOOOOOOOSH¡ª Raye and Elias stood motionless, locked in a silent standoff. Their eyes sharp. Bodies tense. "..." Neither spoke. Neither moved. "..." The arena, once filled with murmurs, fell into eerie silence. The fight had just begun not long ago... But everyone can instinctively tell that the end was near. Swoosh~ Seconds stretched into minutes. Then, after a few moments of silence¡ª BAM! FWISH¡ª Raye and Elias vanished from their places! And suddenly¡ª BOOOOM¡ª!! They collided once more¡ªflames and golden energy erupting as their blades clashed mid-air! "..." Raye''s eyes met with Elias''. And while they were looking at each other¡ª "I thought you were going to put me to rest? I''m waiting." Raye asked that slyly! And responding to him¡ª "Your tongue is as sharp as your weapons, huh." Elias muttered that with a frown on his face! Then, with that¡ª TIINGG¡ª!!! They started clashing swords again! Chapter 146 - 146: 146 - The Battle of Elites [9]—The Deciding Clash! BOOOOM¡ª!!! Flames and golden energy clashed violently, the sheer force shaking the entire arena. TANGG¡ª! TINGG¡ª! SWISH¡ª! Raye and Elias'' swords met again and again, neither side giving an inch. Sparks flew, the heat of Raye''s flames colliding against the overwhelming power of Elias''s golden aura. FWOOSH¡ª Elias launched a thrust, holding his sword with both hands, aiming at Raye''s heart. TIINNK¡ª! Raye deflected it upward with [Nyx]. Fwish¡ª The blade of Elias'' sword brushed past the left side of his face. "..." But Raye didn''t flinch or even showed any fear. His eyes remained focused on Elias. And instead¡ª SLASH¡ª He swung [Celestria] diagonally upward, trying to cut off Elias'' right arm! "?!" Elias realized what Raye was planning to do. "Urgh...!" He forcefully twisted his body to the left, and in doing so¡ª Fwoosh¡ª Raye hit nothing but the air. Then, as his sword was beside Raye''s face¡ª Swish¡ª Elias followed a quick horizontal slash! "Ugh!" Fwip¡ª Raye crouched down as a response. And from there, with his [Nyx] that is engulfed in flame¡ª SWOOSH¡ª Raye heavily slashed horizontally toward Elias'' waist, he was trying to cut him in half! Though... TINGG¡ª! Elias'' hands flowed smoothly, he immediately moved his sword down and blocked Raye''s attack! "Keuk...!" He groaned as the force behind the attack transferred to his arms. ''Ugh, he can still keep up?'' Raye thought, his brows furrowing. Elias''s defense was airtight, his movements too precise, too refined. Every attack Raye threw at him was met with a perfectly timed counter. But¡ª "[Flash]" Swish¡ª! Raye vanished once more! SCHWING¡ª! Then a flaming arc cut through the air, targeting Elias''s exposed right side of the body! "...!" Elias was shocked seeing that, but immediately responding¡ª FWOOOSH¡ª! Golden aura exploded from his body, creating a powerful shockwave that pushed Raye back before he could land a clean hit! "Tch¡ª!" Raye skidded across the ground, flames flickering wildly around him. And before he could stabilize¡ª FWOOSH¡ª! Elias closed the distance in an instant, his sword glowing even brighter. And opening his mouth¡ª "I admit that I would''ve lost if you were in your perfect condition." He muttered. SWOOOSH¡ª And then he swung down his longsword! BOOOOM¡ª!!! "GARGH...!?" Raye barely managed to cross his blades in time, blocking the devastating strike¡ª But¡ª CRACK¡ª! The sheer force cracked the ground beneath him! ''Damn it¡­ I''m losing strength!'' Raye gritted his teeth, his arms trembling from the impact. He had to move. Now! FWIP¡ª He twisted his body to the side, slipping out of Elias''s pressure range¡ª Then¡ª FWOOSH¡ª!!! Raye intensified the mana he''s using on his skill, [Blaze]! SWAAAAAAAAHH¡ª! A massive burst of flames erupted from his swords, engulfing the space between him and Elias! WHOOSH¡ª! Elias jumped back, his golden aura flaring to shield him from the scorching heat. Tap- And when they recovered their proper stance¡ª "..." The two of them locked eyes again. Both of them are breathing heavily. Both are also refusing to fall. "¡­Still standing?" Elias muttered, rolling his shoulders. And with a shrug... "As you can see, you''re not strong enough to make me lie down." Raye replied to him. Elias got annoyed by his words, he decided to shut up for now. Then, after a while of staring at each other... FWOOOSH¡ª!!! They both vanished. TIIIIINGG¡ª!!! A deafening impact shook the arena as they clashed once more. TANGG¡ª! TINGG¡ª! SWOOSH¡ª! Blow after blow, faster and faster, their weapons became blurs of light and fire. And then¡ª FWIP¡ª Raye suddenly dropped low, spinning on his heel¡ª FWOOSH¡ª!!! A sweeping strike aimed at Elias''s legs! But¡ª Bam-! Elias leapt over it effortlessly, flipping mid-air¡ª And with a flick of his wrist¡ª FWAAAA¡ª!!! A golden energy slash tore through the ground below! BOOOOM¡ª!!! The attack exploded upon impact, sending debris flying everywhere! Raye barely dodged in time, flipping backward and landing a few meters away. "Huff... Haaaaa..." His breathing was a lot heavier and rough now. His mana reserves were nearing empty. ''¡­ I need to finish this now¡­'' Raye thought. He had to end it. His condition was just running worse. And after seeing Raye like that¡ª "¡­I see." Elias mumbled, his eyes narrowed. "You''re running out of gas." He said, looking at Raye. Then, smiling¡ª FWOOOOOO¡ª!!! His golden aura intensified, wrapping around his entire body like a raging storm. "I can still go on." Elias confidently declared. "..." Raye just ignored him. Fwip- Instead, he fixed the hold on his weapons. And just then¡ª BAM¡ª!!! Elias dashed forward, his sword cutting through the air like a golden comet! Tap¡ª Raye planted his right foot forward. And violently twisting his body¡ª SWOOOSH¡ª!!! He slashed both his swords horizontally, from his right to left! Raye decided to meet Elias'' attack head-on! BOOOM¡ª!!! Flames and aura exploded when their weapons clashed! "Urgh?!" "Gakk...?!" Raye and Elias groaned in pain, their arms tingled. But ignoring that¡ª TANGG¡ª! TINGG¡ª! CLANG¡ª! They just started clashing again! A flurry of blows. Each one faster, sharper, deadlier than the last. Raye twisted¡ªstruck¡ªvanished¡ªreappeared¡ªattacked again. Elias countered¡ªblocked¡ªparried¡ªresponded with brutal precision. Neither gave in. TANG¡ª! "Gugh...!" Raye just blocked a heavy downward slash from Elias with [Celestria]. Fwish¡ª!! "Ughh... Fuck!" Elias just dodged Raye''s counter thrust with [Nyx], it was aimed at his head. A small cut appeared on his cheek. Neither of them backed down. And then¡ª FWOOOSH¡ª!!! They both struck at the same time¡ª BOOOOOOM¡ª!!! A massive shockwave erupted, sending them flying to opposite sides of the arena! "Ugh?!" "Keuk?!" Raye and Elias skidded across the ground. Dust and smoke filled the arena platform. And when it cleared¡ª "..." "..." Both of them were still standing. Panting. Bleeding. Though, Raye was barely able to move. The flames on his swords were flickering, weak¡ªone could literally blow them out right now! Tap¡ª Elias took a step forward. Tap¡ª Raye did the same. One last attack. One final strike to decide it all. They locked eyes¡ª And then¡ª S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. BAAM¡ª!!! They charged at each other. A golden streak. A fiery blur. And the moment their swords met¡ª BOOOOM¡ª!!! The entire arena trembled. And then¡ª "..." Swoosh~ Silence. "¡­!!" The crowd held their breath. The outcome was decided. Who had won? Who had fallen? The dust began to settle. And after a while¡ª "..." They saw Raye! The flames on his swords had completely disappeared! Both his arms were hanging down¡ªhe was barely holding onto his weapons! Spish¡ª Blood gushed from his nose, ears, and mouth! And soon enough¡ª "..." It started dripping from his eyes too, staining his face red! Right now, Raye looked like he was crying blood. And as that was happening¡ª "..." They saw Elias! He was standing a meter behind Raye. Motionless. His posture frozen in place¡ªhis stance looked like he had just finished a slash! His eyes are fierce, his expression intense. "..." Elias was gripping his longsword tightly with both hands. Everyone thought Elias had won. After all, just look at Raye¡ªhis flames were gone, his arms were down, and blood was dripping from his face like he was crying in crimson. How could he still stand? There was no way he had won. And yet, as the students Zion were feeling a bit of despair because of that¡ª "Shit..." Elias weakly cursed. Then¡ª Thud¡ª His body collapsed forward, hitting the ground hard! "...?!" A pool of blood began forming beneath him. And as the crowd gasped in shock¡ª They saw it. A massive, deep cut ran across Elias'' stomach, fresh and gushing with blood! It was from the last exchange against Raye. The final clash had decided it. And the result was clear! "Raye won!" Charles'' voice boomed through the arena. "..." Silence. The entire stadium was quiet. No cheers. No claps. Nothing. Everyone was speechless, struggling to process what had just happened. The one who looked like he was moments away from collapsing¡­ Had won. And the one who looked victorious¡­ Had fallen. A battle between two brothers¡ªdecided in a way no one expected. Then¡ª "WOOOOOAAAAHHHHH!!!" "WAAAAHHHHH!!!" The silence broke. The arena erupted! Roars of excitement filled the air. The crowd screamed, cheered, and chanted Raye''s name. "RAYE! RAYE! RAYE!!" "WHAT WAS THAT?!!" "THAT WAS AWESOME!!!" "RAYE YOU SON OF A BITCH, I LOVE YOU!!!" "FUCK MY EARS, THAT WAS INSANE!!! ACK...!" Their voices shook the entire stadium. And Raye¡ª "Haaaaaa..." He let out a tired sigh. Then, ignoring everyone in the crowd... "..." Raye looked at the system window that suddenly appeared in front of him just now. ===== Sudden Quest: Blood versus Blood (Complete) ----- Reward: +5 points to all stats! ===== ''Heh...'' A small smile formed on his face after reading that. And slightly opening his mouth¡ª "Status." Raye muttered. Swoosh¡ª Then his status window appeared in front him! "..." Raye looked at it for a few seconds, then, nodding his head¡ª Fwish¡ª He put [Nyx] into his spatial ring. And with a soft glow... Fwoosh¡ª [Celestria] transformed into a staff. And using it as a walking stick¡ª Tap¡ª tap¡ª tap¡ª Raye casually walked away from Elias. ''I want to sleep.'' He muttered on his head, his vision hazy. Raye was really exhausted that he feels like passing out at any moment now. Chapter 147 - 147: 147 - Surprise! "Raye won!" Charles announced after Elias fell to the ground, a pool of blood forming beneath him. And hearing those words¡ª "..." Leon was speechless. He was watching from a different resting booth, not far from Jerusha and the others. "..." Allen, sitting beside him, was also silent. The two of them had just witnessed Raye''s fight¡ªfrom the very start, when his opponent was Ace. And now, after seeing Raye emerge victorious from three consecutive battles¡ª "What the fuck..." Leon couldn''t help but curse. He was in shock. "That guy is insane..." Allen muttered, his eyes fixed on Raye standing in the arena. Leon completely agreed with his words just now. And then¡ª They replayed the final exchange in their minds. They saw it. The moment everything was decided. FWOOSH¡ª! Raye and Elias kicked off the ground at the same time, dashing toward each other with all their remaining strength¡ª One final clash. One last strike to end it all. And when they entered each other''s range¡ª FWOOSH¡ª! Both swords swung. Elias brought his longsword down in a devastating vertical slash, putting everything into the strike. While Raye swung [Nyx] horizontally, from right to left, aiming to cut through Elias. And at that moment... Leon and Allen saw it¡ª Elias'' attack was going to land first! His sword was descending too fast. Raye was just too tired, his swing was too slow. It was over¡ª Or so they thought¡ª TINGK¡ª!!! A sharp metallic ring echoed through the air at that moment. Raye had blocked it! With [Celestria] in his left hand, he caught Elias'' powerful strike just inches from his head! Shhhick¡ª The blade of Elias'' longsword then slid across the smooth, polished surface of Raye''s white sword, deflecting it off-course! Elias''s face twisted in shock. His attack had missed. And in that exact moment¡ª BAM¡ª! Raye lunged forward. He didn''t hesitate. He didn''t waste a single second. And with [Nyx]¡ª SLASH¡ª! A clean, deep cut opened across Elias''s stomach. And the next thing they knew¡ª Elias was on the ground, defeated. Neither of Leon and Allen could believe what they had just seen. It was absurd. It was ridiculous. It was¡ª "Fucking insane..." Leon muttered, his heart still racing. Allen just nodded, still too shocked to speak. They wanted to fight too¡ªnot the [Elite Four], but Raye! They looked up at the arena again. And there¡ª Tap¡ª tap¡ª tap¡ª They saw Raye casually walking away, using his elegant white staff as a walking stick. They knew Raye was strong, but not this strong. It had only been a couple of days since they last saw him. But in that short amount of time¡ª "He got stronger again." Leon and Allen had the same thought in unison, their expressions filled with disbelief and admiration. How was he improving so fast? Just how far could he go? They had no answer. And that made them even more eager to fight him. ***** On the other hand... "WAAAAAHHHH!!!" Devin was shouting uncontrollably. Watching Raye''s fight had filled him with excitement¡ªhis blood was boiling, his heart racing. He couldn''t help but let out a roar, unable to contain the surge of adrenaline coursing through his veins. His entire body was buzzing. His fists clenched and unclenched, his legs restless. He had to move. He had to fight! "...!" Lycus was standing too. His fists were clenched tightly, his knuckles white. He stared at Raye, still standing on the arena, and just like Allen and Leon¡ª ''I want to fight him...'' A small smile tugged at his lips. His heart was pounding wildly. His entire body felt electrified. Just then¡ª "He took all the fun. This is basically our win now." Lena declared with a smirk, arms crossed. She looked at Raye again, watching him casually walk away from Elias. ''He''s kinda cool up there.'' She admitted to herself. Meanwhile¡ª ''I knew he could do it!'' Jerusha clenched her fists in excitement, practically bouncing in place. She was relentless, beaming with happiness at Raye''s victory. And as she looked at him again¡ª "He''s really cool..." She whispered under her breath, her cheeks turning a rosy shade. And then¡ª "Raye is slowly transitioning into a swordsman, huh?" Sofia muttered, arms folded as she analyzed the fight. "Except for his two skills, [Flash] and [Blaze], he hasn''t really used any magic yet." She added, her tone thoughtful. And hearing her words¡ª "...?" Jerusha and the others tilted their heads. She was right. Raye, who was a student in the magic course, had barely used any spells. And realizing that¡ª "Haha..." The group couldn''t help but laugh. ''He''s really a weirdo.'' They thought in unison. ***** Sitting comfortably on a luxurious throne, soft pillows supporting his back and bottom¡­ "Hmm¡­" Lucian smirked as he watched the holographic video floating before him. Displayed on the shimmering screen¡ª Raye. Bloodied. Exhausted. His body on the verge of collapse. And yet¡ª His posture remained steady. His expression unwavering. That confidence. That fire in his eyes. Lucian''s smirk deepened. "Heh¡­ He looks confident, huh?" He muttered, resting his chin on his hand. "He''s really different from his past self." His voice was calm, but his eyes flickered with something unreadable. Amusement? Interest? ¡­Pride? Lucian himself wasn''t sure. But one thing was clear¡ªhe was impressed. ''Why couldn''t he be like this when he was still part of the family?'' He asked in his head, tapping a finger against the armrest. And then, he let out a soft chuckle. "If he''d been this capable back then, I might not have had to throw him away." A joke¡ªhalf-hearted, yet carrying a truth behind it. Lucian''s gaze lingered on Raye''s image for a few moments longer. Then, as if just realizing something¡ª "Oh, right. Elias was there too, wasn''t he?" He mused absentmindedly. But his eyes never once drifted to the other figure in the video. As if Elias didn''t even exist. Lucian didn''t really care how good he did, because for him¡ª ''It doesn''t change the fact that he lost.'' Only the result matter. ***** ... "Ugh...! Shit¡­ My arms hurt¡­" Raye grumbled as he stood in his corner of the arena, rolling his shoulders. His entire body ached. His arms, especially, felt like they were made of lead. Then, shifting his gaze toward the center of the platform¡ª Fwoosh~ He saw it. Elias'' body, slowly breaking apart into glowing fragments, fading into the air. And soon enough¡ª FWISH¡ª Thud! "Gah...?!" Elias was sent out of the arena, landing with a dull thud. Unharmed, yet utterly defeated. His breath was heavy, his mind blank. ''I lost¡­ huh¡­'' He stared at the ground beneath him, his hands clenched into fists. Then, slowly, he turned his head. And there¡ª "..." "..." He saw them. Ace. Christian. Standing just a few feet away, their arms crossed, their expressions dark. Frustration. Disappointment. He could see it all in their eyes. And feeling that¡ª "Fuck..." Elias let out a low curse. Because he understood. He hated this feeling. The three of them¡ªAce, Christian, and himself¡ªall lost to Raye. It stung. Fwish¡ª Elias pushed himself up, shaking off his exhaustion. Tap- tap- tap¡ª Without a word, he started walking toward Ace and Christian. He wasn''t in the mood to talk, but¡ª He''d rather be with them than sit alone with his defeat. As he was walking¡ª He paused. Elias eyes flickered back to the arena. There, standing on top of the platform, Raye remained. His white staff in hand, supporting him. His figure tall. Unshaken. Then, with a determined glint in his eyes¡ª "I''ll get my revenge someday." Elias mumbled, clenching his fists. Fwip- Then he turned away. ... ... Meanwhile, back on the arena¡ª Tap¡ª Charles approached Raye, his footsteps light against the stone floor. "So, what do you plan to do next?" He asked. Raye blinked. Then¡ª "Meh." He let out a casual shrug. And opening his mouth¡ª "I''m done now." He declared. Hearing his words. "Okay." Charles nodded, seemingly satisfied with the response. Then, lowering his voice¡ª "Good work. And¡­ sorry about before." He whispered. (Charles was sorry about what he did in chapter 74, when he tried to sabotage and fail Raye in the first part of the physical examination of the class placement re-evaluation.) Moving on¡ª "..." Raye''s eyes widened. He hadn''t expected that. Especially from someone as strict and uptight as Charles. But after a few seconds of silence¡ª A small smile tugged at his lips. And with that smile¡­ "Thanks. And no problem." Raye replied, his voice light. "..." Charles smiled back at him. And without another word¡ª Fwish- He turned his back to Raye, facing the crowd instead. Then, raising his hand¡ª "Raye has decided to stop fighting!" Charles loudly announced. And at his words¡ª Clap¡ª clap¡ª clap¡ª! The stadium erupted in applause. At first, a few claps here and there. But then¡ª Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "WOOOOOOHHHH!!!" A wave of cheers followed. "You were so good!" "Raye, you rock!" "You dominated this tournament!" "You defeated the [Elite Four], you''re so awesome, Raye!" "I''m glad you''re not a scumbag anymore!" Laughter and excitement filled the air. Some students chanted his name. Some just screamed incoherent praises. All of them were acknowledging him. And seeing that¡ª ''I could get used to this.'' Raye smirked. It felt... strange. All his life, he was either looked down upon or ignored. But now... People were celebrating him. And he won''t lie¡ª It felt good. Really good. With a satisfied sigh, Raye turned. It was time to leave. He took a step toward the stairs¡ª But before he could even lift his foot¡ª PHUCK¡ª!! "Keuk...?!" His entire body jerked. A sharp, unbearable pain exploded in his stomach. It was cold. Too cold. And looking down on it¡ª "W-What... the fuck...?" Raye saw a red hand with sharp black nails that seemed like claws! It was dripping with his blood! It had pierced through his body from behind! "..." The cheers in the arena¡ª Vanished. Silence. And then¡ª "RAYE!!!" Jerusha''s scream shattered the air. Chapter 148 - 148: 148 - The Invasion! [1] "Hah!" Bryan let out a laugh as soon as Raye was declared the winner against Elias. And with a smirk on his face¡ª ''He went beyond my expectations. He''s really something else!'' He declared that in his head. Then, immediately turning to the staff members from the other academies¡ª "Looks like your students weren''t quite up to the task, huh?" Bryan said that. His tone was light, almost casual¡ª But the mockery in his words was clear. "Well, don''t feel too bad. Raye just announced that he''ll stop fighting now." Bryan added, flashing them a knowing grin. And hearing that¡ª "Tch..." The staff members from the other academies groaned in irritation. They couldn''t say anything back. Because no matter how much they hated it¡ª Bryan was right. Raye alone had taken down the [Elite Four]. And that was an undeniable fact. Bryan leaned back in his seat, amused by their frustration. But just then, as he was relaxing his body... FWOOOOOSH¡ª! A wave of pressure suddenly crashed down on the entire arena. "¡ª?!" Bryan''s smirk disappeared. His body tensed. And the other staff¡ª "Ugh¡­!" They flinched, eyes widening as chills ran down their spines. This feeling¡ª It wasn''t just strong. It was overwhelming. Fwish¡ª Their heads snapped toward the source of it. And there¡ª In the middle of the arena¡ª They saw it. A figure. A noble-looking man with blood-red skin. Large black horns protruding from his forehead. Wings¡ªmassive and dark as the abyss¡ªspreading from his back. And lastly... His right arm¡ª It was pierced straight through Raye''s stomach! "¡ª!!!" Bryan''s eyes widened in shock when he saw that, a frown appeared on his face. And before he could even say a word¡ª BAM! FWIZZH¡ª! Ramiel dashed off toward tha arena! (The head professor of [S Class].) ***** Meanwhile, in the arena¡ª "!!!?" The students were stunned. Their minds couldn''t process what they were seeing. A demon. A High-Rank demon. And Raye¡ª His body was limp. His blood dripped from the demon''s claws. No one could breathe. No one could move. And then¡ª "RAYE!!!" Jerusha''s scream ripped through the silence. And after that¡ª "A DEMON!!!" "AHHHHHH!!!" Panic exploded. Screams filled the air. Students bolted from their seats, shoving past each other, their fear turning the entire stadium into utter chaos. But¡ª BAM¡ª! Lycus and Devin shot forward, their instincts taking over. "RAYE!!!" They sprinted toward the arena, their eyes blazing. Their bodies moved before their minds could think. "...!" Lena gritted her teeth, her hands flying up¡ª Crackle¡ª! A surge of mana flared around her. She was already chanting a High-Rank spell! "...!" Sofia stood frozen, her hands trembling. Her breath hitched. Her mind screamed at her to move, to act. But¡ª She was paralyzed. Horror filled her face. And not far from them¡ª BAM¡ª! Leon and Allen launched themselves out of their seats. Their bodies blurred, their speed tearing through the ground. SWOOSH¡ª! They were rushing toward the arena¡ª Their weapons are already drawn. And Jerusha¡ª "Gugh...!" FWOOSH¡ª! Winds surged around her as she flew toward the arena, her body moving on pure instinct. Her heart pounded. Her breath was ragged. But none of that mattered. She had to reach him. She had to save Raye¡ª! ***** ... On the other hand¡ª "...?!" Raye''s eyes widened in shock as he stared down at the crimson hand protruding from his stomach. The warm, sticky sensation of blood spilling down his body sent a shiver through him. And immediately¡ª ''A demon...?!'' Raye concluded that in his head. His mind raced. ''What the hell is happening?! This is way too early... They weren''t supposed to appear until the closing ceremony of the competition!'' Raye exclaimed in his head. His heart pounded erratically. Something was wrong. Very wrong. "Keuk...!" He coughed up blood, his vision blurring as his strength drained from his body. And then¡ª "You''re a strong one, kid. You would''ve been trouble in the future." A cold, emotionless voice came from behind him. It was the demon. "Urgh...!" Raye gritted his teeth. His body was weak. His mind was hazy. But hearing those words¡ª He felt anger flare in his chest. And then¡ª S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. FWOOSH¡ª! A fist, wreathed in raging red mana, shot past Raye''s face¡ªaimed directly at the demon! It was Charles! And seeing that¡ª BAM! The demon swiftly leaped back, dodging the incoming strike with ease. Charles, his expression twisted in fury, landed in front of Raye. His fists were clenched so tightly they trembled. But he didn''t waste time. Fwip¡ª With one swift motion, he caught Raye''s collapsing body. And then¡ª BAM¡ª! He launched himself away from the demon, carrying Raye to safety. The demon watched with mild amusement. "Oh¡­" A smirk tugged at his lips. "How touching." He mumbled. Tap¡ª Charles landed softly on the ground, crouching as he carefully laid Raye down. His gaze darkened as he looked at the wounded student before him. Ans opening his mouth... "I''m sorry¡­" Charles muttered, frustration lacing his voice. For not stopping it. For not preventing this. For not being fast enough. But Raye¡ª "Heh¡­ It''s no problem¡­" Raye weakly chuckled, brushing it off with a smirk. And at that moment¡ª SWISH¡ª! A sudden shift in the air. A blur of red. The demon appeared behind Charles¡ª His claws gleaming, ready to tear through him. He was fast! But¡ª Looking up at the demon¡ª "Too slow, motherfucker..." Raye grinned. And then¡ª BOOOM¡ª!!! A deafening explosion erupted! A shockwave tore through the arena¡ª FWOOSH¡ª! The demon was sent flying back, crashing outside the platform in a burst of rubble and dust! And where he once stood¡ª "I''ll handle this." Ramiel appeared. Expression cold. Gaze sharp. Then¡ª Tap¡ª "Let me join in." Sariel appeared too. His usual calm demeanor was gone. His jaw clenched. His fury barely restrained. After that... Fwoosh¡ª Charles straightened, stepping beside them. His eyes burned with resolve. "I''ll pay them back for hurting one of my students." He declared. And seeing those three¡ª Their strong, unwavering figures standing before him¡ª "...Heh." Raye smiled. And then¡ª Fwish~ His body started disappearing. ''Burn to hell you fucking demon!'' Raye shouted in his head. Chapter 149 - 149: 149 - The Invasion! [2] "Hmm¡­ That was strong." The High-Rank Demon muttered as he slowly stood up, rolling his shoulders. A deep, dark imprint marred his cheek¡ªa lingering trace of Ramiel''s devastating punch. "Hmm...?" He tilted his head, touching his face. A faint tingling sensation lingered where the impact landed. Tiny crackles of residual electricity flickered on his skin before fading away. And feeling that¡ª The demon smiled. Excitement flickered in his crimson eyes. And then, looking up at the arena¡ª "..." He saw them. Ramiel. Sariel. Charles. The three professors stood at the edge of the platform, their auras flaring with overwhelming strength. A suffocating force radiated from them, making the air feel heavy. And sensing that¡ª "Hah¡­" The demon smirked, his blood racing with anticipation. Though, at that very moment¡ª FWOOOOOSH¡ª!!! A crushing presence suddenly descended upon the training ground! It was not from the three nor from the demon! "...!" The demon''s smirk vanished. His body stiffened. A chill ran down his spine. Fwish¡ª His eyes snapped to the side, his instincts screaming danger. And there¡ª In the special spectator area¡ª "..." He saw him. Bryan. The headmaster of Zion Academy sat comfortably in his seat, one leg crossed over the other. But his gaze¡ª It was locked onto the demon. Cold. Ruthless. Overflowing with murderous intent. And staring back at him... "...He''s mine." The demon whispered, his lips curling into a sharp grin. And then¡ª Opening his mouth again¡ª "SPREAD CHAOS!" His voice boomed across the training ground! And at the very next moment¡ª BOOM¡ª! BOOOOM¡ª! BAAAAM¡ª! Explosions erupted all around the place! And from within the rising smoke¡ª -GRRRRRRGH...! -GRAAAAA¡ª! -KEKEKEKEKE!!! Countless shadows emerged¡ª Low-Rank to Mid-Rank demons. Their twisted, grotesque forms tore through reality, their glowing red eyes gleaming with hunger. They were nothing alike the noble-looking demon, they were straight up monsters! "THERE ARE MORE OF THEM NOW!!!" "DEMONS!!!" The students panicked more at their appearance. Fear. Screams. Chaos. "?!" Ramiel, Sariel, and Charles all tensed, their eyes narrowing as they assessed the sudden flood of enemies. A coordinated assault¡ª This wasn''t just an attack. It was a full-scale invasion. They were confused, torn between fighting the strong demon in front of them or saving the students. They couldn''t pick easily... But then¡ª Swoosh~ A gust of wind stirred. A voice¡ªlow and commanding¡ªspoke behind them. "Save the kids. Let me handle that bastard." It was Bryan. "...!" The three professors turned, eyes widening. His presence had appeared out of nowhere¡ªnot a single sound, not a single trace of movement before that moment. But immediately¡ª "We got it." They bowed their heads in unison, their voices firm. And then¡ª FWISH¡ª! Their figures blurred¡ª And disappeared into the battlefield. Now¡ª Only two remained. Bryan. And the High-Rank Demon. The tension between them was palpable. And then¡ª "Climb back up here, you fucking bitch." Bryan''s voice was cold and unamused, his gaze bearing down on the demon like an executioner ready to strike. Hearing that¡ª The demon let out a chuckle. "What a vile word." A sly grin spread across his face. "And they call me a demon." He said. ***** ... Fwish¡ª Thud! "Ugh...?!" Raye landed outside the arena¡ªhis body completely unharmed. And the hole that had been in his stomach... It was gone! Even his once before ragged and bloodstained uniform was now pristine clean! And seeing that¡ª ''I''m lucky I was still inside the training dome when I got killed.'' Raye thought of that. Cold sweat formed on his forehead. If that demon had attacked just a second later¡ªonce he was out of the artifact''s effect area¡ªhe would''ve truly died. A chilling thought. But before he could dwell on it further¡ª "RAYE!!!" A familiar voice rang out from above. "...?" Raye''s head snapped up, and there¡ª "Ah." He saw Jerusha She was hovering up in the air, her expression filled with worry. And then¡ª FWOOSH¡ª She descended immediately, landing right beside him. Kneeling down, Jerusha quickly scanned Raye''s body. "Are you okay?! What about your wound?!" She asked, her voice was desperate. "I''m fine." Raye reassured her. "Just exhausted. My mana''s running low too." He added. And hearing that¡ª Rustle¡ª Jerusha reached into her spatial pouch, and there... Fwip¡ª She pulled out a mana potion. "Here, drink this." Jerusha said, holding it out to Raye. "..." Raye hesitated. He wasn''t used to receiving things, especially something as expensive as a mana potion. Though¡ª BOOOOM¡ª!!! The situation didn''t leave room for him to choose. "Haaa..." So with a reluctant sigh¡ª Fwish¡ª Gulp- gulp¡ª Raye took the mana potion and he drank it. And as he was swallowing the last drop¡ª "[Nature''s Miracle]" Jerusha cast a spirit magic on him. A soft green glow enveloped Raye. Jerusha had cast a spell¡ªrestoring his stamina. Raye blinked at her. S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "...Thanks." He muttered, a bit shy. Jerusha just smiled, relieved. "I''m just glad you''re okay." She mumbled, her voice was trembling. And then¡ª BAM! A group landed near them. It was Lycus, Devin, Leon, and Allen. "Raye!" "You alright?!" "Can you stand?!" "...?" They asked as soon as they got there. Raye looked at them. For a second, he just stared. He saw that they were genuinely worried. And seeing that¡ª A small smile appeared on Raye''s face. "...Haha. I''m fine." He replied with a laugh, his voice carried warmth. ''I can''t believe the characters that I''ve admired before are this concerned about me now.'' Raye thought to himself. But then¡ª Out of nowhere¡ª "Wait..." A thought struck him like lightning. Kyle. Pyro. Zephyrus. And Old Man Rey... "...!" Raye''s entire body tensed as he remembered them. And without wasting a second¡ª Fwish¡ª! Raye shot up to his feet. And then¡ª BAM! In the blink of an eye¡ª FWOOSH¡ª! He dashed out toward the exit of the training ground, his movements frantic and desperate! "Huh?!" Jerusha and the others froze, startled by his sudden reaction. But then¡ª "...?" Their eyes caught a glimpse of Raye''s expression. A look of sheer urgency and desperation. Seeing that, the five briefly looked at each other. And without hesitation¡ª BAM! FWOOSH¡ª! "Wait for us!" "Where are you going?!" Jerusha, Lycus, Leon, Allen, Devin¡ªall of them immediately took off after him! They know that something was wrong. Meanwhile¡ª Raye''s mind was racing. His pulse pounded in his ears. His breath was sharp. And as his feet carried him toward the town¡ª ''This attack... it''s just a diversion!'' He clenched his fists. ''The demons'' real targets are the civilians!'' And at that moment¡ª Raye''s heart sank. ''Old Man Rey. Kyle. Pyro. Zephyrus.'' ''Please... be safe.'' With gritted teeth¡ª BAM! FWOOSH¡ª! Raye pushed himself to run even faster! Chapter 150 - 150: 150 - Helping Hands [1] Raye ran toward the exit of the outdoor training ground. But on his way¡ª BAM! -Keke! Stop right there! A demon appeared a few meters in front of him. It had a massive torso, its eyes were uneven, its lower body was skinny, and its horns and wings were nothing like the noble-looking demon''s. It was clear that this demon was planning to stop Raye''s advance. "Tch¡ª" Raye clicked his tongue in annoyance. ''I have no time for this!'' He exclaimed in his head, readying to take out [Nyx] and [Celestria] from his spatial ring. Though, just then¡ª FWOOOSH¡ª A blurred figure ran past him! It was fast¡ªfaster than Ace! "Huh?" Raye was surprised by this. -?! And so was the demon! And the next thing they both knew¡ª Fwish¡ª Allen was in front of the demon! SWOOSH¡ª!! His sword¡ªjust inches away from the demon''s face! But¡ª CLANG¡ª! The demon stopped it. A twisted grin spread across its uneven face. -Kehehehe! Is that all? Its small, disgusting wings twitched, its glowing red eyes gleaming with amusement. -You think a mere human can touch me? It sneered, its voice filled with arrogance. But then¡ª Fwish¡ª A sudden shift. A blur of movement behind the demon. And before it could even react¡ª FWOOSH¡ª! A fist¡ªcoated in blazing mana¡ªcame crashing toward its right side! -?!? The demon''s eyes widened in shock when he felt that! Devin had appeared! Completely unnoticed. The demon was too focused on Allen. Devin''s presence was hidden, his movements precise. And before his attack connected¡ª "[Azure Fist]" Devin muttered that! Then¡ª BOOOOOM¡ª!!! A deafening explosion erupted. A shockwave tore through the air. Blue flames engulfed the demon''s right side, the sheer force of the blow sending it staggering back! "...!" Raye stood frozen. Speechless. The raw power. The perfect timing. They were strong. Stronger than he had imagined. Then¡ª Swish¡ª "...?" Devin glanced at him. And with a confident smile on his face¡ª "Let us handle this. We''re itching to fight, after all." He said that to Raye. "...!" Raye''s eyes widened. But immediately¡ª Fwip¡ª He bowed his head. Grateful. ''Thanks.'' He muttered in his head. And then¡ª BAM¡ª! FWOOSH¡ª! He dashed toward the exit once more. No hesitation. No delay. His priority was clear. And as he vanished into the distance¡ª "Don''t get in my way." Swish~ Allen said, fixing his stance. "Don''t worry, you''re not stronger than me." Then Devin mindlessly declared that, rolling his shoulders. "..." Allen frowned at his words, but he decided not to say anything for now. And together¡ª Fwip- They turned to the demon. He was blasted to the side a few meters away after Devin''s punch. "Now then¡­" Allen smirked, tightening his grip on his sword. "You''re up against us." He proclaimed. And hearing that¡ª -Kehehe¡­ The demon chuckled, its grotesque form twitching. Its amusement was gone. Instead¡ª A low, guttural growl rumbled from its throat. It was pissed. And the fight was only just beginning. ... ***** Raye left Allen and Devin to face off the what seemed to be a mid-rank demon. He completely trusted them to take care of it, so without worry¡ª BAM! He kicked off the ground, dashing forward. But before he could even really get away¡ª BOOM¡ª!!! The ground cracked a few meters in front of him¡ªdust and smoke exploded into the air! And from within it¡ª A towering figure emerged. It was another demon! Bigger. Stronger. And Raye could tell¡ª ''Is it about to be High-Rank?!'' His eyes narrowed, his frown deepening. The demon stood in his way, its twisted grin widening after seeing Raye. -You look strong. The demon sneered. -Fight me. He said, his voice was filled with excitement, his crazed red eyes locked onto Raye. ''Tch¡ªjust leave me the fuck alone!'' Raye clicked his tongue in annoyance. But this time, before he could even stop in his tracks to take a stance¡ª "Keep going." A voice came from his behind. "?!?" Raye''s eyes widened. But realizing whose voice is it¡ª Without hesitation¡ªwithout looking back¡ª BAM! Raye kicked off harder on the ground! FWOOOSH¡ª!! His speed doubled! Raye''s body shot toward the demon in a blur! -Huh? The demon was startled. A human was charging at him like a bull, he didn''t expect that. But now that he''s seeing this¡ª A wide, twisted smile spread across the demon''s face. -LOOKS LIKE YOU REALLY WANT TO DIE, HUH!!! It roared¡ªits eyes flaring with killing intent! And then¡ª S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. FWOOSH¡ª!!! It swung its massive claws! The air howled¡ª Its speed was insane! It was going to slice through Raye! But even as the deadly claws closed in¡ª "..." Raye didn''t stop. He didn''t even blink. And just when the attack was about to land on him¡ª FWISH¡ª!!! A sharp gust of wind! A figure appeared beside Raye¡ªmoving faster than the eye could follow! And then¡ª SWOOSH¡ª!!! TANGG¡ª!!! A sword clashed against the demon''s claws! The impact sent sparks flying! -?!? The demon''s eyes widened in shock! Its attack was stopped¡ªcompletely deflected! His right hand was flung upward! And the one who did it¡ª It was Leon! "..." He stood firm, both hands gripping his mana-coated sword. And in that moment¡ª FWOOSH¡ª!!! Raye ran past the demon! His path was clear! -YOU''RE NOT GOING ANYWHERE!!! SWISH¡ª!!! The demon snarled¡ªits other hand lunging toward Raye''s back! Its claws were just inches away from grabbing him¡ª But¡ª "Oh no, you don''t." CLANK¡ª!!! Another clash! The demon''s attack was stopped again! Lycus had appeared! His dual daggers crossed, holding back the demon''s grasp! -?!? The demon''s face twisted in frustration. Lycus grinned. "Tsk tsk, too slow." He said. Leon smirked. "Too weak." He followed. And hearing their provocation... The demon''s expression darkened. ... On the other hand¡ª Fwish- Raye glanced back at Lycus and Leon. And seeing them stopping the demon... ''I really appreciate it. Thank you!'' Raye said that in his head. Then, looking forward again¡ª BAM-! He kept running. Faster. Faster! SWOOOSH¡ª! Raye dashed toward the exit of the training, ignoring the chaos around him. Avoiding the students that were running all around in panic. Chapter 151 - 151: 151 - Helping Hands [2] With how fast he was going¡ª Tap- Raye reached the entrance and exit of the outdoor training ground in seconds. But to his horror¡ª "What the fuck..." A grayish transparent barrier was blocking the way! S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Not just the entrance¡ª The whole area was sealed! Trapped inside this damn grayish barrier! It was done by the demon that stabbed him in the stomach earlier with their claws. Raye could feel that demon''s mana in the barrier. BAM¡ª! Raye punched it with his mana-coated fist. "..." Nothing. Not even a crack. "Tch¡ª" Raye clicked his tongue, a deep frown on his face. And desperately¡ª BAM! He punched again. BAM¡ª! Again! BOOOM¡ª!!! And again! Each strike stronger than the last! But still... "..." The barrier didn''t even budge. "..." Raye stood frozen, his fist clenched. His breathing was rough. His heart¡ªpounding with frustration. A complicated look formed on his face. Despair was creeping in. Annoyance. Anger. ''Please... I need to save them...'' His face twisted in frustration. He was worried about Old Man Rey and the others. He couldn''t waste time. He couldn''t afford to be stuck here! And so¡ª Raye gritted his teeth. He refused to give up. Even if this barrier was unbreakable¡ª Even if it shattered his hands¡ª He would tear it down! FWIP¡ª Raye took a stance. His eyes burned with determination. SWOOSH¡ª!!! A powerful gust of wind surged around his right arm! The air around him grew heavier¡ª The ground beneath him cracked from the sheer pressure! Then¡ª SWAAAAA¡ª!!! Raging flames engulfed his fist! The heat¡ªscorching! The mana¡ªoverwhelming! It was enough to make the atmosphere twist! And at that moment¡ª Raye was ready to give it his all! Even if it meant breaking his bones! FWISH¡ª Raye pulled back his right fist... He was ready to unleash a devastating blow! But before he could even throw the punch¡ª "You need to get out, right?" He heard a voice. Another familiar one. Raye''s eyes widened. He stiffened. And turning around¡ª "Jerusha..." He saw her. Standing there. Smiling. Her presence¡ªcalm yet powerful. FWISH¡ª Raye retrieved his mana. The swirling flames around his arm vanished. The gust of wind dissipated. He took a deep breath¡ª And remembering Jerusha''s question¡ª "That''s right." Raye responded firmly, a worried expression on his face. "Mhm." Jerusha nodded after hearing his answer. "Got it." She said that cheerfully. And then¡ª She turned to her right¡ª Looking at the resting booth where she had been watching Raye''s matches earlier with the others. And with a wide smile¡ª "Lena!" Jerusha shouted. "Huh?" Raye was caught off guard. But he wasn''t the only one, because a few tens of meters away from them¡ª "Huh...?" Lena flinched. She was in the middle of fending off three low-rank demons. Protecting Sofia and the other students with her magic. Yet despite that¡ª She turned her head. Fwish¡ª Her gaze snapped toward the source of the voice. And when she saw¡ª Jerusha. Smiling and waving at her. Lena''s brow twitched. "What is it?!" She shouted back while keeping an eye on the demons. And then¡ª "Blast a high-rank spell on me!" Jerusha shouted back. "...?!" Raye''s body stiffened. "What?" Lena''s expression twisted. ''Did I hear that right?'' ''Jerusha wanted me to attack her?'' She asked in her head. It didn''t make sense to her. But¡ª Lena knows that Jerusha wasn''t an idiot. She wouldn''t ask for something like that without a reason. So instead of questioning it¡ª "[PARALYZE!]" FWOOOZT¡ª!!! -Gaghk?! -Keuk...?! -GAAH?! Lena cast that spell to buy time for herself. The three demons in front of her suddenly convulsed! They stiffened¡ªcompletely frozen! It wouldn''t last long¡ªjust a few seconds. But that was enough. Fwip¡ª Lena whipped her head around toward Jerusha and Raye''s direction. Her face was serious. Focused. Then without hesitation¡ª SWOOSH~! She began circulating her mana. And immediately¡ª Fwish- The atmosphere shifted. A terrifyingly thick pressure began forming around her. FWOOSH~!! The air crackled¡ªsparks danced along her fingertips. The ground beneath her hummed with energy. And then¡ª "...!" Lena''s eyes glowed. She parted her lips¡ª And spoke the words of destruction. "[Storm Judgment!]" She exclaimed! FWOOOOOOOZZZHS¡ª!!! Then a massive pillar of lightning surged forward! It roared through the air¡ªblindingly bright! And it was heading straight for¡ª Jerusha! "!!!?" Raye''s body tensed¡ªhis instincts screamed at him. His heart skipped a beat. But just as he was about to react¡ª He stole a glance at Jerusha. And¡ª She was calm. Too calm. "...?" Raye forced himself to stop. He clenched his fists. "Fuuuu..." He took a deep breath. And then¡ª He simply waited. He would trust her. No matter how insane this looked. And soon¡ª When Lena''s magic was about to collide with them¡ª FWOOOOOOSH¡ª!!! A violent gust of mana erupted from Jerusha''s body! "...?!" Raye''s eyes widened. But he remained silent. He simply watched. Observed. What was about to happen¡ª He needed to see it with his own eyes. And then¡ª Jerusha opened her mouth. Her expression¡ªserious. And with a commanding voice¡ª "[Abyssal Cyclone!]" She muttered the spell. SWooOOoooOSH~!! The air twisted. Distorted. A black vortex¡ªa fusion of wind and raw energy¡ªmanifested in front of Jerusha! It wasn''t just a vacuum. It was a force that devoured. And in an instant¡ª FWOOOOOM¡ª!!! Lena''s [Storm Judgment] was sucked in! Like a ravenous beast consuming prey! "...Gh¡ª!" Jerusha frowned. Her brows furrowed in strain. It wasn''t easy for her to absorb that strong of a spell. Her body trembled slightly¡ªthe mana flow was unstable. But still¡ª Jerusha endured it. And then¡ª Her gaze snapped toward the barrier. The one blocking the entrance and exit. She glared. And then¡ª Jerusha opened her mouth again. And with fierce determination¡ª "[BANG!!!]" She exclaimed! Then¡ª BOOOOOOOOOOOOOM¡ª!!!! A blinding explosion erupted! The devoured lightning was unleashed¡ªbut this time, it was several times stronger! A destructive shockwave tore through the air! The entire training ground quaked from the sheer force! SWOOOOOOOOOSH¡ª!! The wind howled! The impact was impossible to ignore! "Argh¡ª?!" Raye stumbled back! The force almost blew him away! He instinctively shielded his eyes with his arms! The pressure was¡ªoverwhelming! And then¡ª As the dust cloud settled... "..." Raye''s gaze snapped toward the barrier. The one that had been blocking his way. And what he saw¡ª Was a massive hole right in the middle of it! Big enough for multiple people to pass through at once! Raye''s eyes widened. For a moment¡ª He stood dumbfounded. And then, a thought crossed his mind¡ª ''Main characters really are something else.'' Raye said in his head. Chapter 152 - 152: 152 - The Invasion! [3] BOOOOOOOOOOOOOM¡ª!!!! Hearing such a strong explosion¡ª "Hmm?" -Huh? Bryan and the noble demon turned their heads toward its direction. And because the barrier was made by him¡ª -''It broke...'' The demon immediately realized what had happened, a deep frown dawning on his face. -''Who did it?'' He asked in his head. But just then¡ª "Don''t get distracted now." The demon suddenly heard a voice in front of him! -?! He was shocked. And when he looked forward¡ª Pat- He saw Bryan. His right palm was resting against the demon''s chest. -''When?!'' The demon was baffled. His instincts screamed at him¡ª Danger! But before he could even react¡ª "[Blast]" Bryan muttered that. BOOOM¡ª! -GARGH...?! Then a crushing force erupted from Bryan''s palm! The demon felt the impact explode through his chest¡ª Like a cannon fired point-blank! FWOOOSH¡ª! His body was sent flying backward! BAAM! His back crashed into the concrete wall, the ground trembling from the force. But¡ª Fwooosh¡ª Amidst the dust and debris¡ª -Wow, you''re really strong... Stronger than the three before. A voice echoed. Fwop- The demon immediately got back on his feet¡ªunharmed. Casually. Like nothing had happened. Fwip¡ª He brushed the dust off his clothes, his expression unfazed. "You''re sturdy, huh." Bryan mumbled, observing the demon with mild curiosity. "..." -... The two of them locked eyes. Neither of them moved. Neither of them spoke. The tension thickened¡ª Then suddenly¡ª SWISH¡ª The demon vanished where he stood! And then¡ª FWISH¡ª! He reappeared right in front of Bryan! FWOOOSH¡ª!! His claws, surging with demonic energy, tore through the air¡ª Aiming straight for Bryan''s face! But¡ª Fwip¡ª Bryan simply tilted his head to the side. Dodging it effortlessly. Nonchalantly. -...?! The demon''s eyes twitched. He was fast¡ªso fast¡ª But Bryan made it look easy. As if he had seen the attack coming a mile away. Then the demon saw it¡ª "..." Bryan was staring at him, his face emotionless. And at that moment¡ª "[Graviton Push]" Bryan mumbled that. FWOOOSH¡ª!!! -Huh?! A crushing force slammed into the demon''s body! BAAAM¡ª!! He was flung backward¡ªagain! Swoosh~ A powerful shockwave rippled through the area as his body collided with the wall! Dust exploded outward. Debris scattered. Cracks spread across the concrete. And from within the cloud of destruction¡ª Fwish¡ª -... The demon emerged. Unscathed. But¡ª This time, his expression was different. His confidence wavered. A flicker of uncertainty flashed in his eyes. He was confused. Unsure of what had just happened. And seeing that¡ª Fwip¡ª Bryan shrugged his shoulders. "Never seen Telekinesis Magic before?" He asked. A smirk tugged at the corner of his lips. Bryan Blackwood... He was a master in [Telekinesis Magic]. He didn''t think that there was a need to hide it. Because Bryan was just that confident in his strength. ***** ... As that was happening¡ª "The barrier... It''s starting to close..." Raye''s eyes locked onto the grayish barrier. The massive hole Jerusha and Lena had created¡ª It was slowly sealing itself back up! "I need to go now." He said urgently, turning toward Jerusha. "Where are you headed anyway?" Jerusha asked, curious. And as Raye got into position to dash off again¡ª "To where the Old Man and the others are." Raye mumbled that in seriousity. Then¡ª BAM¡ª! He kicked off the ground! His figure blurred as he propelled himself forward, vanishing into the distance. And hearing his words¡ª "...!" Jerusha''s eyes widened. That was enough¡ª Enough for her to understand what was happening! "..." Her expression turned serious. Her resolve hardened. And with a determined look on her face¡ª Fwish¡ª Jerusha shifted her stance, preparing to take off after Raye. ''I''m coming with you.'' She said in her head. But just as she was about to soar¡ª "Urgh...!" Jerusha heard a groan. Pained. Strained. And instantly¡ª Fwish¡ª Her gaze snapped toward the source of it. Then when she saw what was it¡ª "...!" Jerusha froze. It was Lena. She was struggling, being surrounded by three demons. A demon loomed over her¡ª Behind her¡ª And on her Right¡ª And what''s more... She''s protecting roughly 50 students within her mana barrier, so she can''t cast a proper spell or fight properly! And seeing the situation Lena was in. "Tsk...!" Jerusha gritted her teeth. She wanted to help. But¡ª She also wanted to go after Raye. She wanted to assist him in whatever he was planning to do. Conflicted¡ª Jerusha''s fists clenched. Her breathing quickened. Fwish¡ª She looked at Raye. His figure was getting smaller. He was already far¡ª And getting farther fast. For a few moments¡ª "..." Jerusha stood still, not saying anything, with a complicated expression on her face. She just watched Raye''s back. And then, resolving herself¡ª ''I trust you, Raye. I''ll leave it to you.'' She declared that in her head. And with her decision set¡ª FWOOSH¡ª Jerusha flew toward Lena instead! ''I''ll go and help you as soon as everything here is settled!'' She added internally, thinking about Raye. And soon¡ª BOOM¡ª! Jerusha landed beside Lena, her presence commanding attention! "Huh?" "...?!" -Hm? All eyes turned to her. The students¡ª Lena¡ª And even the demons! "Jerusha..." Lena breathed out, relieved but still tense. The demon, however¡ª They grinned mischievously. -Another one for us to kill and have fun with, huh? One of them sneered, stepping forward¡ª The air around that demon was vibrating with malicious mana. But Jerusha¡ª "..." She wasn''t fazed at all. As a matter of fact¡ª She confidently shut her eyes! And in the next instant¡ª FWOOOOOSH¡ª!!!! A violent gust erupted around her! The atmosphere twisted. Wind howled¡ª The ground trembled beneath her sheer presence! "?!" "..." The students were surprised, while Lena was observing silently. -What''s that? A different demon asked. Then¡ª Fwip- Jerusha''s eyes snapped open. And with a commanding voice¡ª "[Tempest Wave!]" She shouted that! FWOOOOOOOOOOOSH¡ª!!!! A massive gale burst forth¡ª Like a raging storm unleashed! And that storm... SWOOOOSH¡ª!!! -HUUUHHH?!! -W-WHAT?! -KEEEEEK!! It blasted the demons away! Their bodies flung through the air¡ª And then¡ª BOOOOM¡ª!! -Kak!? -Gurgh!! -Ugh!? They slammed onto the ground, groaning in pain! And in that moment, not missing such opportunity¡ª "Run toward the exit!" Jerusha exclaimed, her voice rang out. Loud. Clear. "Lena and I opened a path¡ªGO TO SAFETY!" She added with urgency. And at her words¡ª "Ah¡ª!" "R-Right...!" "Run!!" The students snapped out of their stupor! And without hesitation¡ª BAM! All of them began sprinting toward the exit¡ª Fear gripping their hearts¡ª But hope was igniting their will, making their bodies move! "..." Lena looked at Jerusha. Her gaze¡ªgrateful. Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. She was thankful for the help¡ª Even though it looks just a little, it meant a lot. Moving on, looking back at her¡ª Wink¡ª Jerusha simply smiled and winked at Lena. And just then¡ª BAM! A loud, heavy impact shook the ground around them. "..." Lena''s ears rang, she frowned in annoyance¡ª FwOOoooOoosh~ The air trembled. And when Jerusha and Lena turned their heads¡ª They saw them. The three demons¡ª Tap- tap- tap¡ª They were slowly walking toward them. They were all grinning slyly. Their presence were menacing. -That hurt a little... Grrrr... One of the demons growled. -T-The other humans are g-getting away... Kek...! Another one stammered, its grotesque face twitching in irritation. -Tch... Let''s just kill these two first¡ªthen go after them. The third demon sneered, cracking its neck. The tension thickened. The ground beneath them hummed with energy. Lena and Jerusha¡ª They remained still, not doing or saying anything. "..." They glanced at each other. No words needed. No hesitation. And then¡ª Fwip- In unison, Jerusha and Lena nodded their heads. And immediately¡ª Fwish¡ª They turned their heads back to the demons. Their eyes¡ªsharp. Focused. Determined. And in that moment¡ª They silently agreed. They would fight together. No holding back. No running away. And this time¡ª They were aiming to take down the three demons. FWOOSH¡ª Jerusha''s purple-colored mana surged. The air around her twisted¡ªher Wind Spirit Magic whirling violently. SWOOOOSH~ Lena did the same¡ªher own bluish mana crackling, sparks dancing along her fingertips. And seeing them charging for something¡ª -Nuh uh. BAM!! SWOOSH¡ª! The three demons immediately lunged at them, attempting to stop their attacks! Their grotesque claws ripping through the air, their eyes burning with malice! The two saw them coming. Fwish¡ª! So Jerusha and Lena immediately responded, they split ways! -Hmm? -What? The demons were confused who to go after. And not missing that opportunity¡ª Jerusha''s gaze sharpened. "Lena!" She called out. And Lena immediately understood what to do. Jerusha swung her arm sideways¡ª FWOOOOOOOSH¡ª!! Then an immense tornado erupted from her hands, twisting with ferocity! The violent winds swept up one of the demons¡ªspinning it mid-air! -GAAHHHH?! WAIT!!! It didn''t really hurt the demon, but now they have one less enemy to worry about. And then¡ª "Now!" Jerusha shouted that. And waiting for her signal¡ª "[Arc Lightning!]" Lena cast that spell as she thrust her hand forward! And in an instant¡ª FWOOZZZZTH¡ª! A bolt of blue lightning CRASHED into the airborne demon that Jerusha sent flying! BAAAAAAANG¡ª!! A blinding explosion erupted! -GRAAAAAAHHHH!!!? The demon screamed in agony as it was blasted into the ground, its body convulsing! But¡ª The two demons were still rushing at them! They didn''t care about their comrade that just fell! Jerusha and Lena''s expressions hardened. Because they know¡ª This fight was far from over! Fwish-! The two prepared themselves. Jerusha and Lena were mages, all they have is their vast mana pool and strong spells. But on the other hand¡ª Demons are known to be physically strong and very good at magic! In short¡ª The two of them would be in trouble if the fight will be dragged into close combat! Chapter 153 - 153: 153 - The Invasion! [4] As soon as Raye burst out of the barrier¡ª BAAAM¡ª!!! FWOOOOOSH¡ª!! A powerful gust of wind exploded beneath his feet! His body blurred¡ª And then¡ª FWISH¡ª He dashed forward, each step shaking the ground! The town¡ª He had to get to the town! Or to be precise, to Kyle''s shop! ''Old Man. Pyro. Zephyrus. Kyle...'' His mind raced, his heart pounded. He was gasping for air, sweat rolling down his face. But he didn''t stop. Instead¡ª SWIIIISH¡ª! Raye went faster. FWOOOOOSH¡ª!!! He pushed his body to its limit, propelling himself even faster, the wind howling behind him. His eyes burned with urgency¡ª With desperation. ***** ... And after what felt like an eternity¡ª Tap¡ª Raye arrived at his destination. And the moment he did¡ª "...!" He froze in place. His breath caught in his throat. Because in front of him¡ª -GRAAAAAAHHHH¡ª!!! It was a scene of pure horror! "AHHHHHH!!!" "DEMONS!!!" "MONSTERS!!!" Screams. Terrified, desperate screams filled the air. The town... It was in flames. Red and orange embers crackled as houses burned. Dark, monstrous figures rampaged through the streets. Shadowy demons with grotesque faces tore through everything in sight. Flying beasts circled above, swooping down like vultures. Shattering windows. Ripping apart buildings. Devouring people. The air smelled of smoke, blood, and death. "Shit..." Raye''s hands clenched into fists. His jaw tightened. His chest burned with rage. But refocusing himself on his goal and gritting his teeth¡ª BAAAM¡ª!!! He kicked off the ground! Dashing straight into the chaos¡ª FWISH¡ª Raye slipped through the panicking crowds¡ª Eyes scanning everywhere. ''Where is he?!'' ''Where is Old Man?!'' He asked in his head, wondering if they were mixed in with the townspeople. And just then¡ª FWOOOSH¡ª!!! A massive shadow loomed over him. Raye''s eyes snapped upward, and there¡ª -KIEEEEEEK!!! He saw a monstrous bat-like creature, its body writhing in demonic energy. And with its crimson eyes glowing with bloodlust¡ª FWISH¡ª It flew straight toward Raye! Its massive wings stirred the wind¡ª -KIIIIEEE!! Its sharp fangs bared. Its killing intent was suffocating. But Raye, annoyed¡ª "Fuck off...!" He just cursed at it, his voice dripping with irritation. And in an instant¡ª Fwoosh~ A glint of black flashed in his right hand¡ª [Nyx] Raye''s beloved sword, appearing from his spatial ring. And tightly gripping its hilt¡ª SLASH¡ª!!! Raye unleashed a single, fluid swing! A crescent arc of light cut through the air¡ª -Keh?! The monster didn''t even have time to react. SPLURT¡ª! Its body split in half! The monster''s black blood splattered on the ground. And then¡ª Thud¡ª! It fell to the ground, lifeless. And after that¡ª BAM¡ª Raye just ran past it. "..." He didn''t even spare the monster a glance. Because¡ª ''I have no time to waste.'' Raye thought, frowning. ***** FWOOOSH¡ª! Raye ran deeper into the town, heading toward Kyle''s newly opened new shop branch. -GRAAAAAH!!! -KIEEEEAAAAAK!!! Monsters¡ª They lunged at him from every direction! "..." But with [Celestria] in his left hand, and [Nyx] in his right¡ª "HAAAAA!!!" SWIIIISH¡ª! SLASH¡ª!! -KIEK...?! -GARGH?!! Raye cut them all down with just one swing each! "Haaaa... Haaaa... Haaa..." His breathing was becoming more rough, but he never slowed down. His vision blurred too, because of lack of oxygen¡ª BAM! But Raye just kept running! He remained focused on his goal! And before he knew it¡ª Tap. He reached Kyle''s shop. He had been praying on his way. But just like the other buildings and houses¡ª SWAAAAAAAA¡ª! Kyle''s shop was on fire. "..." Raye stood still. The color drained from his face. ''Please...'' He hoped. He wished. For their safety. His heart pounded¡ª His chest tightened. It was getting hard to breathe. But before Raye could even fall into despair¡ª -Mee...ep...?! He heard a familiar chirping! "?!" Raye''s eyes widened. And without hesitation or whatsoever¡ª Not caring if it was a trap or not¡ª FWOOSH¡ª Raye ran toward it! It was coming from just behind the shop! Not inside¡ª Fwish¡ª Raye turned to the corner, heart racing. And then¡ª His breath hitched. "...!" He saw the others behind the shop! "..." Raye didn''t say anything, he couldn''t find a word to utter. Because there they were. Old Man Rey¡ª He was on the ground, unmoving. Blood spilled from his mouth. Next, Kyle¡ª He was unconscious. And his left arm¡ª It was gone. It looks like that it was severed by something sharp! Then Pyro¡ª His small, warm glow¡ª It was flickering. Fading. S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. And lastly, Zephyrus¡ª He was heavily injured. He has been fighting since earlier. Fending off enemies. And seeing the four of them like that¡ª "..." Raye''s fists clenched. His grip on his swords tightened. His rage¡ª BOILING. And then¡ª Fwish- His gaze shifted¡ª To them, the enemies. And there¡ª -... -... Raye saw two demons. One was super strong, it was obvious just by its presence. It was as strong as the noble demon that stabbed him in the stomach earlier! But that''s not what caught Raye''s attention... The other demon¡ª "You...!" Raye''s voice dripped with venom as he muttered that. His entire body trembled with fury. The other demon, it was¡ª The demon that attacked the orphanage! (Chapter 91-95.) The one that tried to kidnap Jerusha and make her his wife! The one Raye swore¡ª He''d kill. And at that moment¡ª -Oh? -Hmm? The two demons saw him too. Their eyes gleamed with amusement¡ª And cruelty. -Another toy? The strong demon muttered in an almost bored tone. But the other one¡ª -HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA¡ª!!! It laughed! Loudly. Madly. That demon recognized Raye! And with a mischievous, twisted grin on his face¡ª -Are they your friends? No wonder they''re getting involved in someone else''s business just like you! The demon sneered, his voice dripping with mockery. "Tch¡ª" Raye gritted his teeth. Fwip¡ª His grip on [Nyx] and [Celestria] tightened. He was about to explode¡ª About to unleash his wrath¡ª But then¡ª "...?" His eyes met Zephyrus'' gaze. -... Zephyrus was calm. Steady. Unwavering... And seeing him like that¡ª "..." Raye was able to calm himself to some degree. "Hooooo...." Raye inhaled sharply. And then¡ª "Fuuuuuuu..." He exhaled. Slowly. Steadying himself. Recomposing. -HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA¡ª!!! The maniac laughter from the demon he know continued. It was echoing. Mocking. And just then¡ª Fwish¡ª Raye turned his attention back to the maniacally laughing bastard. Then, opening his mouth¡ª A smirk tugged at his lips, though his eyes are still glaring. And with a pissed off expression on his face¡ª "How about you?" Raye asked, his voice was cold. And without even letting the demon respond¡ª "Did you call your daddy to get revenge for you because you got your ass kicked by some human?" Raye followed with that! -... Silence. For a moment¡ª Just a moment¡ª The bastard demon¡ª Didn''t move. Didn''t laugh. Didn''t say a word. -Hah! Then the strong demon let out a low chuckle. He was amused. Intrigued. But the other one¡ª His grin twitched. His shoulders tensed. And his eyes¡ª -... Burned with silent rage. "...!" Raye''s smirk widened seeing that. Bullseye! He hit a nerve. And that¡ª Was exactly what Raye wanted. -YOU FUCKING BUG!!! BAM! SWOOOOSH¡ª!!! The enraged demon then lunged at Raye, his demonic energy surging¡ª A suffocating wave of pure murderous intent flooding the area. His crimson eyes¡ª Burning with hatred. His claws¡ª Aimed to rip Raye apart. And seeing him like that¡ª ''Hah...!'' Raye smiled a little, he was successful in provoking the weaker demon. Leaving the strong demon still watching! Still observing. It was just curious. Amused. And because of its pride as a noble demon¡ª It wouldn''t allow himself to gang up on a single enemy! Not with a mere human! A race the demons deemed inferior. And that meant¡ª This was a one-on-one fight between Raye and the weaker demon! And that was more than enough... Raye deliberately made the situation like this! Fwish¡ª The weaker demon closed in. He got closer¡ª Too close. And the moment he got really near¡ª "[Flash]" Raye muttered that with a sly smile. FWISH¡ª! Then he disappeared from where he stood! -?! The demon''s eyes widened. But he had seen this before. So he clenched his fists, his claws digging into his own palms. His head snapped around¡ª Scanning. Searching. Waiting. He knows that Raye was going to appear soon. But then¡ª "[Flash]" The demon heard it again! "[Flash]" Again. "[Flash]" And again! Fwoosh¡ª! A blur of movement. A flicker of black and white. -What the fuck is happening?! The demon growled, eyes darting wildly, frustration creeping into his voice. ''Where¡ª?!'' ''Where is he?!'' He asked in his head, finding Raye. And then¡ª -There. A deep voice entered his ears. A calm, composed voice. Not Raye''s¡ª But the noble demon''s. Fwoosh¡ª -?! The demon froze. Slowly, he turned his head. And there¡ª The noble demon stood, unfazed. Expression neutral. One hand raised¡ª Pointing. The demon followed his superior''s finger¡ª His eyes trailing the direction. And at the end of that finger¡ª -...! His eyes widened. The demon''s body tensed. Because there¡ª He saw Raye. And not just him... Old Man Rey. Pyro. Zephyrus. Kyle. All of them¡ª They were all beside him! Safe and sound! Actually, Raye¡ª He had been rescuing them the whole time! Using one of his personal skills, [Flash]¡ª Slipping through the demon''s sight¡ª Dodging his gaze. Evading his radar. And one by one¡ª Raye carried the Old Man and the others to safety! -... The demon''s jaw clenched after realizing that. His teeth gnashed. And even though he''s annoyed to even admit it¡ª The demon had been played by Raye. Chapter 154 - 154: 154 - The Invasion! [5]—Rowan The Demon "Can you still move?" Raye asked, crouching. He was glancing at Zephyrus on his right side. Zephyrus'' white feathers and fur were now tainted red with his own blood. And the mana Raye was feeling within him¡ª ''It''s weak.'' Raye frowned. He glared at the two demons a few tens of meters away from him. Keeping an eye on them. And just then, opening his beak¡ª -I can still somewhat move... Zephyrus weakly muttered that. And hearing him¡ª "..." Raye immediately realized that he was bluffing, keeping a strong facade. But even after knowing that¡ª "That''s great." Raye decided to believe his words. And with his brows knitted together¡ª "Protect the others. I''ll handle the rest." He said that, turning to the demons. And with a weak, but confident nod¡ª -Okay... I''ll let you steal the spotlight this time... Zephyrus replied to him. Raye smiled at his cheeky response. Then, at that very moment¡ª -Hah! Saying your goodbyes? The weaker demon said that with a laugh. "..." Raye just ignored him. -Don''t worry, I''ll make sure all of you get to the afterlife so nobody gets left behind! The demon exclaimed. This time¡ª Fwish¡ª Raye stood up. He still didn''t say anything though. Not really caring about that... The demon continued talking¡ª -Be glad! For I, Rowan Brogais¡ªa candidate for the Demon King''s royal guard, will be¡ª "Shut up." But Raye cut him off at the near end of his speech. -...?! The demon, Rowan, was shocked by this. And then¡ª Fwip¡ª Raye pointed the tip of [Celestria] at him. And with a deep frown on his face¡ª "A royal guard? The fuck are you on about? You weren''t even able to protect your dog last time and ran off alone. Stop bullshitting." Raye said that! "Remember when I cut off your left hand? I see that you managed to recover it somehow. Well, I''ll just cut it off again for you... And this time¡ªI''ll be taking your head as well." And then he declared that! At his words¡ª -... Rowan became silent. His hands trembled slightly. His wings twitched. His expression¡ª Twisted with something dark. -Heh... The noble demon smiled slyly, his crimson eyes locking onto the silent Rowan. On the other hand¡­ "..." Raye waited. His grip on [Nyx] and [Celestria] tightened. His cold, blue eyes¡ªunwavering. The battlefield grew eerily still. And after a few moments of nothing¡ª FWOOOOOSH¡ª!! A violent surge of demonic energy exploded into the air! "?!?" Raye''s body tensed. His instincts screamed danger. The overwhelming pressure¡ª It was thick, disgusting. It was suffocating. And the source of this twisted energy¡­ It was Rowan! His body trembled with rage. His bloodlust¡ªuncontained. His fangs clenched so tightly that they threatened to break. And opening his mouth wide in anger¡ª -THIS TIME, I WILL REALLY KILL YOU AND MAKE YOU SHUT UP!!! Rowan''s roared. His voice shook the very air! And then¡ª BAM! FWOOOOOSH¡ª!! He kicked off the ground! His dark wings¡ª FWAP¡ª! He flapped it once, the impact sent him flying forward faster! Rowan''s speed was monstrous! SWOOSH¡ª!!! The air cracked! Rowan shot straight like a bullet! His claws¡ª Extended in front of him. Glowing with an eerie, dark light. His pupils¡ª Dilated, wild. Burning with unfiltered hatred! And Raye¡ª His breathing¡ªsteady. His stance¡ªsolid. His heart¡ªcalm. ''Tch... He''s really fast.'' Raye clicked his tongue inside his head. Rowan was just as strong as before when he first saw him a few weeks ago! FWAAAAAH~!! Rowan''s demonic energy surged violently¡ª Making the air feel like lead. But¡ª "..." Raye didn''t falter. And instead¡ª BAM! He put his right foot forward, heavily planting it on the ground! And looking at Rowan coming at him like a meteor¡ª "Urgh... GRAAAAA!!!" SWOOOOSH¡ª!!! Raye forcefully swung [Nyx] horizontally to meet him head-on! BOOOOOOM¡ª!!! A deafening shockwave tore through the battlefield as Raye''s sword collided with Rowan''s red claws! CRACK¡ª The ground beneath them broke! Sparks erupted from their weapons! (Rowan''s weapon is his claws. Any instrument used to attack or defend can be considered as a weapon.) -What...?! Rowan was surprised when his attack was stopped by Raye! He flinched and became frozen in place! The Raye from a few weeks ago would have already broken his arm by now. Rowan''s attack would have gone through, and he would have been able to successfully kill Raye! This situation made no sense to him! -''What the hell happened to him in such a short amount of time?!'' Rowan questioned in his head, utterly confused. And as if reading his thoughts¡ª "I got stronger¡ªa lot stronger." Raye said that! His expression strained, his arms trembling. ''Keuk...! Fuck!'' He had barely blocked Rowan''s attack. ***** ... BAM! Raye immediately jumped back, creating distance between himself and Rowan. Tap¡ª And after gently landing on the ground¡ª "Fuuuuu..." He let out a long sigh, his breath steadying. ''I really shouldn''t meet his attacks head-on if possible.'' Raye thought to himself, his eyes shifting down to his trembling right arm. His fingers twitched slightly, the impact from blocking Rowan''s strike still lingering. A faint frown formed on his face. But he had no time to dwell on it¡ª Fwish¡ª Raye turned his gaze back to Rowan. And there¡ª -... He saw Rowan staring at him. His expression was different now¡ªhis usual arrogance was gone, replaced with something new. Caution. He wasn''t attacking immediately this time. Raye could tell¡ªRowan was confused. He was trying to make sense of Raye''s sudden surge in strength. And Raye? Well¡ª He was grateful for this. ''Good. Stay wary.'' If Rowan hesitated even for a moment, that was time Raye could use. Even if just a little, he could replenish some of his mana and stamina. But noticing this plan of his¡ª -He''s trying to recover, attack him now. A cold, commanding voice cut through the moment! It was the noble demon who was watching from the sidelines! "...?!" Raye''s eyes widened. Annoyance flared inside him, he clenched his hands hard. ''Damn it.'' His plan to buy a few more seconds to recover had been ruined. But at the same time¡ª He felt a small sense of relief. The noble demon wasn''t interfering directly. For now, that is. Anyway, at the noble demon''s words¡ª -Huh? Rowan blinked. And then¡ª -Ah... Realization struck him. His eyes locked onto Raye¡ªonto the faint, slow restoration of his mana. And at that moment¡ª -I won''t let you! BAM¡ª! Rowan kicked off the ground! His speed exploded as he lunged forward, closing the gap in an instant! "Ugh...!" Raye groaned, irritation flashing through him. Then without hesitation¡ª BAM! FWOOOSH¡ª! He kicked off the ground as well, dashing forward to meet Rowan head-on in the middle! One thought burned in his mind¡ª ''I can''t let this fight reach the others behind me.'' He was protecting Zephyrus and the others from harm. And remembering the condition the others were in¡ª "GRAAAAAAHHHH!!!" Raye screamed, letting out his anger as he rushed at Rowan! BOOM¡ª! CRACK¡ª The two met in the middle, stopping abruptly in front of each other. The ground cracked beneath their feet from the sheer force of their landing. And then¡ª FWOOOOSH¡ª! Rowan immediately thrust his right hand forward, his razor-sharp claws aiming straight for Raye''s face! Fwish¡ª Raye twisted his head to the right, narrowly avoiding it! And as a response¡ª SWISH¡ª He unleashed a rising diagonal slash with [Celestria]! TINCK!!! But it was blocked¡ª! Rowan''s right wing, engulfed in demonic energy, took the hit with ease! SWOOOSH¡ª Rowan then threw a heavy hook with his left! "..." And seeing that¡ª Fwoosh¡ª Raye crouched down to dodge it! A chilling breeze swept past the top of his head¡ª If that had hit, his skull would''ve exploded! But ignoring that fact¡ª SWUSH¡ª Raye swung [Nyx] horizontally, aiming for Rowan''s left leg! His attack was fast¡ª! -?! Rowan couldn''t block it! But then¡ª CLANG¡ª! A sharp metallic sound rang out the moment Raye''s sword struck Rowan''s skin! "Urgh...?!" Raye groaned in pain¡ª His hand was flung upward from the impact! His grip nearly loosened¡ª And his wrist throbbed. ''What the hell...?!'' His eyes widened in shock. Rowan''s skin¡ª It was as hard as steel! Raye instantly realized it¡ª ''Demonic reinforcement...!'' The bastard had enhanced his body with corrupted mana, turning his flesh into armor! And as he was preoccupied with that thought¡ª FWOOOSH¡ª Rowan launched a front kick straight at Raye''s face! "?!!" Fwip- Raye was surprised, but he immediately crossed his arms in front of him and coated them with mana. Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. And with it¡ª BAAAM¡ª! "GURGHH...?!" Raye took the hit! Even though he blocked it, his arms tingled in pain, it felt like they would shatter! Fwooosh¡ª Raye was flung backwards. Shhhhcc¡ª He skidded off the ground as he was on his knee. And after stopping¡ª "..." He immediately looked up at Rowan. -Hah! Rowan smirked, his eyes gleaming with mockery. -What''s the problem? I thought you''d be cutting off my head this time? Will you be able to do that if you can''t even cut my skin? He sneered, being all arrogant again. "..." Raye frowned, hearing him. And seeing his frustrated expression¡ª -HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! Rowan started laughing manically again, he was really satisfied with what he was seeing. Chapter 155 - 155: 155 - The Invasion! [6]—Enraged. -HAHAHAHAHAHAHA¡ª!!! Rowan''s laughter echoed like a madman''s, his twisted amusement filling the battlefield. On the other hand¡ª "Fuuu..." Raye exhaled slowly, forcing himself to remain calm. His mind raced, sharpening his thoughts like a blade. He couldn''t afford to let his rage cloud his judgment¡ªnot yet. The demon stood just a few meters in front of him, laughing like a crazed beast. Fwip- Raye fixed his grip on his swords. ''I have to find a way to kill him.'' He mumbled internally. His eyes narrowed, scanning Rowan''s posture, his movements, his breathing. ''He''s strong, but he''s not untouchable.'' Raye declared to himself. He just needed the right timing to attack. And as he was thinking about that for a bit¡ª Fwish- Raye slightly glanced over his shoulder. And there¡ª "..." He saw Zephyrus sitting on the ground, he''s about to pass out. He looked a lot better than before. His body was still bloodied and battered, but it seems like his life isn''t in danger anymore. Also¡ª Raye noticed that small greenish wind domes were covering the bodies of Old Man Rey, Pyro, and Kyle. And seeing that¡ª ''Looks like Zephyrus healed himself a little, and now he''s helping the others too...'' Raye immediately concluded that in his head. He smiled a little seeing them in better conditions. His feeling eased up a bit. He was happy that they''re okay. Though, at the very moment he thought of that¡ª FWISH¡ª A blur figure appeared on Zephyrus'' right! And then¡ª Fwoop- Someone materialized! It was¡ª The noble demon. "?!" Raye''s eyes widened. His heart lurched. ''Why is he there¡ª?!'' And before he could even react¡ª -You bugs are distracting the human from fighting. The noble demon''s calm voice echoed throughout the area. -Huh? Zephyrus weakly turned to the demon, utterly confused and exhausted. And the next thing everyone knew¡ª -[Dark Sphere] Fwoosh¡ª!!! A dense, crackling blast of demonic energy erupted from the noble demon''s right palm¡ª SWISH¡ª And it shot straight toward Zephyrus and the others! "..!" Raye''s eyes widened seeing this. -...? Zephyrus'' vision was blurry, he''s barely conscious. He doesn''t really know what was happening anymore... He''s tired now. And then¡ª The noble demon''s attack hit him. B O O O O M ¡ª!!! A massive explosion engulfed Zephyrus and the others! FWOOOOOOOSH~! A shockwave tore through the battlefield. Dust and debris filled the air. "...!" Raye''s breath caught in his throat. The dust cloud swirled violently, obscuring his vision. ''No... No, no, no!'' Fwoooosh~ And when it settled¡ª "..." Raye saw them. -... Zephyrus lay on the ground. Bleeding. His condition was a lot worse than before. And it wasn''t just him. Old Man Rey. Pyro. Kyle. Their bodies were motionless. They were all flung aside. And the faint mana that Raye was feeling from them before¡ª ... It was gone. "..." Raye was speechless. He froze in place. His face¡ª It became pale, drained of color as his mouth hung open. His eyes¡ª They''re still locked onto Old Man Rey and the others. Raye waited. ''Move...'' Even for just a little. ''Breathe...'' Just the faintest sign. ''Let me feel it... just a bit of your mana...'' Raye pleaded desperately in his head. Though¡ª Seconds passed. And still¡ª "..." Nothing happened. And as if that wasn''t enough¡ª -That''s better. The noble demon smirked and mumbled that, looking down at Zephyrus and the others with pure disgust. His tone was casual, like he had just crushed a few insects beneath his feet. "...!!!?" Raye caught a glance of him¡ªof his expression. And seeing the noble demon like that¡ª "Gurgh..." Raye finally snapped. And opening his mouth¡ª "GRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH¡ª!!!" Raye screamed in rage, his roar shattering the air! FWOOOOOOOOOOSH¡ª!!! A violent surge of mana exploded from his body! The air trembled¡ª -Wha?! Rowan flinched, his laughter dying in his throat. He frowned, suddenly feeling a bit uneasy. And the noble demon¡ª -Ah, finally... You''ll show your true worth! His lips curled into a pleased grin. Fwip¡ª S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Raye''s grip on his swords tightened. His blue eyes turned bloodshot. Pop¡ª! Veins bulged across his forehead. And then¡ª His pupils disappeared. "GRRRRRRRRHHH¡ª!" Along with his sanity! FWOOOOOOOSH~!!! A howling gust of winds wrapped around Raye. SWAAAAAAAAAAAA¡ª Flames ignited¡ª Flickering across [Celestria] and [Nyx]. Raye''s mind was empty. All that remained was rage. Pure. Unrelenting. Rage. "GRAAAAAAAAAAHHH¡ª!!!" And with that fueling his body¡ª BAAM! He kicked off the ground¡ª And shot straight for the noble demon! Even though he knew¡ª The gap between their strength was like heaven and earth! Raye shot toward his target like a meteor! But then¡ª Fwish¡ª -Your opponent is me! Rowan appeared in between of Raye and the noble demon. A mischievous smirk curled on his lips. -Looks like you''ve gone cra¡ª Rowan started speaking, but before he could even finish¡ª SWISH¡ª! Raye reached him! He was a lot faster than before! -?! Rowan was caught off guard by this. But instead of panicking¡ª -''He can''t cut me anyway, I''m fine.'' Rowan just remained standing still, confident! But at that moment¡ª BAM! -URGH...?! Raye''s right hand latched onto his throat! The cold edge of [Nyx] was pressing against his cheek! -?! Rowan''s eyes widened in confusion. He thought Raye was going to slice him with his sword. And that''s when he noticed it¡ª -''Huh? Where''s his other sword?'' The white, elegant sword that was in Raye''s left hand¡ª It was gone. And instead¡ª Fwoosh¡ª A white gauntlet had formed around Raye''s left fist¡ª Blazing with furious fire! And seeing that¡ª -Wait¡ª Rowan''s instincts screamed at him¡ª Something was wrong! But before he could even react¡ª FWOOOSH¡ª BOOOM!!! Raye''s left fist crashed into his face! -GAHH?! Rowan''s head snapped back as a shockwave burst from the impact! His feet barely remained on the ground. -''THIS FUCKER DARES TO¡ª!'' Rowan''s rage flared. He forced his eyes open¡ª BOOOM¡ª! -GURGH?! But another devastating punch landed right in the center of his nose! His mind reeled¡ª -''What the fuck?!'' Rowan was shocked. And before he could even recover¡ª BAAAM¡ª!! -GACKK...?! Raye''s fist slammed into his nose yet again! This time, the pain was real! Rowan could feel it¡ª His reinforced body couldn''t fully negate blunt attacks! Burning agony seared across his face! -RAAAH!!! Rowan roared in fury. -FUCK OFF!!! He exclaimed, annoyed. And heavily¡ª BAM!!! He swung his right fist and punched Raye in the stomach! Rowan felt good with that attack just now! -''Now it''s my turn to pay you back!'' Rowan grinned, thinking Raye was stunned because of pain. But when he opened his eyes¡ª "..." He saw Raye still staring at him. Unfazed. His blue, bloodshot eyes bore into his skull. -...?! Rowan felt a chill run down his spine. -''Huh¡ª?!'' And before he could even process what was it¡ª SWISH¡ª BOOOOOOM¡ª!!! Raye unleashed a swift, heavy punch that exploded against Rowan''s nose! Crack¡ª A sickening sound echoed. Rowan''s skull¡ª It cracked! -GAARGH!!! Rowan groaned as his brain was shook. Pain was flooding his senses! A scorched mark burned at the center of his face because of Raye''s last attack¡ª -''This bastard...!'' His vision blurred. His balance wavered. And yet¡ª Raye was already moving again! F W O O O S H¡ª! Another punch was coming¡ª A faster one. A stronger one. A deadlier one. And Rowan¡ª -!!! He had no time to stop it! Seeing Raye''s fist closing in on his face once again¡ª Fwip! Rowan brushed off Raye''s right hand that was grabbing his neck. And instinctively¡ª Bam! He jumped back, away from Raye! FWOOOOSH¡ª! Rowan successfully dodged the attack. Raye hit nothing but air, his momentum carrying him forward slightly. For a moment, Rowan wanted to smirk, to mock Raye for missing. But¡ª -... He didn''t. He couldn''t even bring himself to laugh. His eyes slowly landed to his trembling red hands. And opening his mouth¡ª -I... I was scared of that dog''s attack...? Rowan weakly muttered that. His voice was barely above a whisper, his disbelief evident. But slightly shaking his head¡ª -''What happened to my attack earlier anyway? Did it get blocked?'' Rowan disregarded his shaken nerves and focused on analyzing the fight. His eyes shifted back to Raye. And what he saw¡ª -... You''ve really gone insane... Left a deep frown formed on Rowan''s face. Because he could see it. On Raye''s stomach... His uniform was torn, revealing a massive bruise spreading across his abdomen. It was proof. Proof that Rowan''s attack had landed cleanly. And this also means¡ª -''So you''re saying that he endured the pain and launched a stronger counter?!'' That Raye had just tanked his attack! And this was when Rowan realized it¡ª -''He''s lost his mind.'' Raye had gone insane. No hesitation. No restraint. Only raw, primal fury. And seeing this¡ª -Hmmn~ More! Fight more! Entertain me! The noble demon exclaimed, his body shuddering with excitement. Pleasure. Thrill. Delight. He was enjoying this far too much. (What a weirdo...) "Tch¡ª" Rowan clicked his tongue, his annoyance rising. He didn''t need the noble''s commentary. What he needed¡ª Was to kill Raye. And fast. So with a resolute expression on Rowan''s face¡ª FWOOOOSH¡ª! A new surge of demonic energy erupted from his body! His irritation had boiled over into anger. And anger¡ª Fueled him too. Fwip¡ª Rowan crouched down, preparing to take off with a frown on his face. But just then¡ª "[Flash]" Rowan heard that. Then¡ª BOOOM¡ª!!! A devastating punch landed straight on his nose again! -GAAARGH...?!! Rowan groaned in pain, he didn''t know what just happened! FWOOOSH¡ª He was flung backward¡ª THUD! And fell on his back onto the ground. -Ugh... Rowan looked up to where he was standing before. And there¡ª "..." He saw Raye, looking down at him with cold eyes. His body oozed with pure killing intent. Chapter 156 - 156: 156 - The Invasion! [7]—Three Down In the outdoor training grounds¡ª There were ten demons that invaded the tournament. One noble demon, four high-ranks, two mid-ranks, and three low-ranks. Bryan, the headmaster of Zion Academy, was facing the noble-rank demon. The four high-ranks, scattered throughout the area, were being handled by Sariel, Ramiel, and Charles. Allen and Devin were fighting one of the mid-rank demons, while Leon and Lycus were facing the other one. And the three low-rank demons... "[Water Spear!]" FWOOOSH¡ª BAAAM¡ª "[Lightning Bolt!]" FWOOOZZZT¡ª BOOOM¡ª! Jerusha and Lena were currently clashing with them. The two of them launched a spell. FWISH¡ª -... But the three demons just swiftly avoided them! The demons were trying to close the distance between themselves and the two¡ª But Jerusha and Lena were doing their best to maintain the distance and keep their advantage in reach. They''re both doing fine against the demons using magic, but the situation will worsen if close combat gets involved. So, seeing the demons rush at them¡ª "[Wind Barrier!]" S W O O O S H¡ª! Jerusha cast a spell, creating a small wind dome around her and Lena. It''s meant to separate them from the demons. Fwish¡ª And looking at Lena¡ª "Buy me just a second." Jerusha said that. "Huh?" Lena was surprised by her sudden request. And at that moment¡ª Tap¡ª One of the demons reached the barrier! And with a crazed smile on its face¡ª -[VOID PUNCH!] FWOOOSH¡ª He exclaimed that and threw a straight punch with his right fist! And when it hit the barrier¡ª FWOOP¡ª The violent wind in the area the demon punched disappeared, his hand slipping through effortlessly! -Hah! The demon laughed, thinking he had Jerusha and Lena cornered now. But when he looked at them¡ª "..." He saw Jerusha calmly staring at him, not even remotely surprised that her spell had been pierced through. And in the next moment¡ª "[Paralyze]" The demon heard that. And before he could even turn to the source¡ªLena¡ª BOOOM! A straight line of electricity shot through the air and struck his arm, the one that had slipped through the barrier! SWIIISZZZT¡ª! The electricity surged through his body, paralyzing him! -GURGH...?! The demon groaned, his body locking up, unable to move. He twitched as Lena''s magic coursed through him! (He was shocked lol) Lena''s spell, [Paralyze], could completely stop someone''s movement for hours if they were a normal opponent. But because demons have high magic resistance... the effect would last only five seconds at most. Yet Lena didn''t care. After all¡ª ''Jerusha said I only need to stop him from moving for a second.'' She thought. And just then¡ª "[Wind Cleave!]" Jerusha shouted that. F W I S H¡ª! Then the winds that had been protecting them shifted! They shot toward the paralyzed demon! SWISH¡ª Each gust became as sharp as a blade, their speed like bullets tearing through the air. And before the demon could even recover from paralysis¡ª -Shit¡ª! Jerusha''s magic hit him. S L A S H¡ª! Each of the wind blades carved through his flesh! His body was torn apart in an instant! And soon¡ª Thud- thud- thud¡ª Chunks of meat fell onto the ground. It was the demon. He had been turned into minced meat! "Wha..." Lena was shocked at the sight of it, she hadn''t expected a demon to be killed so easily¡ªso brutally. ''It''s a low-rank, but it''s still a demon.'' She thought, dumbfounded. And it wasn''t just her¡ª -...?! -Huh?! The other two demons froze in their places. Their blood ran cold. They had just witnessed one of their own get torn to shreds¡ªreduced to nothing but minced flesh. They thought Jerusha and Lena were just kids. The demons were surprised, that''s why they stopped moving instinctively. And not missing such an opportunity¡ª "[Verdant Chains!]" Jerusha exclaimed that! Her voice cut through the battlefield like a blade. FWOOOM¡ª! The ground beneath the nearest demon erupted violently! And after that¡ª FWOOOOOSH¡ª! A massive vine, reinforced with pure mana, burst forth like a coiling serpent¡ª! -W-WHAT THE HELL¡ª?! W H I P¡ª! The demon''s surprised voice barely left his throat before the vine lashed around him¡ª SQUEEZING. CRUSHING. -KIEEEEK...?!! Crack¡ª His bones creaked, his muscles tensed, his claws slashed wildly¡ª The demon spasmed, trying to escape the vine. But it was useless... He was trapped. -GET ME OFF THIS!! The demon shouted in rage. And following him¡ª "LENA!" Jerusha roared. "...!" Lena flinched¡ªher heart pounded¡ª She was surprised by the sudden call. But knowing exactly what she had to do¡ª "Urgh...!" Lena gritted her teeth¡ªher hands moved on instinct. And opening her mouth¡ª "[DIVINE PUNISHMENT]!" She chanted that! FWOOOOOOOOOM¡ª!!! A blinding surge of mana burst from her body. Fwoosh~ A massive golden magic circle appeared into existence above the restrained demon¡ª Crackling. Roaring. Pulsating with overwhelming power¡ª! And seeing that¡ª -?!! The demon''s eyes widened. A feeling he had never experienced before¡ªpure, suffocating fear¡ªseized him. -N-NO! WAI¡ª The demon tried to plead for his life. But it was too late. FWOOOOOOOOOOOOSH¡ª!!! A titanic column of lightning¡ªtwo meters wide¡ªcame crashing down from the magic circle! B O O O O O O O O O M¡ª!!! And it hit the trapped demon directly! C R A C K¡ª! The entire area erupted! The earth shattered! SWOOOOSH¡ª! A violent shockwave tore through the air, ripping the ground apart! "UGH¡ª!!" Jerusha and Lena staggered back, shielding themselves from the sheer force of destruction. A blinding white light engulfed the battlefield. A deafening roar of thunder shook their very bones. And then¡ª Fwish~ "..." Silence. The dust settled. The light faded. And what remained¡ª Was nothing. The demon, once trapped in the vine earlier, was gone. No body. Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. No flesh. No bones. Only ashes drifting into the wind. And seeing that¡ª -... The last remaining low-rank demon became speechless. Hjs crimson eyes widened, his breath hitched. -...! His companions¡ªmassacred in mere moments. Demons aren''t exactly compassionate creatures, they don''t care much about each other or about demons weaker than themselves. But now that he stood alone... A chill crawled down the demon''s spine. -''What... WHAT THE FUCK ARE THESE BRATS?!'' Panic surged through his mind. His instincts screamed¡ª RUN! And immediately disregarding his pride¡ª FWOOOSH¡ª! The demon turned around without hesitation and bolted! He pushed his demonic energy to its limit! FWISH¡ª His body blurred, dashing away at full speed! In the demon''s head, he wasn''t running away. Instead¡ª -''I need reinforcement!'' He was making a tactical retreat! He plans to call for help from the higher-ranked demons in the area! He refused to fight alone! But as he had his back turned¡ª "You''re not getting away." Jerusha''s voice rang out behind him. It was cold. Unforgiving. And the moment she spoke¡ª FWIP¡ª! A razor-sharp gust of wind shot toward the demon''s legs! SHING¡ª! The air itself became a blade! And in the next moment¡ª -...?! SPLURT¡ª! -GAHHHHHH!!! The demon screamed. His right foot¡ª It was severed. The demon''s balance crumbled. THUD! He crashed to the ground, rolling in agony. He couldn''t use his deformed, small wings to fly and support himself. Blood gushed out like a fountain from his severed foot. -''The hell...?!'' Fwoosh¡ª The demon''s hands trembled as he clutched the bloody stump where his foot used to be. His breathing was ragged, desperate. And just then¡ª Fwaaaah¡ª A shadow loomed over his. And looking up¡ª "...It''s over." The demon saw Lena standing in front of him. Her expression was blank. Her blue eyes glowed with raw mana. Fwip¡ª Lena raised her hand. Fwooosh~ Then a massive light-blue magic circle formed beneath the demon. And opening her mouth¡ª "[Crimson Judgment]" She muttered that. And at that moment¡ª F W O O O Z Z Z S H¡ª!!! The air crackled. The temperature skyrocketed. A pillar of crimson lightning erupted from the ground! -WAIT¡ª!!! The demon shrieked in horror¡ª BOOOOOOOOOOOM¡ª!!! But an explosion shattered the ground, drowning his voice. And after that¡ª SWAAAAA¡ª Flames engulfed his entire body. -GAAAAAAAHH!!! STOOOP!!! The demon''s screams echoed in pure agony. His flesh melted. His body disintegrated. The heat was unbearable¡ª "...?!" Even Jerusha and Lena had to shield themselves. SWAAAAAAAAA¡ª! The flames raged for several more seconds. And then¡ª "..." Silence. The flames died down. And the demon¡ª He was gone. Not even ash remained. Only scorched earth. And confirming his defeat¡ª "Fuuuuu..." Jerusha exhaled, lowering her hands. "Haaaaaa..." Lena let out a slow breath, her heart still pounding. "...It''s done." They mumbled in unison. And their enemies¡ª Are now annihilated. So with that finished... Tap- tap- tap¡ª Jerusha started walking away. "Hmm, where are you headed?" Lena turned to her and asked that. Fwish¡ª "..." Jerusha looked back at her, silent for a second. Then, with a bright but shy smile¡ª "I''ll go and follow after Raye." She mumbled that. "Oh, okay..." Lena nodded her head at her words. "But your condition? How about your mana and stamina?" Then she asked that. "Ehh, I can handle this much." Jerusha replied, waving her hands casually. Though in reality, she''s a bit tired and wants to rest. (Lena is the same.) Jerusha just really wants to go after Raye. Then, suddenly¡ª "H-Here..." Jerusha and Lena heard a voice not far from them. "Huh?" "Hm?" They both turned their heads toward the source of it. And there¡ª "Ah..." They saw Sofia, standing shyly with her head bowed while holding vials of what appears to be healing portions! "I-I can''t fight... This is all I can do... I''m sorry." Sofia weakly muttered, tears threatening to fall from her eyes. She was embarrassed that she couldn''t help more because she was so weak. But then¡ª "Ah, just right on time!" "You''re a lifesaver!" Jerusha and Lena exclaimed, their voices filled with relief and genuine happiness. "Huh?" Sofia was surprised. She raised her head¡ª "..." Then she saw Jerusha and Lena looking at her with warm smiles. "Thank you." They said in unison. And hearing their words¡ª "..." A small smile appeared on Sofia''s face. Chapter 157 - 157: 157 The Invasion! [8]—A Team? GULP¡ª GULP¡ª After drinking the healing potions Sofia had brought¡ª "Fwaaaa...!" "Huuuuu...!" Jerusha and Lena immediately started feeling better. Their stamina was recovering fast, and so was their mana! The minor injuries they had? They were already healed. And feeling the immediate effects of the potions¡ª ''These are some nice potions...'' Lena and Jerusha thought that in unison, their eyes slightly widened in surprise. "Did you make these?" Lena asked, turning to Sofia. And Sofia, bringing out more potions from her spatial bag¡ª "Ah! Yeah... Is it good?" She looked back at Lena and answered shyly. "Good? It''s more than that, these are amazing!" Jerusha exclaimed, a genuine smile on her face. "Mhm." Lena nodded in agreement. And seeing them like that, praising her work¡ª "Hehe... Thanks..." Sofia became embarrassed. She was happy to be of help. And so, with a resolute expression on her face¡ª "I''m going to go around the training grounds and help the others with my potions. I have lots more in my bag." Sofia declared that. "..." Jerusha and Lena smiled, admiring her will and pure intentions. And just then¡ª "I''ll go with you and protect you. I''m all good now anyway. Thanks to you." Lena said that, brushing off her shoulders. "Ah! Thank you...!" Sofia thanked her, bowing her head slightly. "Don''t mind it, we''re friends." Lena replied. And hearing that last word¡ª ''Friends...'' Sofia smiled once more, blushing a little. Fwish¡ª She straightened her posture. And looking at Lena¡ª "Thanks, I really appreciate it." Sofia mumbled that. "Meh." Lena simply responded, waving her hand casually, brushing off her words. And then¡ª "As much as I want to go too, I have somewhere I need to be." Jerusha butted in, saying that awkwardly. "Huh? Where?" Sofia asked her. And instead of Jerusha¡ª "She''s going to follow after Raye." Lena answered for her. "Ah... Haha..." Jerusha let out an awkward laugh after that. And with that¡ª "AHHHHHHH..." Sofia realized what was happening. "No worries, I know what you''re going to do is important, whatever it is." She said to Jerusha. "I can also protect her alone. So off you go." Then Lena followed. "Erm... Yeah..." Jerusha mumbled. And after that¡ª "See you guys later." Fwish¡ª Jerusha turned her back against them. Though, before she could even take off¡ª Swish¡ª "..." She looked back at Sofia. "...?" "Erm, what is it?" Sofia tilted her head in confusion. And opening her mouth¡ª "Can I get some potions? Raye might be in danger and hurt... I''ll also use them for injured people I see on the way." Jerusha muttered that, all shy. "..." Sofia just looked at her for a second, watching her reaction. And with a small smirk on her face¡ª "No problem!" She replied. "Ah! Thank you!!" Jerusha happily responded. And with that¡ª Fwiiish¡ª Sofia took out about ten healing potions from her spatial bag. Fwip¡ª Swoosh¡ª Jerusha took them all and stored them in her spatial ring. (Similar to Raye''s.) And with that¡ª "Thank you again! I''m off now!" BAM¡ª! FWOOOOSH¡ª!! Jerusha said her last goodbye, kicked off the ground, and shot through the air. "..." "..." Lena and Sofia just watched her go. And looking at Jerusha''s back¡ª ''Now I''m sure. She likes Raye.'' Lena and Sofia thought of that in unison. A small mischievous grin appeared on their faces. And when Jerusha disappeared from their sights... "Let''s go?" "Ah, yeah... Let''s go." Tap¡ª tap¡ª tap¡ª Sofia and Lena started walking, their goal to find injured individuals and help them¡ªalso, to save students from the other demons. And currently... Monsters were starting to appear inside the grayish barrier too. ''This is going to be tiring.'' Lena thought with a frown on her face. ***** Meanwhile, somewhere in the outdoor training ground¡ª Swoooo¡ª The scent of blood and scorched earth filled the air. "..." "..." Devin and Allen stood side by side, their gazes locked onto the mid-rank demon in front of them. -Keke... The demon grinned¡ªa sickening, twisted expression stretching across his grotesque face. His uneven body twitched, and his long, dark claws flexed, oozing with demonic energy. -Which one of you wants to die first? His voice was deep, guttural, and filled with malice. He looks really arrogant despite being ugly as fuck... Also, he had been annoying Allen and Devin since earlier. (For about 2 mins now.) "..." Allen didn''t answer his question. And instead, after sending mana to his legs¡ª Bam! FWISH¡ª He kicked off and vanished from his spot! -Hm?! The demon''s eyes widened in surprise. And the next thing he knew¡ª WHOOSH¡ª! Allen reappeared beside him, his steel-white sword flashing! SWOOSH¡ª! Allen launched a clean, precise cut. But¡ª CLANG¡ª! -Nope. The demon easily blocked it with his thick, darkened left claws. "Tch¡ª" Allen clicked his tongue, visually annoyed. And then¡ª FWISH¡ª He immediately vanished again! FWIP¡ª He reappeared behind the demon this time. And with his eyes focused¡ª FWOOSH¡ª Allen thrust his sword forward, aiming for the demon''s nape! Swish¡ª But the demon reacted instantly! He twisted his body unnaturally, and opening his mouth¡ª -[Dark Spikes] He muttered that¡ª! S H I I I I N G¡ª! Black spikes erupted from the demon''s back, shooting straight at Allen¡ª! "...!" Allen was caught off guard by this. ''I can''t dodge...!'' He exclaimed in his head, frowning. The spikes were now only a few inches away from his face! But then¡ª BOOM¡ª! A flaming fist crashed into the spikes, shattering them before they could even reach Allen! "Careful now." It was Devin! He stood there, smoke rising from his fists, his gauntlets glowing with intense heat. -Huh? The demon turned to Devin unconsciously¡ª And not missing that opportunity¡ª FWOOSH¡ª! Allen vanished again! -What¡ªWHERE?! The demon was confused. He didn''t know what was happening, there''s a lot happening in such a short amount of time. And then¡ª S L A S H¡ª! A deep wound opened across his shoulder! -GAAARGH...!? The demon let out a guttural roar. Then, spinning wildly¡ª -GHHRRRRAAAA!!! SWOOOSH¡ª! The demon launched a spinning strike with his sharp claws as a counter! Fwish¡ª But he hit nothing but air! Allen was already gone before the demon even felt the attack land! FWOOSH¡ª! Instead, Devin appeared in front of him¡ª And¡ª S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. B A A M¡ª! A flaming uppercut struck his gut! -GURRRGH...?!! The demon was beyond shocked when another attack landed. -''What are these brats?!'' He angrily exclaimed in his head. He wouldn''t have guessed that this was the first time Allen and Devin were teaming up! Chapter 158 - 158: 158 - The Invasion! [9]—The Bait With Devin''s attack just now¡ª -GURGH...! The demon was sent staggering backward, heat searing his flesh. But he was tough. Very tough. BAM¡ª The demon regained his footing instantly, black mist swirling around him, his grotesque face twisting in pain and rage. And opening his mouth¡ª -You fucking brats... He whispered that under his breath, his voice trembling with fury. Fwish~ His red eyes glowed menacingly, locking onto Devin and Allen, who stood a few meters away, calm but ready. Then, raising both his claws and aiming it at the two¡ª -[DARK REND!] The demon exclaimed that with a voice dripping in malice! Then¡ª S H R I I I K¡ª! A massive, crescent-shaped slash of dark energy shot from his palm toward Devin and Allen¡ª! "...?!" "Huh?!" Allen and Devin immediately sensed the overwhelming danger behind the demon''s attack. And as a response¡ª "I''m out of here." Bam¡ª FWISH¡ª! Allen disappeared in an instant, vanishing from sight. Devin, however¡ª "Shit...!" Fwip¡ª He crossed his arms, bringing up his steel gauntlets¡ª And with it¡ª BOOOOOOM¡ª! He took the demon''s attack head-on! "URRRGH....!!?" Devin groaned, gritting his teeth as he felt the violent impact of the dark energy slamming into his entire body. SWOOOOSH¡ª!! Smoke and dust erupted from the sheer force of the attack, shrouding Devin in a thick cloud. And through it¡ª FWOOOSH¡ª! Allen appeared, cutting through the haze like a phantom¡ª! Though, getting used to his speed¡ª Swish¡ª The demon''s eyes quickly snapped to him! -THERE YOU ARE, YOU BAST¡ª! HISH¡ª But Allen was much faster this time. SLASH¡ª! And his sword cut open a big wound on the demon''s right arm mid-sentence! -URGH...?! GRAAAAAAAHHH!!! The demon roared in agony, black blood spraying from the stump¡ª And as he was writhing in pain¡ª FWOOOSH¡ª! Devin burst out from the smoke too, his body glowing with intense heat! SWAAAAAA¡ª!! Bright orange flames blazed around his fists, burning hotter than before. And opening his mouth¡ª "Eat this¡ª!" Devin shouted that¡ª B A A M¡ª! Then a blazing punch struck the demon''s jaw with crushing force! S P L U R T¡ª! The demon''s sharp teeth flew out of his mouth, scattering across the ground. -KEUK...! The demon stumbled, blood dripping from his mangled lips. Though¡ª Despite the relentless damage and continuous attacks he had just received¡ª -... The demon was still standing. And he was really pissed off now. -You... damn... pests¡ª!!! SWOOOSH~! The demon''s demonic energy flared violently, his entire body trembling with rage¡ª And with his glowing red eyes locked onto Devin¡ª -[BLACK BURST!] The demon unleashed his rage! BOOOOM¡ª! A massive wave of darkness exploded outward! "Fucking hell!" Fwip¡ª Devin braced himself for the impact¡ª BOOOOM¡ª! And he took the attack head-on again! SHHHHIIIICCK¡ª The sheer force behind it sent Devin skidding backward, his boots digging into the ground! And Allen¡ª FWIP¡ª! He vanished again before the attack could reach him. -THAT SLIPPERY FUCKING BASTARD!!! The demon''s rage boiled over. Fwish¡ª His glowing red eyes snapped to Devin once again. And with a deep frown on his grotesque face¡ª -You... I''LL KILL YOU FIRST! The demon snarled that. BAAM!! SWOOSH¡ª Then he lunged forward, his speed faster than before¡ª! And when he got close¡ª WHOOOOSH¡ª! The demon swung his right claws in a sharp arc, aiming to rip Devin apart! "!!!" Devin''s eyes widened in shock seeing the incoming attack. But then¡ª FWISH¡ª He immediately raised both his hands that are covered with his steel gauntlets. And with them¡ª B A A M¡ª! He caught the demon''s clawed right hand, holding it in place! "URGH...!! GRAAAAAAHHH!!!" Devin grunted, his muscles straining as he struggled to resist the raw power behind the demon''s strength. And seeing him like that¡ª -HAH! ARE YOU A FUCKING MORON?!! The demon sneered¡ª And immediately¡ª S L A S H¡ª! He swung his other arm! SWISH¡ª His claws were closing in on Devin''s face at terrifying speed! -DIEEEE!!! The demon thought he finally got one of the pests. Though, at that moment¡ª FWIP¡ª! "..." Allen reappeared at the demon''s blind spot! And opening his mouth¡ª "[Piercing Strike!]" He shouted the¡ª FWOOOOSH¡ª! Then his blade shot forward! PHUCK¡ª! Allen''s sword pierced deep into the demon''s back, impaling his spine. -KIEEEEEEEEK...!!!! The demon let out a shrill, agonized shriek¡ª -FUCK OFF!! Fwip¡ª He immediately stopped his attack and spun around, desperate to deal with Allen. But as soon as he did¡ª "[Azure Fist]" Devin muttered that. B O O O O O M¡ª! -GAAAAHH?!! And then he slammed his flaming fist into the demon''s gut! SWAAAAAAAAAA¡ª Blue flames erupted from Devin''s knuckles, consuming the demon''s entire torso in a fiery inferno! And when the fire settled¡ª -gu..gh...?? A fist-sized hole was burned through the demon''s stomach! -ugh... coff! Tap- tap¡ª The demon staggered a few steps back away from the two, black blood pouring from his mouth. Fwish- He glared at Devin and Allen, his body trembling violently. -...Damn it... The demon realized that he was losing. His rage peaked. And with veins popping out of his disgusting head¡ª -NO MORE GAMES!!! The demon roared, his body pulsing with chaotic power! S W O O O S H¡ª His cracked skin split open, thick black mist pouring out. He was going all out! And then¡ª S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. BAAM¡ª! The demon exploded forward, faster than before¡ª! He rushed at Devin again! "Huh?!" Devin barely had time to react, only able to raise his guard. And because of that¡ª S L A S H¡ª! A deep gash was carved into his left side! "GURRRHG¡ª?!" Devin let out a pained groan. SPLURT¡ª Blood sprayed from his wound, staining the ground. Tap¡ª The demon landed just a step behind Devin, licking his lips with a crazed grin. And with a wild expression¡ª -DIE¡ª!!! He raised his claws, ready to finish Devin off! And then¡ª FWISH¡ª! "Wow, you''re a great bait, Devin." Allen''s voice came from behind the demon. -?!! And without hesitation¡ª S L A S H¡ª! Allen''s blade severed the demon''s left leg. -?!! -GAAAAAAHHH!!! The demon screamed¡ª Thud¡ª He collapsed onto one knee¡ª And as soon as he did¡ª "Fuck off, stop using me as a decoy." Devin said that. FWOOSH¡ª! Then his burning fist came flying! B O O O M¡ª! And struck the demon''s face with overwhelming force! SNAP¡ª -GRAAA?! The demon''s head snapped back¡ª And¡ª Bam¡ª! He fell onto the ground, back-first. Blood. Smoke. And silence. "Fuuu... haaaa... fuck..." Devin panted, flames still flickering on his fists. "Hufff..." Allen stood beside him, his blade stained black. And the demon¡ª -grrrgh... He was barely moving. Coughing. Twitching. Unable to rise. And looking at him¡ª Crack¡ª Devin cracked his knuckles. SHIIING¡ª Allen raised his sword. "..." "..." They exchanged glances. And with a final nod¡ª SWOOSH¡ª! FWOOSH¡ª! They struck together. B O O O M¡ª! Chapter 159 - 159: 159 - The Invasion! [10]—Lycus and Leon "Ugh..." Devin groaned, grabbing the left side of his body. Blood was gushing out of his wound, seeping into his left gauntlet, staining the steel with dark crimson. A sharp, throbbing pain pulsed through his torso, but he gritted his teeth, refusing to show too much weakness. "That looks like it hurts." Allen mumbled, glancing at him with a blank expression, his sword still loosely gripped in his hand. And with a frown on his face¡ª "No shit, Mister Detective." Devin grumbled, voice laced with slight irritation. He was still kind of annoyed at Allen for constantly using him as bait earlier, letting the demon attack him head-on just so he could land a surprise strike. The two of them didn''t fight as a team, rather, they just fought individually, reacting to each other''s actions rather than coordinating. Their so-called "teamwork" was just taking advantage of whatever openings the other created. And Allen had it better since he was fast and agile, vanishing from sight and reappearing at will. Meanwhile, Devin had to tank the demon''s wrath, bracing himself against every attack while Allen darted in and out, striking from blind spots. He wasn''t complaining¡ªhe could take hits, sure. But still. "Tch..." Devin clicked his tongue, rolling his shoulder as another wave of pain surged through his side. Anyway¡ª "..." Devin and Allen turned their attention back to the demon they had just fought. Its decapitated head lay a few feet away, twisted in an expression of frozen rage, its mouth still slightly open as if mid-snarl. Its torso was utterly wrecked, a gaping, charred hole in its chest, the edges still smoldering from Devin''s flames. This was the result of their last combined attack. "Hmm, I can''t believe we really defeated a demon." Devin mumbled, exhaling deeply as he looked down at the corpse. Even though he was exhausted, there was a strange sense of satisfaction in his voice. But then¡ª "Well, it might be mid-rank, but that demon was nothing special in their ranks." Allen said that, shrugging his shoulders as if it was no big deal. "What do you mean?" Devin asked, turning to him. "..." And looking at him straight¡ª "Look at his form." Allen muttered, pointing at the demon on the ground. Devin went and took another look at the demon''s corpse. But even after staring at it for seconds... "...?" S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. He still doesn''t know what Allen was talking about. And seeing him like that¡ª "Haaaaaa..." Allen let out a frustrated sigh. Then opening his mouth¡ª "His form, it''s ugly and looks more like a monster." He stated that. "Strong demons with high bloodline tend to look humanoid. The only differences are their dark wings, claws, horns, and reddish skin tones... But the demon we fought, he looks like a combination of a pig and a cow." Allen continued, explaining. And after hearing his words¡ª "So what you''re saying is that we just killed a nobody?" Devin frowned and asked. And casually¡ª "Yep." Allen responded with a nod of his head. "..." "..." The two of them became silent after that. They don''t know what to say. And looking at his bloodied left side of the body¡ª ''Just a nobody, huh.'' Devin thought of that, complicated feeling swirling in his head. "..." And just then¡ª "Guys, we''re here!!" Devin and Allen heard a familiar voice not far away. "Huh?" Fwish¡ª And when they went to check who it was¡ª "Ah..." They saw Sofia running towards them. "..." Lena was casually following her from behind. And in their hands¡ª Vials of potions. And seeing that¡ª "Ah...! I need one of those, I''m injured because of two crazy bastards!" Devin shouted that, pertaining to Allen and the demon. "Ugh, just let it go." Allen said. "No." And Devin simply replied to him without hesitation. ... ***** If Allen and Devin had just finished their fight¡ª Well, not far from them¡ª "..." "..." Leon and Lycus'' fight with the demon in front of them was just about to begin. Swoooosh~ The air between them was heavy. The scent of blood lingered, mixing with the faint static of demonic energy crackling in the atmosphere. -... The mid-rank demon, on the verge of evolving into a high-rank, stood tall, his piercing red eyes scanning his opponents. Fwish¡ª His long, razor-sharp claws gleamed in the dim light, a clear warning. -Humans. The demon muttered, his voice deep and smooth, lacking the arrogance of his lesser kin. -I can see that you will not be as easy as the others. He said. And then¡ª Tap- A slow, calculated step forward¡ªhis movements were unnaturally precise. "Fuuuu..." Fwip- Leon exhaled, tightening his grip on his steel sword. "..." Lycus, on the other hand, bared his teeth in a smile. Fwooosh~ FWIP¡ª His daggers twirled between his fingers before locking into his reverse grip, his stance lowering. "Finally, we''re going to get some action too." Lycus whispered, his voice filled with anticipation. "..." Leon heard him, he just didn''t say anything. Though, he feels the same excitement as Lycus. Fwish¡ª Leon tensed his muscles on his lower body, especially on his legs and foot. And after that¡ª BAAM¡ª He kicked off the ground! FWOOOSH¡ª He closed the distance between him and the demon in a blink, his blade was gleaming! And when he got the demon in his attack range¡ª SWOOSH¡ª! Leon''s steel sword swiftly slashed in a clean arc! Though¡ª The demon was faster. TIIING¡ª! A claw intercepted Leon''s strike with unnatural strength. "Urgh...!" Leon groaned. But as a response¡ª Fwop¡ª He twisted his wrist and pressed forward! CLANG! ¡ªonly for the demon to parry his blade with ease again! "...?!" SHHHHIIIICCK¡ª Leon was sent skidding back, he was frustrated. But at that moment¡ª FWOOSH¡ª! "..." Lycus was already there! And with a fast swipe¡ª SWISH¡ª He launched a rapid, precise slash with the dagger in his right, aimed at the demon''s neck! -Oh... SHIIING¡ª! The demon just leaned back, dodging by a hair''s breadth. Fwish¡ª And as Lycus'' second dagger followed up¡ª -You''re too slow. The demon said that. THWACK¡ª! "KEUK...!!!" SWOOOOSH¡ª And then he kicked Lycus while he was mid-air, launching him backward! Though before he could hit the ground¡ª FWIP¡ª! Tap- Lycus twisted, flipping mid-air and landing gracefully. Then looking at the demon with a frown on his face¡ª "...He dodged that?" Lycus muttered. And even though his expression is like that, his excitement was increasing. And then¡ª Tap- "..." Leon stepped beside him, his eyes narrowed, glaring at the demon. "This isn''t going to be easy." He said. And looking at him¡ª "Well duh, of course it isn''t." Lycus responded to him, fixing his stance. Seeing them side to side¡ª -Both of you at once? That''s better. The demon said that and smirked. And the next moment, without even a sign or warning¡ª SWISH¡ª The demon vanished! "...!" Both Leon and Lycus'' bodies immediately tensed, their eyes shot open. And then the demon appeared! F W O O O S H¡ª! From above¡ª! The demon descended like a shadow, claws aimed straight for them! But being ready¡ª "!!!" SWOOSH¡ª Leon reacted instantly and swung up his sword with both his hands tightly clenching it! T A A A A N G¡ª! His sword met the demon''s attack, but the force was overwhelming! "URRRRRGGHHH¡ª!" CRACK¡ª Leon''s feet dug into the ground as he was pushed back in terms of strength! And Lycus, making use of that opportunity¡ª FWOOSH¡ª! He vanished from his spot! FSSSH¡ª A blur moved behind the demon. And sensing that¡ª -Another sneak attack? The demon whispered. FWISH¡ª Then he twisted mid-air! S L A S H¡ª! His claw shot out, meeting Lycus'' incoming dagger mid-strike! And with that¡ª CLANG¡ª! Another parry! FWOOSH¡ª And as Lycus'' second dagger thrust forward¡ª THWACK¡ª! The demon struck first! "GAHH?!!" Lycus received a knee to the stomach¡ª! "Ghh¡ª!" He coughed, he became vulnerable to attacks. But before the demon could even follow up another attack¡ª FWOOSH¡ª! Leon suddenly appeared beside him! And opening his mouth¡ª "!" Leon exclaimed that! S L A S H¡ª! And then he swung his sword horizontally! WHOOOOOOSH¡ª! A powerful gust exploded from Leon''s sword! -Tch. The demon clicked his tongue. He couldn''t dodge mid-air because of Lycus. And so¡ª B O O M¡ª! He received the attack head-on! SWOOOSH¡ª -Ugh...! The wind forced the demon back, giving Lycus time to recover. "...Damn." Lycus muttered, shaking off the impact. "He''s something else." Leon said, keeping an eye on the demon. (The demon just landed elegantly just a few meters away from them. Leon''s attack barely did anything to him.) "He''s calm. He''s not making mistakes." Lycus stated, recalling every exchange that had happened so far. And opening his mouth again¡ª "Then I guess we''ll have to force him to make one." Lycus declared that. The demon, hearing their conversation, rolled his shoulders. -Very well. He muttered. F w o o s h-! Then his dark claws extended further, glowing with demonic energy. And with a confident smirk om his face¡ª -Try it if you can. The demon provocatively announced that! "..." Lycus and Leon became silent at his words, chills ran down his spine. And briefly glancing at each other¡ª "Mhm." "..." They nodded in unison. Then¡ª B A A M¡ª! SWOOOOSH¡ª They kicked off the ground and dashed straight to the demon! Their battle resumes! Chapter 160 - 160: 160 - The Invasion! [11]—Lycus and Leon II S W O O S H¡ª Leon and Lycus dashed toward the demon, their movements sharp and decisive. The demon remained still, watching them approach with an eerie calmness. And upon reaching him¡ª SWISH¡ª Leon swung his sword down in a swift, precise motion, aiming to carve through the demon''s shoulder! F W I P¡ª Lycus followed up instantly, lunging forward with a rapid one-two thrust of his daggers, striking at the demon''s ribs! But the demon was faster than expected. With a subtle, almost effortless movement¡ª TING¡ª -... The demon lightly struck the side of Leon''s sword with his left hand¡ª SWOOSH¡ª Deflecting it to the side, making Leon''s strike miss entirely! "Urgh...!" BAM! Leon groaned as his weapon hit nothing but the solid concrete floor, sending small cracks spreading from the impact. And immediately after¡ª FWISH¡ª The demon twisted his body, smoothly dodging the first thrust from Lycus! His glowing red eyes flicked toward Lycus¡ª And then¡ª Raising his right hand, claws crackling with dark energy¡ª CLANG¡ª! He caught Lycus'' second dagger mid-strike! "...?!" Lycus'' eyes widened in shock. He tried to yank his weapon back¡ª But the demon''s grip was like iron. And before he could react¡ª FWOOSH¡ª The demon''s left hand lashed forward, his razor-sharp claws aiming straight for Lycus'' face! The strike was so fast¡ª It was like a shadow streaking through the air! But just then¡ª Leon recovered his balance in an instant! And without hesitation¡ª S W I S H¡ª He swung his sword in a horizontal arc from right to left! -Huh¡­? The demon hadn''t expected such a quick counter. If he continued his attack, Leon''s blade would slice straight through his stomach. And so¡ª Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. BAM! The demon leaped back with a powerful burst of strength, dodging the slash by a hair''s breadth. B A M! Leon and Lycus did the same, retreating several feet away to rethink their approach. TAP¡ª And landing lightly on the cracked battlefield, the three fighters faced each other once more. "..." "..." -... Silence. Each of them analyzed the situation, reading the battlefield, searching for an opening. And as that was happening... The demon smirked. -What a surprise¡­ To see two young warriors this skilled. He said. "..." Leon and Lycus remained quiet, their eyes locked onto him with cold intensity. The demon didn''t seem to mind their silence. Instead, he continued, his voice filled with eerie amusement¡ª -Would you both consider joining our side? In exchange for power, wealth¡­ anything you desire? His tone was calm. He wasn''t joking. But without even thinking about it for a second¡ª "Fuck off." "No thanks. I''d rather not join the losing side." Leon and Lycus responded coldly, one after the other. And hearing their words¡ª -Such a shame. The demon muttered. Then, with no warning¡ª S W O O O S H¡ª He dashed toward the two at an insane speed! And in the blink of an eye¡ª FWISH¡ª He was right in front of them! TAP¡ª The demon planted his right foot forward¡ª Directly between Leon and Lycus, who were standing side by side. And with overwhelming strength¡ª S L A S H¡ª! The demon swung his right hand as he roughly twisted his body to strengthen the attack, his claws extending like deadly blades¡ª Dripping with malevolent demonic energy! "...!" "!!!?" Lycus and Leon''s eyes widened¡ª The demon was even faster than before! But they reacted instantly¡ª FWIP¡ª Lycus crossed his daggers in front of him, bracing for the incoming blow¡ª FWISH¡ª Leon did the same, raising his sword to block! And then¡ª T A A A N G¡ª! A massive shockwave burst out from the impact! "URGH...?!" "GARGH!!!" Lycus and Leon gritted their teeth, feeling the sheer force of the clash shake their very bones! SHIIICK¡ª Their feet scraped against the ground as they were pushed back against their will! And before they could fully regain their footing¡ª FWISH¡ª The demon reappeared in front of Leon! His left hand was already raised¡ª -Try blocking this. He said. FWOOSH¡ª And then he unleashed a crushing downward strike! The sheer pressure made the air tremble! "Shit!" Leon cursed¡ª SWISH¡ª He forcefully raised his sword up, trying to block it! And then¡ª CLANG¡ª!!! The demon''s claws slammed into his blade! "GRAAAAAAHHH¡ª!!!" Leon screamed as an unbearable force pressed down on him! CRACK- A sharp pain tore through his left arm¡ª His bones fractured under the pressure! CRACK- The ground beneath him shattered, unable to withstand the sheer force! ''I''m going to get crushed¡­!'' Leon gritted his teeth as blood trickled from his nose. ''No way I''ll let this fucker kill me!'' And with pure, stubborn willpower¡ª BAM! Leon took a step forward! Then¡ª Gritting his teeth¡ª "FUCK OFF!!!" T I N G¡ª! He swung his sword upward with all his strength¡ª Deflecting the demon''s claw up at the last second! -...! The demon''s eyes widened¡ª He hadn''t expected Leon to be able to do that! And in that brief moment of his stupor¡ª "[Cross Slash]" Lycus suddenly appeared behind him! And gripping his daggers tightly¡ª S L A S H¡ª!!! He slashed them in a cross pattern¡ª Carving deep wounds into the demon''s back! -Keuk¡­! The demon groaned, staggering forward! And Leon didn''t waste that opportunity too¡ª With his sword still up in the air¡ª "DIEEE¡ª!" SWISH¡ª He swung it down, aiming to cleave the demon''s skull in two! But¡ª -DON''T GET COCKY!!! The demon roared. And with a furious expression on his fave¡ª CLANG¡ª He caught Leon''s blade with his bare hand! Then¡ª With a deadly glare¡ª TWHACK! He struck a brutal kick to Leon''s stomach! "GARGH...?!" Leon gasped as his body folded over, his vision blurring from the sheer force of the impact! Blood and saliva blurted out of his mouth. But then, ignoring the pain once more¡ª BAM-!! Leon countered with a kick of his own! It wasn''t as strong as what he had just received¡ª -Ugh?! But it was enough to make the demon stagger back! And in that instant¡ª FWOOSH¡ª PHUCK!! Lycus lunged, thrusting his right dagger into the demon''s back! -Grgh...! The demon groaned¡ª But Lycus wasn''t finished¡ª SLASH¡ª He twisted the blade and tore it sideways¡ª Ripping open another deep, bloody wound on the demon''s back! -GAAAAHHH!!! The demon let out a pained shriek. And hearing him¡ª "..." Lycus smirked. It was all going well for them¡ª But then¡ª B O O M¡ª!! A violent explosion of demonic energy burst out from the demon''s body! "Wha?!" "Gah?!" TAP- Leon and Lycus were blown backward, shielding their eyes from the blinding surge! And when the energy settled¡ª -... The demon stood between them. Still and silent. And the air around him¡ª Swooosh~ It was different. It was darker. More terrifying. And feeling that¡ª "..." "..." Leon and Lycus frowned. The fight wasn''t over. It was only getting started. ***** BAM! Leon and Lycus kicked off and met again. They stood side by side once more, observing the demon. And just then¡ª S W O O S H¡ª The two tensed their bodies. "..." "..." The air around them had changed too. Meanwhile¡ª The demon stood still, his crimson eyes glowing¡ª And in the next moment¡ª FWISH¡ª!!! He vanished! "!?" "Shit¡ª!!" And before the two could react¡ª FWOOSH¡ª!!! The demon reappeared right in front of them! S L A S H¡ª!!! His right claw tore through the air, aiming to rip them apart! SWISH¡ª Leon barely leaned back, dodging by a hair''s breadth! FWIP¡ª Lycus twisted to the side, evading at the last second! But¡ª FWISH¡ª!!! The demon followed up instantly, his left claw shooting forward! "!!!" Swoosh¡ª CLANG¡ª!! Leon blocked with his sword, arms shaking from the force! TING¡ª!! "Tch!" Lycus barely deflected it with his dagger, his stance faltering! Then¡ª BAM! The demon spun mid-air, whipping his leg toward them! "!?" And as a response¡ª Fwop¡ª Leon ducked. BAM! Then Lycus leaped back. WHOOSH¡ª!!! The kick barely missed them, sending a gust of wind past their faces! But the demon wasn''t done there. And with an absurd speed¡ª FWISH¡ª His hands shot out. FWIP¡ª!!! And then his clawed hands clamped down on both Lycus'' and Leon''s arms! "!?" "Urgh¡ª?!" The eyes of the two widened. And before they could even try to struggle¡ª B A M¡ª!!! The demon slammed them against into each other! "GAH¡ª!!!" "URGH¡ª!!!" Leon''s and Lycus'' bodies crashed, pain exploding in their chests! And following that¡ª B O O M¡ª!!! The demon threw the two to the ground, shaking the battlefield! Swoosh~ Dust exploded into the air. Tap¡ª The demon stepped on top of Lycus'' unmoving. And looking at the two on the ground¡ª -Hah. The demon grinned mischievously. And opening his mouth¡ª -Too bad... If we had met a few more years in the future, our situation would''ve been reversed. He muttered that. "Urgh..." Leon weakly groaned as he opened his eyes and looked up at the demon. And with a deep frown on his face¡ª "You haven''t won yet, bastard." Leon muttered that. SLASH¡ª -Urgh?! And then the demon felt something cut the achilles of his right foot! "He''s right." It was Lycus, he was just pretending to be unconscious earlier! Chapter 161 - 161: 161 - The Invasion! [12]—Relived -Keuk?! The demon let out a weak groan as he felt a sting on his achilles. And looking down¡ª He saw Lycus. He was looking at him with an annoying smirk. And seeing that¡ª -DIE!!! SWOOSH¡ª!!! The demon raised his foot and brought it down heavily, aiming to crush Lycus'' chest! But as soon as the demon lifted his foot that was pinning Lycus down¡ª "Hngh...!" BAM! "GAH?!" Leon kicked Lycus hard on the side! FWISH~ Lycus then slid across the ground¡ª B O O M¡ª!!! Making the demon''s foot slammed into nothing but the ground, cracking it on impact! -Huh?! The demon was momentarily flustered by this. And at that moment¡ª BAM¡ª!!! Lycus sprang up! SWISH¡ª He twisted his torso mid-air, turning sharply toward the demon. And using the momentum of his spin¡ª S W I S H¡ª!!! He extended his left hand, slashing straight toward the back of the demon''s head! -In?! FWISH¡ª!!! The demon sensed the incoming attack and tilted his head to the side, barely avoiding it. But¡ª S L A S H¡ª!!! Lycus'' dagger still managed to carve through his flesh¡ª Cutting off his right ear! -... The demon remained silent for a moment. Blood dripped from the side of his head, his severed ear falling uselessly to the ground. And then¡ª G R R R R R R R R ¡ª A deep, guttural growl escaped his throat. His eyes¡ª S H I I I I N G¡ª Glowed with an overwhelming, violent red! -You... His voice trembled with fury. -You BASTARDS!!! The demon exclaimed in rage. FWOOOOOSH¡ª!!! Then a sudden explosion of dark energy erupted from his body! The sheer force of it sent dust and debris flying everywhere¡ª "Guh?!" "Hmm?!" Making Leon and Lycus shield their faces with their arms. And when they looked back¡ª TAP¡ª The demon was already gone. "...!" "Shit¡ª!" And before either of them could react¡ª FWISH¡ª!!! The demon appeared right between them! S W O O O S H¡ª!!! Both of his clawed hands swung outward at blinding speed! "!!!" FWIP¡ª! Leon and Lycus barely ducked in time, narrowly avoiding the attack¡ª S W I S H¡ª!! The claws sliced through the air right where their necks had been! But¡ª F W I P¡ª Before they could counter¡ª B A M!!! The demon violently kicked Leon in the ribs, sending him crashing back! "GAHH!!!?" And without missing a beat¡ª PHUCK¡ª!!! His left hand stabbed straight into Lycus'' right shoulder! "AGH¡ª?!" Lycus clenched his teeth in pain¡ª But he still forced himself to move! And gritting his teeth¡ª SLASH¡ª!!! He swung his right dagger toward the demon''s throat! -... The demon saw it, but instead of dodging¡ª BAM¡ª!!! He headbutted Lycus! "KEUK...?!" Tap- tap¡ª Lycus'' body stumbled backward, but before he could fall¡ª FWIP¡ª!!! The demon grabbed his right dagger with his left hand covered with demonic energy and pulled him forward! And with his other hand¡ª BAM!!! The demon heavily punched Lycus in the stomach! "GAH¡ª!!!" BOOM¡ª! Sending him crashing into the ground! "Ugh...!" Blood splattered from Lycus'' mouth. But before the demon could finish him¡ª "GRAAAHHHH!!!" Leon suddenly appeared behind him with his sword raised high! S W I I I S H¡ª!!! Then he brought down his sword, aiming to split the demon''s skull! But¡ª S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. FWIP¡ª T A A A N G¡ª!!! The demon turned at the last second and caught Leon''s blade with his bare hand! "...?!" Leon''s eyes widened. The demon glared at him, his face twisted in rage. -DON''T THINK YOU CAN WIN!!! He roared. B A M¡ª!!! Then he slammed his forehead against Leon''s¡ª "GAH?!" CRACK¡ª!!! Leon''s vision blurred, his ears rang¡ª But he didn''t fall! Instead¡ª "FUCK YOU!!!" F W I S H¡ª! Leon forcefully pulled his sword back. And gritting his teeth¡ª S W I S H¡ª!!! He swung down his sword again! And this time¡ª SLASH¡ª! His blade tore across the demon''s chest! Blood sprayed out¡ª -... But the demon didn''t even flinch! And as a response¡ª PHUCK¡ª!!! His left claws slashed diagonally across Leon''s shoulders! "GRHHH¡ª!!!" Leon groaned in pain, his body almost giving out¡ª But before the demon could follow up¡ª FWISH¡ª!!! Lycus reappeared at his blind spot, his daggers gleaming! S L A S H¡ª!!! And he opened a deep cut on the demon''s back! Though¡ª B A M¡ª!!! The demon kicked Lycus mid-air, sending him flying away! "GURGH¡ª!!!" BOOM!!! Lycus crashed against a broken pillar! And the demon, turning back to Leon¡ª PHUCK¡ª!!! His right claws stabbed straight into Leon''s stomach! "...?!!" Leon''s body stiffened when he felt that. And blood¡ª "..." Dripped down from his lips, mouth, and stomach. He felt his whole body heat up, his consciousness fading. But nevertheless¡ª "..." He didn''t scream. He didn''t flinch. And glaring at the demon¡ª "...!" PHWIP¡ª!!! His hand shot forward and grabbed the demon''s wrist. -Hmm?? The demon slightly frowned, but he didn''t take this seriously because of Leon''s current condition. Then he tried to yank his claws back¡ª But¡ª FWIP!!! Leon tightened his grip on him! -Ngh¡ª?! The demon groaned, surprised. He was struggling to take his hand back! Leon was holding on! His bloodied lips then curled into a smirk. And opening his mouth¡ª "Too late." He muttered that. And then¡ª PHUCK¡ª!!! Lycus appeared. His dagger¡ª Pierced straight through the demon''s heart! -GHRRRRGH¡ª! The demon''s body shook. But Lycus wasn''t done! S L A S H¡ª!!! He slashed horizontally, tearing open the demon''s chest! -GAAAHHHH¡ª!!! Blood sprayed everywhere. The demon staggered forward. But even then¡ª -...! His bloodshot eyes remained filled with rage! -You... FUCKERS...!!! And with sheer willpower, or anger¡ª Fwish- The demon raised his other claw, the left one! But before he could even swing it down¡ª FWIP¡ª Leon let go of the demon''s right wrist and tightly gripped the handle of his sword with both hands. And even though he''s barely holding onto his consciousness now¡ª "GRAHHHHH¡ª!" SWOOSH¡ª Leon horizontally swung his sword with his remaining strength! And then¡ª S L A S H¡ª!!! His blade cut through the demon''s neck!!! -!!? The demon''s red eyes flickered, shock was apparent on his face. And after that¡ª His head¡ª Thud- It fell on the ground. His body remained standing for a brief moment¡ª THUD¡ª Before it also collapsed. And with that¡ª "..." "..." -... Silence. "...Hah...hah...hahh..." Leon let out a slow, shaky breath. "Huff...huuu...fuuu...." Tap- Lycus, panting heavily, stepped closer. Then the two of them¡ª "..." Stared at the demon''s unmoving body. And finally¡ª ''It''s over.'' They declared that in their heads. The two of them were glad. But following that¡ª BAM! Leon fell onto the ground too! "Huh?!" This shocked Lycus. And when he crouched down to check on him¡ª He saw a pool of blood forming under Leon. It was from the hole in his stomach and the other injuries he sustained from the fight! "Leon!" Lycus exclaimed, worried. He could see Leon slowly turning pale¡ªhe was losing a lot of blood. "Urgh...!" Lycus groaned. He wasn''t in good condition either. "Haaaaa..." Leon let out a heavy sigh. His vision was seeing nothing but blur now. His eyelids were getting heavier by the second. He really wanted to pass out now¡ª "Don''t close your eyes!" Only Lycus'' voice was stopping him from succumbing to it. But soon, he wouldn''t be able to hold on¡ª ''Am I going to die now...?'' Leon asked in his head. ''That sucks.'' He said. Then, thinking about Raye¡ª ''I wonder what he''s doing right now... He really looked desperate to leave this place earlier.'' He stated that. "I hope I was able to be of help... He was a bitch before... But he''s all good now." Leon weakly mumbled, a small smirk appearing on his face. And after that¡ª "..." He closed his eyes, losing consciousness! And seeing that¡ª "Leon! Wake up!" Lycus shouted in worry. He was violently shaking Leon''s body. But even after doing it for a while¡ª "..." There was still no response from him. ''Don''t you fucking die on me.'' Lycus desperately thought. He wasn''t really that close to Leon, but he knew he was a good guy. And Lycus considered him a friend. So desperately¡ª ''Anyone...!'' He looked around, searching for someone¡ªfor something to help Leon. And at that moment¡ª "Move." Lycus heard a familiar voice above him. "?!" And the next thing he knew¡ª Fwish¡ª Lena was beside him, crouching down and looking at Leon! And without beating around the bush¡ª "[Vital Overheal!!!]" Lena started healing Leon, her eyes focused only on him! "..." Lycus stared at Lena, grateful. But then¡ª "Get over here!" "Huh?" Fwish¡ª Someone pulled him to the side. And when he looked at who it was¡ª "You''re hurt again..." He saw Sofia, looking at him with teary eyes. "Drink this!" Sofia said, handing a vial of healing potion to him. "..." And Lycus, looking at her¡ª "Thanks." He mumbled that, a relieved expression appearing on his face. He saw Allen and Devin running in their direction too. Then, he looked back at Lena and Leon... Leon was breathing normally now and his color is going back to normal. So finally... "Haaa..." Lycus could finally relax now. Chapter 162 - 162: 162 - The Heroine "Lycus, are you okay?" Devin asked as soon as he reached Sofia and Lycus. Worry was apparent in his eyes. Then, looking back at him¡ª "Don''t worry, I''m fine." Lycus replied, letting out a small, reassuring smile. And then¡ª Tap¡ª sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Allen arrived too. "..." His eyes fell on Leon and the gaping wound in his stomach. "Is he going to be okay...?" Allen asked, furrowing his eyes. And at his question¡ª "..." Lycus glanced at Leon''s bloodied body. Then with a slight frown on his face¡ª "I don''t actually know..." He weakly muttered that. "..." Devin, Sofia, Allen, Lycus¡ªall of them looked at Lena. "Grgh..." She was groaning, slightly struggling. She was focused on healing Leon. Lena hadn''t recovered all of her mana yet, but despite that, here she was again, using a high-rank healing spell. Sweat started falling down her face, strength leaving her body. It was never that easy to heal someone. Lycus and the others knew that. And so¡ª "..." They looked at Lena and Leon alternately, worried expressions on their faces. Then, feeling their prickly gazes¡ª "With me alone, I''m not sure if I''ll be able to save him..." Lena stated that with a frown. "...!" The others widened their eyes in surprise when they heard that. They all looked at Leon¡ª "..." He was still unconscious, but his complexion was all fine now. They all thought Leon was getting better, but it turned out his life was still in danger. And knowing that¡ª "Shit..." Lycus cursed to himself. He felt slightly guilty and responsible because he was the one who fought alongside Leon. Lycus knew that he did nothing wrong and that no one was blaming him. ''If only I was stronger...'' But he couldn''t help but find fault in himself. And just then¡ª "What about your potions? They healed Devin''s wound!" Allen suddenly asked that, he was looking at Sofia. Slight desperation could be heard in his voice and seen on his face. Allen was close with Leon, they''re rivals and friends at the same time after all. But at his question¡ª "..." Sofia just bitterly shook her head at him. Then, opening her mouth¡ª "My potions can only heal physical wounds. They can''t restore one''s vitality. It worked on Devin because he hadn''t lost a lot of blood back then, and his injury wasn''t as bad." She explained that. "I''m sorry." And then she followed, looking down. Once again, Sofia felt helpless and powerless. She was frustrated. And it''s not just her¡ª "Fuck..." Devin muttered. He was feeling useless too¡ªhe literally couldn''t do anything to help right now. "..." Allen, Lycus, Devin, and Sofia¡ªthey became silent. Despair slowly ate at them¡ª "..." Even Lena. The frown on her face was deepening. ''If only Senior Jerusha was here, she could do this all alone...'' Lena declared in her head, remembering how big of a mana pool Jerusha had. And after that¡ª "..." The five of them desperately tried to find a way to help Leon¡ªto save him. Anything. Anyone... Then, as they were doing that¡ª Swoosh~ "Leon!" The group heard a shout from not far away. And this voice¡ª "Huh...?" Only Allen, Devin, and Lycus were able to recognize whose it was. Fwish¡ª The five of them turned their heads toward the source of the shout. And there¡ª They saw a beautiful young woman with silky, long black hair and obsidian-like eyes, holding a big wooden staff. Fwoosh¡ª She was flying toward them! "Leon, why are you hurt again?!" It was Aria Themis. (Chapter 30) Leon''s childhood friend¡ªand the main heroine in the game! Anyway... Swish¡ª Aria reached where Leon and the others were not long after. And seeing Leon''s condition¡ª "Leon!" She called for him again, worried. Aria was trying to wake him up to see if he was conscious. Her expression was almost crying, her eyes tearing up. "ugh..." Aria had seen Leon in such conditions multiple times now. But still¡ª "Please... Wake up..." There''s just no way she''ll get used to something like this. ''Please...!'' Aria was panicking, she was still in a mess, she doesn''t know what to do¡ªshe still can''t calm down. But as she was like that¡ª "You''re a mage, right?!" Lena suddenly loudly asked that, snapping Aria out of her stupor! Lena could feel a strong surge of mana coming from Aria. "Huh?" Aria was surprised, she just stared at Lena for a split second. She forgot about the others, only focusing on Leon. But immediately realizing the urgency of the situation, and noticing that Lena was healing Leon¡ª "Yes." Aria quickly responded. "Can you use healing spells?" Lena followed another question without beating around the bush. And immediately opening her mouth¡ª "Yes." Aria answered again. ''I had to learn strong healing spells because Leon always gets hurt.'' She thought. And hearing her answer¡ª "..." Lena smiled. "...!" Allen, Sofia, Devin, Lycus¡ªtheir eyes lit up. Then, opening her mouth¡ª "I''m currently healing the big hole on Leon''s stomach. I want you to replenish his vitality with a spell as strong as mine while I do that. I''m using the spell [Vital Overheal]." Lena explained that. And without wasting a second¡ª "I know that spell too, I''ll use it as well." Aria muttered that with a resolute look in her eyes. Fwish¡ª She crouched down toward Leon, on Lena''s opposite side without waiting for any instruction. And without further ado¡ª "[Vital Overheal!!!]" Aria cast the same spell Lena was using on Leon. F W O O O S H¡ª!! And immediately, finally after that¡ª "urgh..." Leon let out a weak groan! It was silent that everyone almost missed it! But still¡ª Leon was showing a sign of life! And seeing that¡ª "...!" Lycus, Devin, Sofia, Allen¡ªtheir eyes widened. Then immediately¡ª "Protect them both!" Lycus exclaimed that! And at his instruction¡ª "Ah!" Devin and Allen snapped out of their surprise. Fwish¡ª And then they immediately started guarding Aria and Lena¡ª "grgh...!" Who were focused on healing Leon! "Don''t die on us." Lycus whispered under his breath, glancing at Leon behind him. And after that¡ª TAP¡ª He stepped forward¡ªguarding Aria, Leon, and Lena. Chaos was still going everywhere they looked. Chapter 163 - 163: 163 - The Heroine II Meanwhile, outside the outdoor training ground¡ª SWOOSH¡ª Jerusha was dashing toward the town. B O O M¡ª! She was going so fast, exploding gusts of winds under her feet with every step she took. (Yep, this move was inspired by Raye''s skill too, along with the [Bang] before.) F W O O O S H¡ª!!! Jerusha was basically flying at this point. ''Wow, this skill is really something else...!'' She exclaimed in her head. She was copying Raye''s skill, [Flash], to some extent. Jerusha was doing this because this skill uses less mana than flying, but it still let the user travel at an absurd speed! FWISH¡ª The scenery around Jerusha blurred as she pushed forward, feeling the wind violently lash against her face. But even with that¡ª "..." Her eyes remained sharp, focused only on reaching the town as fast as possible. ''If Raye''s in trouble, I need to be ready.'' Jerusha thought, furrowing her brows. She was trying to save as much mana as possible¡ªjust in case. Then¡ª "Everyone..." Thinking about Raye, Old Man Rey, Kyle, Pyro, and Zephyrus¡­ "..." Jerusha slowly became worried. THUMP¡ª Her heart felt heavy, a bad feeling looming over her. It clung to her mind, stubborn and persistent. But then¡ª "No!" Shouting that to herself and shaking her head, Jerusha reassured herself that everyone was fine. ''They''re fine¡­ There''s no way anything happened to them.'' She told herself. Though, even after doing that¡ª "..." The uneasiness still wouldn''t leave her mind. It sat there, deep in her chest, refusing to fade. "..." Jerusha became silent. And after that¡ª Fwoosh~ Silently condensing more mana on her legs and tensing her muscles¡ª B A M¡ª! F W I S H¡ª!! Jerusha kicked off the ground harder, the impact blasting debris into the air! Her speed¡ª FWOOSH¡ª!!! It doubled in an instant! The world blurred even more, the wind roaring in her ears, whipping her hair wildly. "...!" But Jerusha didn''t care. ''I''ll get there in time¡­ I have to.'' Her determination burned brighter, and with one final push¡ª FWOOSH¡ª!!! She shot forward like a comet, racing toward the town at full force! ... ***** And not long after¡ª TAP¡ª Jerusha reached the town. And there¡ª "Wha..." Jerusha saw the unfolding chaos. B O O M¡ª!!! The town was in shambles, smoke rising into the darkening sky. -KIEEEEE!!! -DIE, YOU BUGS!!! BOOM! -KE KE KE KE-!!! Monsters and demons were everywhere, rampaging through the streets. BAAM!! They tore through buildings, knocking over stalls, destroying everything in their path. "KYAAAAA!!!" "STOP!!!" "RUN EVERYONE!!!" "SOMEONE HELP!!!" Townspeople were running, hiding, panicking¡ª "MOMMY!!" Crying. Screams filled the air, a desperate cry out of fear. They were being attacked. And witnessing this¡ª "¡­" Jerusha stood in horror, her eyes darting from one scene of destruction to another. And for a brief moment¡ª "What is this...?" Her heart sank. -DIE HUMAN BRAT!! SWOOSH¡ª But after catching a glimpse of a low-rank demon trying to attack a little girl¡ª "...!" Jerusha immediately snapped out of her stupor! "TCH¡ª!" She gritted her teeth, anger flashing across her face. FWIP¡ª Her hands clenched into fists, and without hesitation¡ª "[RADIANT BURST!!!]" She opened her mouth and shouted that! BOOOOM¡ª!!! Strong mana erupted from her body, surging outward in a massive wave! F W O O S H¡ª!!! A blinding light engulfed the battlefield¡ª And in an instant¡ª -KIEE?!! -HUH?! -OUCH!!? WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS?!! Every single monster and demon that was caught within its reach¡ª B O O M¡ª!!! -GRAAAAA!!!? -GAAAAHHHH?!!! -KIEEEEEEEEK?!! ¡ªwas eradicated! F W I I S H~! Ash and smoke filled the air, the bodies of the demons and monsters disintegrating on the spot! On the other hand¡ª "Huh...?" "What...?" "M-Mommy..?" Not a single townsperson was harmed. Tap¡ª "Huff..." Jerusha stood at the center of it all, panting. She had used a lot of mana that she was saving¡ª But she didn''t care. "..." Her sharp eyes scanned the battlefield instead. And seeing that no more monsters or demons are nearby... "Hup...!" Jerusha took a deep breath¡ª "RUN TOWARD THE XAPHAM HALL!!!" And then she exclaimed that! "Huh?!" "Ugh...?!" The townspeople turned toward her, hearing her shout. Their eyes questioning. But before they could even say anything¡ª "A lot of professors are there, there are also another set of anti-demon barriers there. Take shelter there!" Jerusha added that. And at her words... "Ah...!" S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Thank you, Miss!" "Thank you so much!" The people thanked her. Tap- tap- tap¡ª! And then they all started heading toward the Xapham Hall desperately. "Take this... Use them to the most injured people." Jerusha then stopped one of them and said that, handing them a lot of healing potions that were from Sofia. (Jerusha left one potion each for Raye and the others¡ªjust in case. She didn''t leave one for her though.) And the one receiving them¡ª "You''re an angel... Really... Thank you..." She said that to Jerusha. And without further ado¡ª Tap- tap- tap¡ª She left after slightly bowing her head. "This was given to us by the kind lady... Give them to those who are gravely injured but still have a chance of surviving." And then she immediately started distributing the healing potions to those who needed them. "..." Jerusha just watched them get away, standing on a concrete road that was covered with blood. She doesn''t know if it''s from the monsters, demons, or the humans. But ignoring that¡ª Fwish- Jerusha looked back in front of her. -KIEEEE!!! -Huh? What happened here? Why''s everyone dead? Then she saw new demons and monsters starting to show up. And glaring at them¡ª "[FIRE CANNON!!!]" Jerusha cast another strong spell! FWOOOSH¡ª Launching a huge fireball toward the unsuspecting new demons and monsters¡ª B O O O O M¡ª!!! SWAAAAAA¡ª -AHHHH!!! -KAAAAAHHH!!! Killing them immediately and turning them into ashes! SWAAAAAAAA¡ª Then, opening her mouth¡ª "I need to find Raye and the others fast." Jerusha mumbled that. Her expression turning serious. And after that¡ª B A A M¡ª! She kicked off the ground and started running toward her destination¡ª Kyle''s shop. -GAH?! -KEUK...?! -URGH!!? She killed a lot of monsters and low-rank demons on the way. She also saved a lot of people and told them where to take shelter. And during that¡ª "..." Jerusha never lost sight of her destination. And soon enough¡ª Tap- "..." She reached Kyle''s shop. Chapter 164 - 164: 164 - Raye Versus Rowan [1] Tap¡ª Jerusha arrived at Kyle''s shop. And there¡ª "GRAAAAAHH!!!" SWOOOSH¡ª C L A N G¡ª!! -Urgh...?! She saw Raye clashing violently with Rowan(The Demon)! ''That''s the demon from before!'' Jerusha exclaimed in her head as her eyes locked onto Rowan. She recognized him. Then, not far from Raye and Rowan¡ª "...!" Jerusha saw another figure. It was the noble demon. -Fight more! He stood there, watching the fight with a wide, amused smile. Jerusha instantly felt the overwhelming demonic energy radiating from him. "..." She held her breath. Staying silent. Suppressing her presence. Observing. And carefully¡ª Swish- She slipped behind a large pile of rubble, her sharp eyes scanning the battlefield. But then¡ª When she glanced downward¡ª "Huh...?" Jerusha''s breath hitched. "..." She saw them. Old Man Rey. Kyle. Pyro. Zephyrus. They were lying motionless on the ground. Kyle''s left arm¡ªgone. Pyro''s flames¡ªfading. Zephyrus'' mana¡ªdrained. And Old Man Rey¡ª He''s not breathing. "...!" Jerusha''s chest tightened. Her vision blurred. "..." Her eyes widened in shock. FWIP¡ª Her fists clenched so tightly they trembled. Her body felt weak. But the rage inside her¡ª Swoosh~ It burned hotter than anything. Jerusha wanted to scream. She wanted to rip those demons apart. But just as her lips parted¡ª "I''LL FUCKING KILL YOU BOTH!!! GRAAAAAHHHH¡ª!!!" T I N G¡ª! Jerusha flinched when she heard that loud shout. "?!!" She whipped her head toward Raye. Fwish¡ª And there¡ª SWOOSH¡ª TANG! SWISH¡ª CLANG! She saw Raye swung his black sword wildly with both hands, pure malice burning in his every strike! -URGH...!! I''LL KILL YOU FIRST, YOU FUCKING BUG!!! Rowan blocked and deflected each of his attacks, his body steady, his strength unyielding. Yet¡ª -Fuck...! Annoyance flickered across the demon''s grotesque face. "HAAAAA¡ª!!!" Raye''s rage was relentless. And witnessing him like that¡ª ''The both of us can''t be out of control at the same time.'' Jerusha regained her reasoning to some extent. Yes, she was furious. Yes, she wanted to tear the demons apart. But¡ª She couldn''t lose control. She needed to act. And so¡ª Fwish- Her eyes darted back to Old Man Rey and the others. Their injuries were severe¡ªbut they weren''t necessarily dead. There was still hope. And clinging to that hope¡ª "Fuuuu..." Jerusha took a deep breath. She waited. Tensed. Focused. And not long after¡ª That right timing arrived. "HAAAAAAA¡ª!!!" SWOOSH¡ª Raye swung his sword upward with immense force! Fwip- Rowan raised his clawed hands to block¡ª T I N G¡ª! -KEUK?!! But the sheer power behind Raye''s attack sent his hands flying! And as Rowan''s arms were up¡ª Raye''s left fist, wrapped in an elegant white gauntlet¡ª B A M¡ª! SLAMMED into Rowan''s face! -GAHHH¡ª!!! Rowan let out a pained roar. F W O O S H¡ª BOOM!!! His body was sent crashing into a burning house nearby! And Raye¡ª He didn''t stop there! BAM! SWOOSH¡ª He dashed after him! -Hmm... The noble demon, eyes tracking the two¡ª FWISH¡ª Vanished. He chased after them. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. And at that moment¡ª ''Now!'' Jerusha''s eyes sharpened. FWOOSH¡ª She bolted toward Old Man Rey and the others! And as soon as she reached them¡ª FWIP¡ª She stuffed Zephyrus and Pyro into her spatial ring. Then¡ª She grabbed Old Man Rey and Kyle¡ª BAM! Then she kicked off the ground! Dashing in the opposite direction where Raye and the others are! Away from the chaos! ''I need to find a safe place...!'' Jerusha declared in her head. But with this situation they''re in¡ª ''Where?'' That task is hard to do. Fwish¡ª Jerusha''s eyes darted around, still trying to find anything. And then¡ª "...!" She saw a burning house. Still intact¡ªjust engulfed in flames. SWOOSH¡ª Jerusha propelled herself toward the house. And when she reached its burning door¡ª BAM! She kicked it down! Tap¡ª She rushed inside. Fwop¡ª Carefully setting Old Man Rey and Kyle down. And then¡ª F W O O O S H¡ª!!! A strong gust of wind erupted from her body¡ª Swaaaaa~ Extinguishing the flames around them! And opening her mouth¡ª "[Summon]" Jerusha muttered that! SWOOOOOOHH¡ª A blinding light flashed all over the house. And from it¡ª Fwish- -Hmm?! A 5-meter-tall White Griffin emerged! It was Phobos! (The mighty spirit of the Northern Forest.) And immediately after seeing him¡ª "Protect us, please!" Jerusha pleaded that to him. -What...? Phobos asked, his eyes widened. Jerusha rarely summoned him. And even rarer¡ª Did she ever ask for anything. "Please..." -... But seeing her desperate expression¡ª -Okay. Phobos didn''t question Jerusha''s request. He simply obeyed. FWAP¡ª And with a single flap of his massive white wings¡ª S W I S H¡ª The remaining flames around them completely vanished! "Thank you." Jerusha murmured, relief washing over her as she gazed at Phobos with grateful eyes. But there was no time to rest. FWIP¡ª She pulled Zephyrus and Pyro out of her spatial ring. -Huh...? Phobos'' sharp eyes landed on Zephyrus. His friend. Wounded. Unconscious. And in that moment¡ª -... He understood the urgency of the situation. No words were needed. They had to act fast. So moving on¡ª "..." Gulp¡ª Gulp¡ª Gulp¡ª Jerusha poured the last of her healing potions into Old Man Rey''s and the others'' mouths, forcing them to drink. Immediately after¡ª Swaaaaah~ Their wounds began closing. Their complexions regained color. But Jerusha knew¡ª Potions had their limits. And so¡ª She opened her mouth¡ª "[Sanctuary''s Embrace!]" And cast that spell! S W I I S H¡ª A transparent golden dome made of thick and pure mana covered Jerusha and the others. And while inside it¡ª Fwoooooh~ Old Man Rey, Kyle, Pyro, Zephyrus¡ªthey all started healing! But this spell strains the body of the caster... "ugh..." Jerusha focused herself on keeping the spell active. ''I won''t let you guys die...'' She thought. She made it her responsibility to save everyone. And looking at her like that¡ª -I''m sensing some low-rank bugs outside... I''ll handle them, don''t worry and just focus there. Phobos made it his mission to protect Jerusha and the others. ***** Meanwhile, back to where Raye was¡ª -GRAAHHH!!! BAM! Rowan angrily kicked away the debris on top of him after being flung away in a burning house. Fwip- He quickly got back up. And immediately¡ª FWOOOSH¡ª!! Raye blitzed forward toward him! SHIING¡ª His black sword gleaming under the flickering flames surrounding them! "...!" His eyes burned with unforgiving malice, his body radiating pure hatred. And with all of his might¡ª "DIEEEE¡ª!!!" SWOOSH¡ª! Raye swung his sword downward, aiming to cleave Rowan in half! -Tch!! Rowan clicked his tongue in annoyance when he saw that. Fwish- CLANG¡ª!! Then his clawed hand shot up, catching Raye''s blade between his fingers with raw power! But just gritting his teeth¡ª "GRAAAAHHHH¡ª!" Raye still continued on putting force behind his attack! -SHUT UP! BAM!! But Rowan just launched a knee kick on his stomach! "KUGH¡ª!!" Air was forced out of Raye''s lungs. But still¡ª He didn''t falter! BAM¡ª!! His left gauntlet-covered fist shot forward, smashing into Rowan''s jaw! -URGH!! Tap- Rowan staggered back a step, his crimson eyes flaring with rage. -... He glared at Raye. Fwip- His wings flared open¡ª FWOOOSH¡ª!! And then he vanished in a blur! Rowan disappeared! "...!" Raye''s instincts screamed at that second¡ª SWOOSH¡ª!! Rowan reappeared behind him, claws poised to rip his back open! But¡ª T I N G¡ª!! Raye''s sword twisted mid-air, meeting Rowan''s claws just in time! SCREEEEEECH¡ª!! Sparks erupted from the impact, the two locked in a deadly struggle. Rowan frowned. -JUST DIE ALREADY! He exclaimed. Then¡ª BAM¡ª!! His wing whipped out and hit Raye! "GAHH!!" FWOOSH¡ª The impact sent Raye flying like a bullet¡ª BOOOOM¡ª!!! Crashing through burning rubble! Fwaaaaa~ Smoke billowed into the air... -Haaaa... Rowan let out a sigh. He thought it''ll take a while for Raye to recover. But then¡ª FWOOSH¡ª!! A black streak burst from the smoke. -What¡ª?! Rowan''s eyes widened seeing that. And before he could even do something¡ª BAM¡ª!!! Raye''s fist¡ªcoated in his white gauntlet¡ª slammed into his gut! CRACK¡ª -URRRGPP??! The force caved in his torso slightly. FWOOSH¡ª Sending him soaring through the air¡ª BOOOM¡ª!!! Straight into another burning house! -Keuk... Fucking BITCH! Rowan snarled, tearing himself from the wreckage. -''Is he on drugs or something?!'' He asked in his head. But instead of receiving an answer¡ª Fwish- "..." Raye greeted him. He already reached him! S W O O S H¡ª!!! And he swung his sword horizontally straight toward Rowan! -...! SWISH¡ª Rowan barely dodged as Raye''s blade carved through the air, slicing clean through a charred wooden beam behind him! Then as a response¡ª Tap- Rowan stepped forward¡ª -FUCK OFF!!! BAM! And then he struck a kick on Raye''s ribs! "KEUK!!" Swoosh- Tap- Raye coughed blood but twisted his body mid-air, landing on his feet! FWOOSH¡ª But Rowan was already rushing in! -DIE, YOU BUG!! S L A S H¡ª His claws slashed toward Raye''s throat¡ª TANG¡ª!! But Raye parried them with his sword! Then¡ª "HAAAAA¡ª!!!" He spun, driving his gauntleted fist straight into Rowan''s horned skull! BAM¡ª!!! -GAH?! Rowan''s head snapped sideways. But being a sturdy demon he is¡ª -Heh... He just grinned. -IS THAT ALL??!! And then he shouted that. FWOOSH¡ª Rowan''s own right fist shot forward! BAM¡ª!!! And he hit Raye straight in the jaw! "GARGH!!?" CRACK¡ª! Raye''s jaw cracked from the impact! Though¡ª TAP- He Ignored the pain and took a step with his right foot! And with his bloodshot eyes still glaring at Rowan¡ª "THAT''S NOT ALL FUCKER!!!" B O O M¡ª! He countered with another left straight in Rowan''s nose! -KEUK...! Rowan groaned in pain. His annoyance of Raye increased. -''THIS CRAZY MOTHEFUCKER!!!'' Rowan exclaimed in his head, readying to counter. But then¡ª BAM! -GAH?!! Another punch hit his nose! And this time, before Rowan could even process the situation¡ª "GRRRRRGH...!" SWOOSH¡ª Raye swung his sword, [Nyx]. SLASH¡ª And he cut off Rowan''s left hand! -GRAAAHHHHRGH...! Rowan shrieked in pain! BAM! He jumped back to get away from Raye. Tap- He landed on the ground, holding the place where his left hand was before. And as he was trying to stop the blood from gushing out¡ª "Your head is next." He heard that from Raye. His voice was weak. -...! But it sent a slight shiver on Rowan''s back. Chapter 165 - 165: 165 - Raye Versus Rowan [2] TANG¡ª TING¡ª C L A N G¡ª!!! Rowan and Raye continued fighting. Sparks flew everywhere as Raye''s sword clashed with Rowan''s sharp dark claws. And on the other hand, just watching them from the sidelines¡ª -Haha, more! The noble demon shouted that with a wide smile on his face. He looked like he was getting turned on just by watching the intense fight between the two. He hadn''t noticed yet that the bodies of Old Man Rey and the others were gone. And that''s because the noble demon doesn''t really care about them in the first place, he also thinks they''re deads anyway. Anyway, just then¡ª BAM! "GARGH!!" Crack- Rowan''s clawed fist smashed into Raye''s ribs, sending a sickening crack through the air. But¡ª "URGH...!" TAP¡ª Raye didn''t stop! He planted his feet firmly on the ground! His rage drowned out the pain. His rage fueled him. His rage kept him moving. And with that rage¡ª FWISH¡ª Raye raised his left hand with the gauntlet¡ª TINGK¡ª!! And blocked Rowan''s next attack! It was a fast thrust of his right claws! "GH¡­!" Raye groaned. But he was already swinging back with his sword, [Nyx]! "RAAAAAAHH!!!" WHOOSH¡ª Raye launched a wild horizontal slash aimed straight for Rowan''s neck! -URGH¡ª?! FWIP¡ª Rowan barely ducked in time to dodge it. But then¡ª BAM¡ª!!! Raye''s knee crashed into his face! -KUAAAGH¡­!!! Tap- tap- Rowan''s head snapped back up and he staggered back. And then, looking back at Raye again¡ª -''Fuck¡­!!'' His mind screamed. -''Why¡­?!'' Rowan asked in his head, confused. He knew he was stronger than Raye. He knew he landed more attacks throughout the first. He knew that his claws should be tearing this human apart. But instead¡ª -''WHY AM I GETTING PUSHED BACK BY THIS PEASANT?!!'' Rowan exclaimed in his head as annoyance slowly filled him. And that''s not all¡ª He''s noticing one more annoying thing¡ª -That fucking bastard... Rowan mumbled with a frown. -''He''s getting stronger as time passes by!'' And then he declared that internally! That''s right¡ª Raye was getting stronger! With every strike. With every movement. His dodges became sharper! His counters became faster! His blocks became flawless! Raye''s instincts¡ª They were evolving mid-battle! -''WHAT KIND OF A FREAK IS HE?!!'' Rowan frustratingly grumbled in his head. His pride was taking a hit. -''There''s just no way that he''s stronger than me¡­!!'' Rowan said to himself. -This filthy human can''t be¡ª!!! He exclaimed. And as he was in denial¡ª "SHUT UP!!!" BAM¡ª!!! Raye''s fist smashed into his face. -GRAAH¡ª!! Rowan roared, shaking off the hit. But before he could react¡ª SWISH¡ª!! Raye''s black sword came down like a guillotine! -Urgh...!? FWOOSH¡ª Rowan barely twisted his body, the blade skimming past his throat! -... Cold sweat dripped down his back. -''Shit¡­!!'' Rowan cursed, looking at his left side... His left hand was gone. And because of it¡ª -''If only I have it...!'' His balance was off. Rowan''s attacks weren''t as deadly now than before. He was¡ª WEAKER. And realizing that¡ª -GRHH¡­!!! Rowan clenched his teeth. -''NO¡­!!!'' -''NO, NO, NO, NO, NO¡ª!!!'' He repeatedly shouted in his head, he was turning crazy. -A MERE HUMAN WOULDN''T BEST ME!!! He shouted that. -''This isn''t happening!'' -''My pride wouldn''t allow it!'' He followed. And after that¡ª B O O M¡ª!!! S W O O O S H¡ª!!! A strong surge of demonic energy exploded from Rowan''s body! "Ugh...?!" WHOOSH¡ª The impact sent Raye flying backward! Fwish- Tap- He landed gently on the ground after performing a backflip. But¡ª As soon as his both feet touched the ground¡ª BAM! Rowan immediately dashed toward him! FWISH¡ª Rowan reached Raye in an instant! And with his red eyes locked onto Raye, with anger filling him up, with veins popping out of his head¡ª -DIEEEEE¡ª!!! FWOOSH¡ª Rowan lunged, his remaining claws slashing toward Raye''s throat¡ª SWISH-! Raye instinctively tilted his head, the sharp nails grazing his skin! But then, before he could recover his balance¡ª BAM! "UGHH?!!" Rowan''s knee smashed into his ribs, sending a shockwave of pain through his body! Then¡ª WHIP¡ª!!! BAM! Rowan''s wing snapped out, striking the side of Raye''s head like a steel bat! "GAH¡ª!!" Tap- Raye staggered, his vision spinning¡ª And before he could plant his feet¡ª B O O M¡ª! Rowan attacked again, and this time, his right foot slammed into Raye''s gut! "AHRGH!!!" FWOOSH¡ª Launching him violently backward! And yet¡ª TAP¡ª! Raye still landed on his feet! "Haa..aa...a" His breathing was ragged. And Rowan, well¡ª -... He wasn''t thinking of anything. He wasn''t calculating. And with an empty mind¡ª SWOOSH¡ª He dashed and attacked Raye again! SWISH¡ª And again! WHISH¡ª And again! BAM! Then when he got hit by Raye once more¡ª -GRAAHHHH!!! S W O O S H¡ª Rowan just ignored the pain and sent a counter! He was ignoring every attack now, he''s taking everything¡ª Except the kill! He''s fighting like a mindless beast... Just like RAYE!!! CLANG!! Rowan''s remaining claw met Raye''s sword once again. TANG!! They both pushed forward. SLASH!! Rowan''s claws cut into Raye''s arm. "urg..." Raye groaned, but he didn''t pay any attention on it. BAM!! Raye''s fist smashed into Rowan''s jaw. -keuk... Rowan groaned too, but he didn''t care about the damage he received. Tap- Tap- The two staggered back. They both bled. They both felt pain and exhaustion. But still¡ª "DIEEEE!!!" -GRAAAAAAHHHH!! Raye and Rowan kept moving! -HNGH!!! SWISH¡ª Rowan swung wildly. His claws aimed for Raye''s throat. But¡ª T I N G¡ª!!! "Ugh...!" Raye''s gauntlet blocked them! -SHIT¡ª!! Rowan''s eyes widened. And in that split second¡ª Raye countered. SLASH¡ª!!! A deep gash tore through Rowan''s torso. -KEUK¡ª!! But¡ª Even as blood sprayed from his body¡ª Even as the pain ripped through him¡ª Rowan grinned. -Heh... And then, widening his eyes at Raye¡ª BAM¡ª!!! Rowan headbutted Raye! "GUH¡ª!!" Crack¡ª Raye''s forehead split open. But¡ª Even as blood dripped down his face¡ª Even as his vision blurred¡ª Even as his body screamed in pain¡ª "RAAAAAAHHHHHH¡ª!!!" Raye didn''t stop. He couldn''t. Because his anger¡­ S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. His pure, raw, unfiltered anger¡ª Was all he had left. WHOOSH¡ª!!! Raye extended his left arm forward! BAM!!! Then his gauntlet smashed into Rowan''s face! CRACK¡ª Rowan''s nose snapped to the side! -KUGH¡­!! But even as he coughed out blood¡ª "HAAAH¡ª!!!" Rowan swung his claws again! SLASH!! A deep cut tore through Raye''s shoulder! But this time¡ª "..." Raye didn''t flinch! He didn''t even feel it anymore! His bloodshot eyes remained on Rowan. Because pain didn''t matter to him at this point. To Raye¡ª ''I''LL FUCKING KILL YOU!!!'' Only killing Rowan is in his head at the moment! Swoosh¡ª -Huh? Rowan was surprised seeing Raye still rush at him even after being cut. And not missing that split second¡ª S W I S H¡ª Raye brought down his sword, trying to cut in half Rowan vertically! -Gurgh! FWISH¡ª Rowan moved seeing that¡ª But¡ª He was too slow. SLASH¡ª!!! So his right wing got severed. -GGAAAAAAHHH!!! Rowan let out a monstrous roar. But Raye¡ª He didn''t stop there. FWIP¡ª He grabbed Rowan by the shoulders. "...!" And gritting his teeth in anger¡ª BAM! -GUGH?!! He punched Rowan in the head! BAM! BAM! BAM! Raye kept punching. SWOOSH¡ª He kept swinging his left fist covered in gauntlet. BAM! -UGH...?!! He kept hitting Rowan in the head. And Rowan¡ª -STOP!!! Was getting wrecked. BAM! -KEUK¡­! His knees buckled. He felt it now. He was losing. Even though he was stronger. Even though he landed more hits. Even though he should be winning. He was¡ª Losing. To Raye. -GHHH¡­!!! Rowan clenched his remaining fist. His pride was shattered. He needed¡ª To kill. This bastard. Right now. And so¡ª FWOOOSH¡ª!!! Rowan''s body blurred, getting out of Raye''s grasp! And then¡ª Fwish- He went for one last attack, appearing behind Raye! His last chance. His last kill. F W O O S H¡ª His claws aimed straight for Raye''s heart from the back. -DIE¡­!!! He shouted with pure malice. But then¡ª S L A S H¡ª Rowan''s vision suddenly tilted. Then he saw¡ª -Huh...? His own body. Standing. But¡ª It had no head. -...Ah? Rowan muttered in confusion. THUD¡ª And then his severed head hit the ground. BAM- His body collapsed too. And Rowan¡ª He was now dead. And standing above his body¡ª "Haaaa...haaa...huuu..." Was Raye. Drip- drip- His black sword dripping with crimson red demon blood. And his body¡ª "Urgh..." It was all battered. Broken. Bleeding. But¡ª His red eyes still burned. Still raged. Still wanted more. And then¡ª -Haha¡­ Clap- clap- clap- A slow clap echoed throughout the area. Steady. Mocking. Unhurried. And turning toward it¡ª It was the noble demon Smiling. And with a twisted grin on his face¡ª -Heh¡­ That was beautiful. He stated that. His deep voice carried amusement, laced with something dark. Tap¡ª The noble demon took a step forward. Swoosh~ His eyes gleamed under the flickering firelight, filled with nothing but delight. -Now then¡­ His tongue slowly ran over his lips, savoring the moment. The brutality. The rage. The carnage before him. Like a connoisseur appreciating fine art. Like a predator relishing the thrill of the hunt. Fwish¡ª He rolled his shoulders, cracking his neck with a satisfied hum. And after that¡ª -Shall we begin? The noble demon asked. Smooth and confident. And without saying anything to him¡ª Fwip¡ª Raye just took a fighting stance, pointing his sword at the enemy. "..." The fire in his eyes hadn''t died yet. Raye... He was still thirsty for revenge. And seeing that¡ª -Haha, this will be entertaining. The noble demon mumbled with a stupid grin on his face. Chapter 166 - 166: 166 - The Invasion! [13]—Boring. Back in the outdoor training ground, where the first attack of the demons started¡ª "[Graviton]" S W O O S H¡ª! -URGH...?! BOOM!!! The headmaster, Bryan, was still fighting the noble demon who had initiated the invasion. He had just sent the demon crashing into a wall again with his telekinesis magic. And opening his mouth¡ª "Where''s the bravado you had before?" Bryan asked that, looking toward the direction where he had sent the demon. Swoosh~ A massive dust cloud lingered there, covering his enemy. But then¡ª TAP- The demon stepped out of it. -... An angry expression twisted his face as he looked up at Bryan, who was hovering in the air with telekinesis magic. -''He''s playing with me...'' The demon thought. His eyes widened, bloodshot with fury. FWIP¡ª He clenched his hand so hard that his claws dug into his palm, blood dripping between his fingers. Drip- The noble demon couldn''t stand the fact that he was losing¡ªto a human at that. And that same human¡ª "I don''t know how you bastards got past the barrier, but I won''t let you succeed with your plans." ¡ªwas looking down on him. "I''ll kill every single one of you... Starting with you." Bryan declared that, cold eyes staring at the demon. And at his words¡ª -... The noble demon''s face twitched. Veins bulged across his forehead, his crimson eyes burning with pure, unfiltered rage. -A human... Is looking down on me? The demon asked in disbelief. His breathing turned erratic, his chest rising and falling as his entire body trembled. Then¡ª CRACK¡ª! The stone beneath his feet shattered as his claws tightened into a fist. FWOOM¡ª! A surge of dark energy erupted from his body, distorting the air around him. Crack- The ground quaked beneath him, cracks webbing out in all directions. And opening his mouth¡ª -YOU DARE?! The demon exclaimed that. His voice thundered, a furious snarl ripping through the battlefield. WHOOSH¡ª! His wings then spread wide, kicking up a storm of dust and debris as he bent his knees¡ª And in an instant¡ª BOOM!!! The demon launched himself straight at Bryan like a cannonball, his form a blur of black and red. -DIEEE¡ª!!! FWOOOOOSH¡ª! A violent streak of darkness followed his charge, his right claw slashing straight at Bryan''s head. But¡ª Before his attack could even get near his target¡ª TZZZT¡ª! Bryan vanished from his spot. -Wha¡ª!? The noble demon''s eyes widened seeing him gone¡ª Then the next thing he knew¡ª BANG¡ª!!! -Ugh?! An invisible force smashed into his side, sending him hurtling through the air! FWOOSH¡ª BOOM! BAM! -GAH!! He crashed into the ground, bouncing like a ragdoll before skidding to a stop. TAP¡ª! -...urgh... haaaa... Dust and rubble fell from the demon''s body as he slowly got up, his fangs grinding against each other. -keuk...! He spat out a wad of black blood. Swoosh~ The demon''s entire frame was trembling¡ª S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Not from pain. But from sheer, overwhelming fury. And as that was happening¡ª Fwoosh¡ª "..." Bryan just hovered above him, his arms crossed, his expression blank. Then¡ª "Is that all you have?" He asked that. -GRGH...!!! Making the demon''s blood boil again. Swish~ The demon''s vision turned red. His pride¡ªhis very existence¡ªwas being trampled on. And he would not stand for it. So¡ª -RAAAAAAGH¡ª!!! B O O M¡ª! The noble demon exploded in power. SWOOSH¡ª The air rippled. CRACK! The ground shattered. FWIP¡ª The noble demon''s muscles tensed as he crouched down. FWISH~ His wings spread wide, his claws twitching with unrelenting rage. SWAAAAA¡ª! His demonic energy roared around him, distorting the air with its sheer density. -... The demon locked his eyes on Bryan, ready to aggressively attack again. -''I''LL FUCKING MURDER YOU!!!'' But just as he was about to launch himself¡ª FWIP¡ª -Huh¡ª?! The demon''s entire body froze. A force¡ªunseen, untouchable, unstoppable¡ªrestrained him like an unbreakable rope. -''What is this?!'' His limbs wouldn''t move. His wings wouldn''t flap. Even his breathing stalled. -Fuck¡­!! The demon cursed, his voice came out in a strained whisper. -''STUPID FUCKING BODY!!! FUCKING MOVE!!!'' His mind screamed at his body to move. But¡ª -HNRGH...!! Still nothing. Then, at that moment¡ª FWOOOSH¡ª Bryan descended from above. Tap- He gently landed in front of the unmoving demon. "..." His sharp, emotionless gaze pierced into the demon, his presence towering¡ªimmovable. And then¡ª "Let me show you¡­" Bryan mumbled, lifting a single hand. And at his gesture¡ª Fwoosh~ -Huh??? The demon''s body rose, floating helplessly like a mere ragdoll about a meter above the ground! "¡­the clear difference between our power." Then Bryan finished his sentence. His voice was calm. But in that calmness¡ªwas something terrifying. -?! The noble demon''s eyes widened in pure, unfiltered dread. And as his body was still restrained¡ª -GH¡ª!? B A M ¡ª!!! Bryan slammed him into the ground¡ªHARD! CRACK¡ª! The earth ruptured. F W O O S H¡ª!! A shockwave tore through the battlefield, cracks spreading out like a spiderweb. And before that even settles¡ª Swoosh~ The demon was lifted again¡ª B A M ¡ª!!! And was slammed down even harder by Bryan''s telekinesis! B A M¡ª!!! Again. B A M¡ª!!! And again. B A M¡ª!!! And again! The demon''s body bounced like a toy as Bryan smashed him into the ground with terrifying precision. B A M¡ª!!! The force behind each impact buried him deeper and deeper. CRACK¡ª POP¡ª! The demon''s bones cracked. His vision blurred. B A M¡ª!!! -GRRRGH...!!! His mouth opened, but no sound came out¡ªonly a choked gasp. B A M¡ª!!! It wasn''t stopping. -GRAAAAAA¡ª!!! The noble demon screamed in pain. S W O O S H¡ª His demonic energy flared, trying to resist¡ª But it was useless. B A M¡ª!!! -GAARGH!!! Bryan''s telekinesis was absolute. "What''s wrong?" Bryan''s voice cut through the chaos¡ªcalm, emotionless. "Didn''t you say you''d kill me?" He said. His hand tightened. And this time of being slammed¡ª B O O M ¡ª!!! The noble demon was driven so deep into the ground that the earth caved in. FWOOSH~ Dust and debris shot into the sky. Everything went still. "..." Bryan stopped his magic, and a crater appeared in front of him. And in the middle of that massive crater¡ª -Ha..aaa..aa... The noble demon lay motionless. -ugh... Twitching. -huf..f... Gasping. He was even struggling to move. Fwish- "..." Bryan slowly lowered his hand. His piercing eyes gazed down at the broken demon. And opening his mouth¡ª "Pathetic." Bryan muttered that. His voice was monotone¡ªemotionless. Bryan''s cold gaze remained fixed on the broken demon lying in the crater. FWIP¡ª Then with a slight upward motion of his pointer finger¡ª FWOOSH¡ª The demon''s battered body rose into the air once more, completely under Bryan''s control. The demon hung there, suspended like a puppet with its strings cut¡ª Yet still alive. Still breathing. Still aware. But utterly helpless. -¡­ The noble demon didn''t speak. His lips trembled. His fingers twitched. His body desperately tried to move¡ªto fight back. But no matter how much rage filled his being¡ª No matter how much his demonic energy screamed to retaliate¡ª -''fuck...!'' He couldn''t. FWISH¡ª Bryan pulled the demon in to him. Closer. Until the demon''s bloodied face was inches from his own. And then¡ª -... "..." They stared at each other. -''I''LL MURDER YOU!!!'' The demon''s bloodshot eyes¡ªburning with hatred, with fury, with pure unrelenting anger. On the other hand¡ª Bryan''s eyes¡ª "..." Were cold. Unfeeling. And empty. Fwip- Bryan then raised his right hand¡ª And following that¡ª CLAMP¡ª! His fingers wrapped around the demon''s throat. -...?! Squeezing. Holding him in an unbreakable grip. -kek...! The noble demon gurgled¡ªbut he didn''t beg. He didn''t plead. He just glared at Bryan. Burning with every last ounce of defiance he had left. And Bryan¡ª "..." He didn''t care. He leaned in slightly toward the demon¡ª And in a voice devoid of emotion... He opened his mouth¡ª "Die." Bryan said that. FWIP¡ª!!! The air then distorted. And following that¡ª SNAP¡ª!!! An unseen force twisted the demon''s head violently, making him look in the opposite direction where his body was facing! His neck was shattered! His head wrenched completely to the back! But Bryan wasn''t done there. Fwip- And with a gesture of his finger again¡ª POP¡ª!!! The entire head of the demon was ripped off from his neck! SPLASH¡ª!! Blood sprayed everywhere! It gushed, drenching the surroundings in deep, crimson rain. But despite that¡ª "¡­" Bryan didn''t move. He didn''t react. He simply just stood there. Silent. Expressionless. Holding the demon''s neck without a head, watching as blood still dripped from its lifeless body. And then, after a while¡ª FWISH¡ª THUD! He just tossed the body aside. Discarding it like trash. The noble demon was dead. And Bryan¡ª TAP¡ª He didn''t even spare him a second glance. He just started walking away. "Hmm... That was boring." Bryan mumbled, a slight frown on his face. And then, looking around¡ª BOOM! BAM! -KEKEKEKEKE!!! "KYAAAA!!!" "AHHH!!! STOP!!!" Bryan saw the chaos ensuring. And looking at that¡ª "I should probably finish this up now." Bryan mumbled that. SWOOOSH¡ª! Then he flew up again. And looking down on the whole outdoor training ground¡ª Bryan parted his lips¡ª And with cold eyes gazing down¡ª "[King''s Descent]" He muttered that. S W O O O O O O S H¡ª!!!!! Chapter 167 - 167: 167 - The Invasion! [14]—In The Town With cold eyes gazing down at the ground¡ª "[King''s Descent]" Bryan mumbled that. And as soon as he did¡ª S W O O O O O O S H¡ª!!!!! A powerful telekinetic force crashed down onto the outdoor training ground! -KEK?! -H-HUH?! WHAT''S THIS?! URGH!!! -GAH?! WHAT THE FUCK?!! -GURGH?!!! It pressed down on the demons and monsters¡ªall of them! Then, with the telekinesis crashing down on them¡ª B A M! Some of the demons and monsters were forced to their knees, their bodies trembling under the immense pressure! And the others¡ª S L A M! They were smashed face-first into the ground! Their bodies twitched. -URGH...?! -GAH!! -W-WHAT''S THIS...?!! They tried to struggle¡ª But¡ª F W O O O O O S H¡ª!!!!! -UGH!!! They couldn''t move! The telekinetic force pinning them down was too strong! It was an overwhelming weight, like an unseen mountain pressing down on them! -KIEEEEE¡ª!!! SPLASH¡ª! Some of the weaker monsters were crushed to death under the sheer force! Their bodies burst apart like insects caught under a giant''s hand! And seeing that happen¡ª "W-What the hell?!" "What is happening?!" "This is insane¡­!" The students were stunned, their eyes wide, their faces frozen in shock as they took in the overwhelming power before them. And despite being in the same area as the demons and monsters¡ª F W O O O S H¡ª!!! The students felt nothing. The headmaster''s spell wasn''t affecting them! Bryan had deliberately controlled his magic to only target the enemies! Then soon¡ª "It''s coming from above!" "Look, it''s the headmaster! We''re saved!" "Ahhhh...! Thank you, headmaster!" The students gasped as they saw Bryan floating in the air, his form silhouetted against the sky. The realization hit all of them at once¡ªthis was all his doing. "...!" A wave of relief washed over them. "...I knew the Headmaster was strong, but this? This is on another level..." One student mumbled, looking up at Bryan with awe and admiration. Fwip¡ª Then, another student clenched his fists, his face heating up in excitement. "He''s crushing them all like they''re nothing..." He mumbled under his breath. Tap- tap- Some students even staggered back, feeling the sheer weight of Bryan''s power. "...This is the strength of a true monster." One of them whispered, his voice barely audible. F W O O O O S H¡ª!!!! The entire battlefield trembled under Bryan''s absolute control. And knowing that¡ª "The others will do the rest." Bryan casually said that. Because he knew. From the beginning¡ª He could have done this. He could have restrained all the enemies in one go! But¡ª The noble demon. The noble demon from before could probably still move under this wide-area spell. ''He wasn''t that weak, after all.'' And because Bryan needed to focus and remain still while casting [King''s Descent]¡ª ''I decided to kill that nuisance first.'' Bryan casually thought. Then, looking down again¡ª B Z O O O M¡ª!! S L A S H¡ª! B A M¡ª!!! Bryan saw them. Sariel, Ramiel, and Charles. They were slaughtering the unmoving demons and monsters one by one, moving at a terrifying speed. SWISH¡ª The staff members from the other academies were doing the same¡ª S W O O S H¡ª! Even the students¡ª They started fighting too! Taking advantage of the situation, they attacked the weaker monsters, finishing them off! And seeing that¡ª "Hmm, I''ll be done here soon." Bryan muttered that. And then¡ª Fwish¡ª His head turned toward the direction of the town. And with eyes void of emotions¡ª "You''re next." Bryan declared that! Swoosh~ A cold wind brushed past his face. ... ***** On the other hand¡ª In the town¡ª Fwip¡ª "..." Raye once again took a fighting stance. SHIING¡ª The tip of his blade, [Nyx], was pointed at the noble demon. -... The demon stood a few meters away, his posture relaxed, his expression unreadable. Fwish¡ª "¡­?" Raye narrowed his eyes as he noticed the demon glance toward the direction of the outdoor training ground. The same place he had come from earlier. -Heh¡­ The noble demon smirked. "..." But Raye paid no attention to that. And instead¡ª "..." He took a moment to assess his condition. ''I''m beat.'' Raye admitted in his head. His left arm was broken, his skull cracked. His shoulders felt like they could give out at any moment. Most of his ribs were snapped, his organs battered. And his body¡ª Covered in wounds, both big and small. Blood dripped, staining the ground beneath him. "..." Raye could barely see. He could barely feel anything. He was even barely conscious. But still¡ª ''I''m going to kill this guy too...'' Swoosh¡ª! His anger remained. Alive. Burning. Unshaken. And sensing his murderous intent¡ª -Hmm? The noble demon turned back to Raye. And with a smile¡ª -Ah, pardon me for being distracted. He said that. "Fuck you." Raye immediately responded. -¡­ Silence. The noble demon''s lips twitched, hearing that. Anyway, changing the topic¡ª -You have a very nice weapon, by the way. So nostalgic¡­ The noble demon stated that, his gaze lingering on [Nyx]. "¡­? What?" Raye frowned, confusion written all over his face. -Well¡ª The noble demon opened his mouth again, about to explain. But at that moment¡ª "Shut up, I''m not really asking for your answer." Raye cut him off. "Aren''t we supposed to fight? Bring it on, fucker." He added, his voice laced with irritation. -¡­ The demon fell silent again. He was speechless. -''He''s more annoying than I thought.'' The noble demon thought, keeping his fake smile as he observed Raye. And then, opening his mouth¡ª -Then, why don''t you attack first? He suggested that to Raye. And without even responding¡ª BAM¡ª! Raye kicked off the ground! FWOOSH¡ª!! He closed the distance between him and the demon in a split second! And with [Nyx] gripped tightly in his right hand¡ª SWISH¡ª Raye slashed down diagonally from the top-right! But¡ª TING¡ª! The demon stopped it. With his bare left hand! -Wow, you''re really feisty¡­ He mumbled in mock admiration, the edge of Raye''s blade just inches away from his neck. -Too bad that didn''t hit, huh? The demon smirked. But just looking at him¡ª "¡­" Raye smiled too. -¡­? The demon''s brows furrowed. He thought Raye had lost it. But then¡ª Phuck- A sharp sting in his stomach! -Huh? And when the demon looked down¡ª -?! He saw an elegant white dagger stabbed into his gut! Not deep¡ª But enough to hurt. The demon had let his guard down too much. He thought Raye was done for. Then immediately¡ª BAM! "URGH¡­!" The demon punched Raye in the nose with his right fist and sent him flying backward! Thud¡ª Raye crashed a few meters away. "Ugh¡­" He weakly groaned. His nose was broken. But still, even with his shitty condition¡ª "Fuck¡­!" TAP¡ª Raye stood up! And once more¡ª FWIP¡ª He took a fighting stance, glaring at the demon! -Ugh, right¡­ That shit has that function¡­ The noble demon muttered. His gaze shifted toward the white dagger in Raye''s left hand. It was a gauntlet just seconds ago. -''It''s been so long that I forgot.'' The demon thought. Then¡ª -¡­ Looking at Raye again. Fwish¡ª The demon spread his wings. -I guess you''re a dangerous toy, even when broken, huh¡­ He muttered. His twisted grin widened. ¡­He was getting turned on by this! "...?" A shiver ran down Raye''s spine. (What a fucking weirdo¡­) ''What a fucking weirdo...'' Raye thought. Fwish¡ª Then he shook his head. He decided to just not think about whatever weird thing the demon did. And with that¡ª BAM¡ª! He dashed off again! "Keuk...!" His body screamed in pain with every movement, but he ignored it. "..." Raye squinted his half-blind eyes, he focused his sight on the demon¡ª But all he could see was a blur. Then in just a second¡ª Fwoosh¡ª Raye got near the demon! -Huh? And the moment he reached him¡ª FWISH¡ª! Raye swung [Nyx]! A horizontal slash¡ª! But casually¡ª -...? The demon just tilted his head. Fwoosh- And he dodged the attack. But responding to that¡ª SWISH¡ª! Raye twisted his body, slashing upward! And this time¡ª Tap- The demon stepped back. Fwish- And Raye''s blade barely missed him. WHOOSH¡ª! Raye swung again! -Hmm... Fwip- But the demon leaned to the side. Whish- And it was dodged again. "Gurgh...!" Raye gritted his teeth! And then¡ª "HAAAH¡ª!!" S W I S H¡ª! He brought [Nyx] down! Raye poured it his all in this vertical slash¡ª! ... But right before it could hit¡ª TAP¡ª The demon lightly tapped the side of Raye''s blade. And just like that¡ª BAM¡ª! Raye''s attack veered off track and hit only the ground! "Tch¡ª!" His stance broke. And at that moment¡ª BAM¡ª! A fist hit his cheek. "Kuh¡ª!" Raye''s head snapped back! BAM¡ª! Then he received another punch. To his jaw. "Guh¡ª!!" Tap- tap- sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. His body staggered. BAM¡ª! And then a strike to his temple! "GAH?!!" Raye''s mind spun. But it was clear¡ª ''FUCK YOU...!'' The demon was toying with him. His attacks weren''t too strong. They weren''t too weak either. BAM¡ª! They were just enough to hurt the injured Raye! But every punch was getting heavier than the last one! "Grah¡ª!" Blood spit out of Raye''s mouth! BAM¡ª! And then he was hit again! It was stronger than the last! "Urgh...?!" Raye''s head snapped back again. He couldn''t move, dodge, or even block! His body was at its limit! His vision blurred more. His body swayed. And then¡ª FWIP¡ª The demon raised his fist. The next one was coming¡ª! But instead of despairing¡ª "...!" Raye widened his eyes, focusing on the demon''s raised hand! He still hadn''t given up! FWOOSH¡ª! The demon launched another punch! And at that moment¡ª Fwish¡ª Raye tilted his head to the side and avoided it! "Hah!" Raye let out a laugh while smiling, a lot of saliva and blood splurted out of his mouth. -...? The demon was just surprised that Raye was still able to dodge. But when he saw Raye''s saliva and blood hit his fancy black and red suit¡ª -Bruh... A disgusted frown appeared on his face. Bam-! And then he was punched in the right cheek by Raye! Chapter 168 - 168: 168 - The Invasion! [15]—BANG! BAM¡ª! The noble demon took a punch to the face from Raye! Though¡ª -... Huh...? He barely felt it. It was so weak it might as well have been a breeze. Raye''s body was wrecked. He was so exhausted that he couldn''t even muster a fraction of his real strength. "Keuk... shit..." Raye gritted his teeth, frustration boiling inside him. The demon didn''t even flinch. And at that moment¡ª BAM! "GAHHK¡ª!!" A vicious kick. Right to his stomach! FWOOSH¡ª! Raye''s body launched backward! BOOM¡ª! He crashed onto the ground¡ª THUD! He bounced once before falling flat on his back. "Urgh..." A pained groan escaped him. His lungs burned. His stomach churned. But still¡ª Raye tried to get up. "...grrgg...!" His fingers dug into the ground, pushing himself up. And seeing that¡ª -Pfft... The noble demon grinned with a soft laugh. -I guess you''re really done now. His eyes turned crescent, a malicious gleam in them. -Too bad. You look like a really interesting toy... He added, his voice laced with amusement. But not paying attention to him¡ª "Urgh...! Gah...!" Tap¡ª Raye stood up again. "Huff... huff... haaaa... haaa..." His whole body trembled. His legs shook, barely holding him up. They were about to collapse. "Ugh..." Raye''s chest ached. His head pounded. His entire body was screaming in pain. But still¡ª He wasn''t done yet. "Huff... huff..." Raye''s breath was ragged. His body was screaming, begging him to stop. Though¡ª ''I''ll fucking kill you...!'' His rage burned stronger than his pain. Fwish- "..." Raye lifted his head, his fierce, unfaltering eyes locking onto the noble demon again. All he could see was the blurred silhouette of the noble demon. But still¡ª "Fuuuu..." Fwip- Raye still lifted [Nyx] and pointed it at his enemy. And in return¡ª -Hah... The noble demon smirked. -You''re really stubborn, aren''t you? He tilted his head, amused. He''s smiling ear to ear. -Look at yourself, barely standing. Broken. Weak. He chuckled. -And yet, you still glare at me like you stand a chance. The noble demon''s voice was full of mockery. Then, responding to him¡ª "...Hah." Raye let out a weak scoff. And then¡ª "Can''t you just shut up?" He raised his head a bit higher, saying that! "You''re talking too much. Come at me already, fucking noisy bastard." Raye declared. Your adventure continues at My Virtual Library Empire His voice was hoarse. But his mocking tone was unmistakable! And hearing his words¡ª -... The noble demon became silent. His smirk twitched. A glint of irritation flickered in his eyes. -''This human¡ª'' -''Even now, he still dared to act tough?!'' The demon exclaimed in his head, looking at Raye like he was some kind of a toy. And then¡ª -Hahaha... A low laugh escaped his mouth. And following that¡ª -HAHAHAHAHA!!! His shoulders shook as he laughed louder. Fwish- His wings slightly spreading. And the next moment¡ª -Ha... The demon''s laughter stopped. His grin sharpened. And with a deep, venomous voice¡ª -YOU ASKED FOR IT. The noble demon loudly muttered that¡ª BAM¡ª! And he kicked off the ground! FWOOSH¡ª!!! The demon charged at Raye! "...!" Raye''s eyes widened. He felt it¡ª The demon''s presence closing in fast! And so¡ª With his beaten, battered body¡ª F W O O S H¡ª! Raye thrust his sword forward! "Gugh...!!" He gritted his teeth through the pain! At this point¡ª Raye couldn''t even follow the demon''s movements anymore. He was too fast. Too overwhelming. But¡ª That didn''t matter. Raye didn''t need to see. He just had to feel it. And guess the timing. And his guess¡ª FWOOSH¡ª It was perfectly on spot! The tip of his blade shot forward straight at the noble demon''s face¡ª -?! The demon''s eyes slightly widened. And for a moment¡ª He just stared at the cold, gleaming edge of [Nyx] that was just a few inches away from stabbing him. And then¡ª -Heh. The demon''s lips curled. -''This one is really interesting.'' He thought. Despite his injuries, despite his exhaustion¡ª Raye still refused to break. He still fought back. But because of his exhaustion and the state of his body... The noble demon didn''t actually consider this attack of him as a real threat. And easily¡ª FWISH¡ª! With just a slight tilt of his neck, the demon dodged Raye''s sword! And following that¡ª TAP¡ª The demon took another step forward. Now¡ª He was standing right in front of Raye! Close. Too close. S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. And with the claws on his left hand tensed¡ª -''Play time is over.'' The demon declared that in his head. PHUCK¡ª! And then he stabbed Raye in the stomach! SHIIICK¡ª!! The demon''s claws pierced deep, sinking into Raye''s flesh¡ª "GAH¡ª!!" Blood splattered onto the ground beneath them as¡ª "Guhk...!" Raye coughed out blood. His vision blurred, the edges darkening. He could feel it¡ª His body weakening. He was at his limit. And at that moment¡ª -Goodbye. The demon whispered in Raye''s ear, his lips curling into a twisted smile. But with a weak smile¡ª "...shut up..." Raye responded. His voice was faint¡ª Yet his eyes were still burning with life! And at that moment¡ª FWIP¡ª! Raye suddenly wrapped his right arm behind the demon''s neck¡ª -Huh?! And PULLED HIM CLOSER! The demon''s eyes widened in surprise. But before he could even react¡ª F W O O O O O S H¡ª!!! Raye thrust the elegant dagger in his left hand! (It was [Celestria].) And just before it could hit¡ª "[Blaze...!]" Raye muttered that. And then¡ª SWAAAAAAA¡ª!!! PHUCK¡ª!!! He stabbed the noble demon deep in the stomach¡ª With a flaming white dagger! SIZZLE¡ª!!! The searing heat burned through flesh of the demon! And feeling his attack go in¡ª "How does it feel now to have a hole in your stomach?" Raye asked that while grinning, his voice dripping with amusement. "Not fun, right?" Blood dripped down the corner of his lips. He was pissed off¡ª Two noble demons had stabbed him in the stomach with their claws on the same damn day. (This was his revenge.) Anyway, with Raye''s dagger deep in his stomach, burning¡ª -URGH...?!! The noble demon groaned in pain. His eyes widened, realization striking him like lightning. Drip¡ª A single drop of dark crimson blood fell from his lips. Disbelief washed over him. -THIS...!! And then¡ª In pure anger¡ª -FUCKING BASTARD!!! BAM!!! He swung his fist and punched Raye in the face! CRASH¡ª!!! Raye was flung away once more! B O O M!!! "GAH¡ª!!!" He slammed into a wall! His back buried deep into the shattered stone. "KEUK...!!" Raye coughed out a huge chunk of dark red blood. Drip¡ª Drip¡ª Blood poured from his wounds, staining the cracked ground beneath him red. His body twitched¡ª But barely. His breathing¡ª "ha.a..h.aa...ha..aa...a..a." It was Ragged. Uneven. Weak. And his vision¡ª ''I.. can''t... see...'' Dark. Blurry. Distant. His mind¡ª ''I... need.. to... stand...'' It was slowly fading. But even with all of this¡ª "...!" Raye''s eyes were open. He was still glaring toward the direction of the noble demon. Even as the light vanished from his gaze. Even as his consciousness slipped away. Even as his body refused to move. "..kill... you..." Raye didn''t let go of his anger¡ª Fwip¡ª And his weapons. Drip¡ª More blood seeped from the massive hole in Raye''s stomach. It wasn''t stopping. He was losing too much blood. His body¡ª Broken. His bones¡ª Almost all of it was shattered. His flesh¡ª It was torn apart from being beat up. His insides¡ª It was almost turned upside down. And yet¡ª "...fuc..k..." Raye''s anger was still alive. And seeing that¡ª -Ugh... The noble demon let out a low groan. His face twisted in annoyance. Fwish- He lowered his gaze, looking down at himself. His fancy red suit¡ª It was torn. His flesh was still burning too. The gaping hole in his stomach was still searing with pain. His flesh was charred, still smoldering. The wound¡ª It wasn''t healing fast enough. -Urgh... And that pissed the noble demon off. -Grrgh! He gritted his teeth. And then, looking back ahead¡ª "..ha..a.a...aa..." He saw Raye. Still standing. Barely. -...Haha. The demon softly laughed... But he was really annoyed at Raye. And wanting to end this annoyance of his¡ª B A M¡ª! The demon rushed toward Raye again! His eyes were blood-red in anger! FWOOSH¡ª "..." Raye doesn''t know that the demon was coming at him. And even if he does know¡ª ''Ah... I''m dead...'' He can''t move his body anymore! And so¡ª -DIEEEE¡ª!! S W O O O S H¡ª!!! The demon dashed toward him confidently! He was planning to end Raye there and then! He was planning to brutally pluck out Raye''s head off his body! But then... Just as he was about to reach Raye¡ª "[BANG!!!]" The noble demon heard that above him. -Huh? He looked up. And the next thing he knew¡ª F W O O O S H¡ª!!! He saw a massive pillar of fire, rotating violently¡ª Coming straight at him! -?! The demon''s eyes widened at that sight. And instinctively¡ª BAM-! He kicked back to avoid it! B O O O M¡ª!! A loud explosion occurred when the fire hit the ground. SWOOOOSH¡ª Dust and debris flew everywhere! CRACK¡ª A deep hole appeared on the ground too, like a crater of a volcano! And seeing that¡ª -''That''s a strong spell, I would''ve lost at least an arm from that...'' The demon declared that in his head, a frown appearing on his face. Fwish- Then, looking back up again to see who launched that attack¡ª -Who are you? The noble demon saw a young lady. "..." She has beautiful purple hair and violet eyes. She was glaring at him. And opening her mouth¡ª "[SUMMON!!!]" Jerusha exclaimed that. Chapter 169 - 169: 169 - Rest... "[SUMMON!!!]" Jerusha''s voice rang through the battlefield, filled with desperation and determination. And the moment those words left her lips¡ª F W O O O O S H¡ª!!! A colossal eruption of mana burst from her body, shaking the very air itself! -Wha¡ª?! The noble demon''s eyes widened. He felt it. The sheer pressure of Jerusha''s mana pressed down on him like an overwhelming force¡ª It was strong. Stronger than he had expected! -''This is coming from a student?!'' Confusion flashed across the demon''s face. And before he could even react¡ª S W O O O S H¡ª!!! A powerful gust of wind surged across the battlefield! And from within the swirling energy¡ª F W I S H¡ª! Your next journey awaits at My Virtual Library Empire Spirits emerged! sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. -GRRRRAAAHH¡ª!!! -Time to roll! -Ah, action after so long¡ªfinally! Countless voices echoed through the air. -Huh¡­?! The noble demon''s gaze darted around¡ª He was slowly being surrounded from every direction by spirits! And then¡ª A sinister hiss. -SSSSSSTTT¡­ A massive serpentine creature slithered into view! Its entire body was composed of crystal-clear water, flowing and shifting like a river, but its presence was anything but gentle. Sharp sapphire eyes gleamed with intelligence as they locked onto the demon. -A demon, huh¡­? SSSTTT¡ª Its voice was deep, reverberating through the air like the crashing of waves. And another one¡ª -GRRRRRR¡­! BOOM¡ª The ground trembled. A towering stone golem stood tall, its moss-covered body cracked and aged, yet brimming with power. Golden veins of energy pulsed through its hardened limbs, radiating strength. SWISH¡ª -I''M READY TO ROCK THIS FIGHT!!! It raised a massive fist, standing firm like an immovable mountain. Then¡ª SWAAA~! A flicker of flames. And from it¡ª -KIEEEE¡ª!! A fiery bird burst forth! SWOOSH¡ª! It soared high above, its wings ablaze with red and orange flames, leaving a trail of embers as it circled the demon. Its piercing eyes burned with fury. -I''m already fired up. It crackled, its voice carrying the heat of a raging inferno. These three¡ª They were the strongest High-Rank elemental spirits that were contracted to Jerusha! And then, finally¡ª F W O O O S H¡ª!!! A powerful gust of wind erupted once more. And from it¡ª FWIP¡ª A majestic figure descended. Then with radiant white feathers and piercing golden eyes¡ª -GRAAAAAHHHH¡ª!! A Griffin emerged! SWOOSH~! SHIICK¡ª His wings flared wide, his talons gleaming like sharpened steel. -?! The noble demon''s gaze snapped to the creature, his eyes widening. And staring back at him¡ª -It''s been a while since I fought a demon. The Griffin¡ª Phobos. THUD¡ª He landed with a forceful impact, the ground beneath him shaking under his weight. His golden eyes locked onto the noble demon¡ª Burning with unforgiving fury. Then, opening his sharp beak¡ª -I won''t be showing you mercy. Phobos declared that! His voice was deep and commanding! -Ugh, what a pain... The noble demon grumbled, his expression twisting in annoyance as he scanned his surroundings. Everywhere he looked¡ª There were spirits. Dozens of them. Their numbers easily exceeded thirty, and each one radiated an overwhelming amount of mana. Even he, a noble demon, couldn''t ignore their power. -''So... What should I do now?'' The demon asked in his head. But before he could even formulate a plan¡ª While she was hovering in the air¡ª "ATTACK!!!" Jerusha exclaimed that! Her voice boomed across the battlefield! And at her command¡ª S W O O O S H¡ª!!! A violent storm of energy erupted! Then¡ª -DIE! -KIEEEEE! -SSSSSTTT¡ª!!! -GRAAAAAHHHH!!! B O O O O M¡ª!!! Phobos and all the other spirits charged at the noble demon at once! -SHIT...! The demon cursed, his frustration bubbling. And with no other choice¡ª -FUCK OFF¡ª!!! S W I S H¡ª!!! His body blurred, charging at the spirits too! And in an instant¡ª BAM! The battle began. FWAAAAA¡ª!!! A torrent of water came crashing down toward the demon from above! -SSSSTTT~! The serpentine spirit coiled mid-air, its translucent body undulating like a tidal wave. And then¡ª WHOOSH¡ª!!! It surged downward, aiming to slam into the demon with the full force of a raging current! But¡ª FWIP¡ª!! With a sharp twist of his body, the noble demon sidestepped, narrowly avoiding the impact! SPLAAAAASH¡ª!!! The water serpent crashed into the ground instead¡ª BOOM¡ª!!! The sheer force of the impact sent shards of rock and debris flying, leaving behind a deep crater where the demon had just been standing! And then¡ª SWISH¡ª! A razor-sharp gust of wind cut through the air¡ª It was Phobos'' talons! WHOOSH¡ª! They came swooping down at blinding speed, aiming straight for the demon''s chest while he was mid-air! And seeing that¡ª -Ugh... FWOOSH¡ª!!! The demon opened his wings¡ª FWAP¡ª! ¡ªThen flapped them powerfully, thrusting himself backward! FWISH¡ª The demon narrowly evaded Phobos'' deadly strike! SHICK! The talons actually scraped past his chest. And as a response to that¡ª -Tch...! BAM¡ª!!! The demon thrust his right arm forward, sending a powerful shockwave of demonic energy straight at Phobos'' body! WHOOSH¡ª The Griffin just flew up and avoided it, unfazed. And following that¡ª BOOM¡ª! -GRAAAHHH!!! The stone golem lunged forward, its massive fist coming down like a meteor! A direct hit from it would surely shatter anyone''s bones. But¡ª SWOOSH¡ª! The demon flew sideways, just narrowly avoiding it! BAM¡ª!! The ground ruptured when the golem''s fist hit it, sending debris flying in all directions! And at the same time¡ª SWAAAAAA¡ª!!! A pillar of fire suddenly erupted from behind the demon! The fiery bird had unleashed a hellish blaze¡ª The heat was enough to melt stone! -Fuck...! The noble demon clicked his tongue, realizing he was now caught between the golem and the flames! But¡ª His expression didn''t waver. Instead¡ª SWISH¡ª!!! He flapped his wings hard and shot upward! The pillar of fire didn''t reach the demon, and now, he''s out from the golem''s range! Though¡ª These four spirits aren''t the only one gunning for him. And at that moment¡ª SWISH¡ª! WHOOSH¡ª FWOOSH¡ª!! Dozens of elemental projectiles rained down from every direction, all targeted toward the noble demon! Ice lances, fireballs, lightning bolts, wind blades! Every single spirit there unleashed their strongest skills! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! Explosions rocked the battlefield! SWAAAAAAAAA~!!! Dust and smoke filled the air! And for a moment¡ª ... Everything was obscured! But then¡ª FWIP¡ª!!! A shadow shot through the smoke, unscathed. And that shadow¡ª -Is that all...? ¡ªWas the noble demon! He stood tall, looking around with a playful smirk on his face. His clothes were torn, his skin slightly burned, but¡ª His arrogance remained! He had dodged and deflected every attack! And shrugging his shoulders¡ª -''These guys are so predictable... Fighting that kid in his full strength would''ve been more fun than fighting these bastard spirits.'' The noble demon declared that internally, pertaining to Raye! -Though, I could deal with this... Then he mumbled that, grinning ear to ear. ... ***** Meanwhile, as the spirits clashed against the noble demon, keeping him occupied¡ª FWOOSH~ A gust of wind followed as Jerusha soared through the air, rushing toward Raye''s location. "Raye!" She called out, urgency laced in her voice. TAP¡ª And upon landing in front of him¡ª Gasp! Her breath caught in her throat. "...!" Her eyes widened, her mouth slightly agape¡ª She froze in place. The sight before her was far worse than she had imagined. Raye''s body was a broken mess. A gaping hole in his stomach, blood endlessly seeping out¡ª Deep, brutal gashes and slashes covered every inch of his body. Some of his bones jutted out from beneath torn flesh, others were bent in unnatural angles¡ª His arms, his legs¡ª Almost every joint was dislocated. His own blood drenched him, pooling beneath him in a sickening crimson. And then, lastly¡ª "...!" Jerusha''s breath trembled. Her gaze locked onto Raye''s eyes¡­ His once fiery, defiant gaze¡ª Now dull. Unfocused. Almost lifeless. Like he wasn''t even there anymore. Drip¡­ A tear slipped from Jerusha''s eye. She clenched her fists. Her vision blurred. Seeing Raye like this¡ª "..." Her chest tightened. Her entire body shook. "Raye!" Jerusha called out, her voice trembling with urgency. No response. She rushed toward him, her heart pounding in her chest¡ª THUD¡ª She dropped to her knees beside him and wrapped her arms around him, holding him gently but firmly. And just then¡ª A weak sound. "...huh...? w..ho...?" Raye''s voice barely came out, hoarse, dry, and shattered¡ª His lips cracked, his throat strained from all the blood he had lost. "It''s me, Jerusha!" Jerusha exclaimed, leaning closer, her eyes desperately searching his. "...hm..?" Raye barely heard her¡ª But that voice¡­ He recognized it. Slowly, a faint, weak smile formed on his face. His head tilted up, eyes hazy yet soft¡ª "I''m... glad... you''re o...kay..." He mumbled those words, his lips curling into the smallest smile. "Ah..." Jerusha''s breath hitched. But then¡ª Something flashed in Raye''s fading consciousness. The noble demon. His half-lidded eyes sharpened ever so slightly. His weak fingers twitched. And then¡ª "The... de..mon..." Raye muttered, forcing his battered body to move. His muscles screamed. His bones felt like they would snap apart at any moment. His wounds tore further open. And realizing what was happening¡ª "STOP!" Jerusha gripped his shoulders, her voice filled with desperation. "I''m already taking care of it! You can rest now!" She pleaded with him¡ª Trying to calm him down. And hearing those words¡ª "Oh... is... that so..." Raye whispered, his body relaxing slightly. But his heart¡ª His soul¡ª Still burned with frustration. "The... old man... and... the ot..hers..." His voice wavered. He couldn''t fight anymore. He couldn''t protect them. He failed. But then¡ª Something unexpected. Something that changed everything. "They''re fine!" Jerusha exclaimed, her voice filled with warmth. "They''re not dead! They''re safe now!" "...!" Raye''s dull, lifeless eyes widened. A sharp breath escaped his lips¡ª And then¡ª "Hah..." A weak, breathy laugh. A small, trembling smile. His teary eyes glistened. Relief washed over him like a gentle wave. His head tilted slightly¡ª And with all the strength he had left¡ª "Thank... you..." Raye whispered, his voice filled with genuine gratitude. Tears welled up in Jerusha''s eyes. "Ah! No! It''s nothing!" She quickly shook her head, flustered. But Raye¡ª He didn''t hear her anymore. Because in that moment¡ª ''They''re alive...'' That was his last thought. That one truth filled his heart. A final, peaceful smile spread across his lips. And then¡ª "..." He lost consciousness. "Ah..." "RAYE!!!" Jerusha cried out, her hands gripping him tightly¡ª As his body went completely limp. Chapter 170 - 170: 170 - Interrupted Once Again "RAYE!!!" Jerusha cried out, her hands tightly gripping Raye''s motionless body as his breathing grew weaker. Her chest rose and fell rapidly, her heartbeat pounding like a war drum in her ears¡ª Thump- thump- thump¡ª! Her hands trembled. Fear. Worry. Panic. "RAYE...!" They were all crashing down on her at once... But then¡ª ''No...!'' Jerusha suddenly shook her head violently, forcing herself to calm down. This wasn''t the time to freeze. This wasn''t the time to lose control. And so, clenching her teeth and opening her mouth¡ª "[Divine Rejuvenation...!]" Jerusha exclaimed that, casting a spell. F W O O O S H¡ª! A golden glow burst from her hands¡ª This magic was spirit magic! A high-rank healing spell that called upon the pure mana energy of spirits to mend the torn body of its target! And with this¡ª ''Hang in there, Raye...!'' Jerusha started healing Raye''s vitality and the big hole in his stomach! Then, while she was doing that¡ª FWISH¡ª Jerusha swiftly put mana into her spatial ring, taking out a vial filled with a shimmering red liquid! It was the last healing potion that she got from Sofia. And without hesitation¡ª "Take this!" Phub-! Jerusha pressed the potion to Raye''s pale lips, tilting his head back slightly, forcing him to drink every last drop it. Swaaa~ The potion took effect instantly. Ssssshh¡ª Raye''s smaller wounds began closing one by one, his torn flesh knitting back together. But¡ª His pulse. thump... thump..... thu...mp... It was still growing weaker. "No...!" Jerusha''s eyes widened in alarm. "No, no, no...!" She gritted her teeth and pressed her glowing hands against Raye''s chest harder, pouring even more mana into her spell! S W O O O S H¡ª It didn''t matter to Jerusha if she run out of mana for the first time! It didn''t matter if it hurts her body because of straining it! She had to heal Raye! "Urgh¡ª!" Jerusha''s vision blurred as exhaustion clawed at her, her own mana reserves rapidly draining. After all¡ª Just maintaining her summoned spirits, especially the strongest ones, was already draining her every second! And now¡ª SWOOOSH¡ª!!! A high-rank healing spell on top of it?! What she was doing is reckless. Jerusha was aware of this. She felt it. Her legs weakened. Her head ached. "Huff...!" Her lungs struggled for breath. But still¡ª "UGH!!!" Jerusha didn''t stop. She couldn''t stop. "Raye...! You''re not dying here...!" Jerusha muttered, sweat dripping from her forehead. Drip- Her arms shook violently, yet she refused to pull them away from Raye''s body. Her mana was burning away like a wildfire. But she still pushed forward. "...!!!" Even if her vision darkened. Even if she collapsed afterward. Because right now¡ª Raye''s life mattered more for her. ... ***** On the other hand, while that was happening¡ª S W O O O S H¡ª!!! A razor-sharp wind blade tore through the air¡ª It was Phobos! -Gurgh...! SLASH¡ª The noble demon twisted his body, barely dodging as the attack sliced through the ground behind him, leaving a deep gash! And before he could recover his balance¡ª SWOOSH¡ª!!! A giant stone fist came down from above! -GRAAAAHHHH!!! The golem spirit roared, its massive body shaking the battlefield as it tried to crush the demon! -Tch¡ª! The noble demon clicked his tongue. And then¡ª BAM¡ª He kicked off the ground! BOOOOM¡ª!!! Dodging at the last second! WHOOSH~! The golem''s fist slammed into the ground, shattering the earth and leaving a massive crater, sending dust and debris exploding in all directions. But even as the noble demon leaped away¡ª FWOOSH¡ª A serpentine water spirit lunged from his side! -Hm?! The water spirit''s crystal-clear body twisted violently, aiming to coil around him¡ª -SSSSTTT¡ª!!! Its sapphire eyes glowed as it prepared to squeeze the life out of the demon¡ª But¡ª -KEUK...!! FWIP¡ª! The noble demon tilted his body, barely slipping past the spirit''s crushing grasp. And with a flick of his wrist¡ª S W A A A A S H¡ª!!! A dark crescent slash erupted from his claws, severing the water spirit''s form in half! -SSSTTT...!!! The water spirit let out a screech, its liquid body reforming almost instantly. But before the demon could follow up to stop its recovery¡ª FWOOOOOOOSH¡ª!!! A wave of searing heat surged toward him! It was the fiery bird spirit! FWAP¡ª SWAAAAA¡ª!! It flapped its blazing wings, sending a torrent of flames in the demon''s direction! -Shit! The noble demon gritted his teeth, sensing the immense heat closing in on him. And in a split second¡ª FWISH¡ª!!! He vanished! Then a moment later¡ª BOOOOOM¡ª!!! The flames erupted upon impact, engulfing the entire area in a blinding inferno! SWOOOOOO~!! The battlefield shook. But even amidst the destruction¡ª FWOOOOOSH¡ª!!! The noble demon reappeared high above, wings spread wide, panting slightly. -Haaaa... His crimson eyes scanned the battlefield. Spirits. They were everywhere he looked! Each one brimming with mana, ready to attack again. More than thirty of them. -Ugh, what a pain... The demon grumbled, shaking off the lingering embers clinging to his arm. This mission of his wasn''t supposed to be this troublesome. Then, not giving him a chance to recover¡ª -DIE!!! -KIEEEEE!!! -SSSSSTTT¡ª!!! -GRAAAAAAHHH¡ª!!! Phobos and the other spirits rushed in all at once again! -Shit¡ª! The noble demon gritted his teeth, his body tense. And with that¡ª -COME, YOU FUCKING BASTARDS¡ª!!! FWOOOSH¡ª!!! He dove forward, claws flashing, dark energy crackling around him¡ª The battle was far from over! SWISH¡ª!! Phobos and the noble demon lunged at each other. FWOOSH¡ª! Their claws were mere inches from colliding, raw power radiating from both sides! SHIIIII¡ª The air between them crackled from the sheer force about to be unleashed¡ª But just before impact¡ª FWIP¡ª! Phobos suddenly vanished! FWOOSH¡ª! -¡­Huh?! The noble demon''s attack hit nothing but empty air! His momentum carried him forward, his sharp claws slicing through where Phobos should have been¡ª But there was nothing. His eyes widened, his body tensing in confusion. -¡­! The demon''s sharp gaze darted around, muscles tensed, expecting an ambush. -''Did he teleport?! Is he trying to strike me from behind¡ª?!'' He exclaimed in his head. He barely had time to process before¡ª SWISH¡ª!!! The massive water serpent vanished too. SWOOP¡ª! The blazing phoenix, gone. SWAAAAA¡ª!! The towering golem disappeared into thin air. And seeing this¡ª -What¡­?! The demon''s mind raced. His instincts screamed at him to prepare for a follow-up attack, but¡ª SWISH¡ª! SWISH¡ª! SWISH¡ª! One by one, the spirits faded into nothingness! The battle-hardened spirits, the swift elemental sprites, the spectral beasts¡ª all vanishing as if they had never existed! FWIP¡ª The noble demon clenched his fists, his teeth grinding together in confusion¡ª And then, in only a matter of seconds¡ª Fwooo~ -¡­ Silence. Nothing. sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The battlefield became empty. ... Jerusha''s spirits were completely gone! And there¡ª -What...? The noble demon stood alone, his face frozen in shock. His claws twitched, still primed for battle, but there was no one left to fight. But then¡ª -¡­Ah... His lips curled into a smirk as realization struck. -''The girl ran out of mana.'' The noble demon thought to himself, the corner of his mouth twitching in amusement. Fwish¡ª Turning his head toward where Raye was¡ª -¡­Haha. The demon let out a low chuckle. There she was. Jerusha. Kneeling beside Raye, her body trembling, her hands glowing faintly as she desperately tried to heal him. Her mana¡ª It was completely unstable. Shaking chaotically, flickering like a dying flame¡ª Which meant only one thing¡ª That was why her spirits had been unsummoned. -GAHAHAHAHA¡ª!! The noble demon threw his head back, laughing maniacally. -What luck... He muttered. This was it. The perfect moment. He had been forced to fight against dozens of spirits, but now? Now, his biggest obstacle had vanished like smoke in the wind. He had won. Stay updated through My Virtual Library Empire And so, lowering his gaze back down to the two, Jerusha and Raye¡ª -Then... looks like you two are dying today. The noble demon mumbled that with a sly smirk. Swoosh~ Then he condensed a ball of thick, crackling demonic energy in each of his hands. Crack-! The air around them vibrated from the sheer force packed within them, dark tendrils of power spiraling chaotically. Tap- Tap- Tap¡ª The demon began walking forward. His crimson eyes gleamed with hunger as he approached the two helpless prey before him. Jerusha could hear and feel him getting near. She knew. She could feel the heavy footsteps behind her. And yet¡ª "Ghh...! Gah...!" She didn''t stop healing Raye. Her hands remained firmly pressed against his broken body, golden light trembling as it mended his wounds little by little. Her mana was burning out. Her vision was dimming. But Jerusha didn''t care! Healing Raye was her priority. ''Raye...!'' Nothing else mattered. And so¡ª Tap- Tap- Tap- The demon walked leisurely. Enjoying the moment. The sight of Jerusha''s back, shaking yet refusing to give up, only made his grin widen. He took his time. And soon¡ª Tap¡ª He reached them. Standing just a few feet away, looming over them. A predator. And then, without further ado¡ª -DIEEE¡ª!! The noble demon raised both hands, ready to bring them down upon them¡ª SWAAAAAA~!! The orbs of demonic energy flared¡ª! The finishing blow was coming¡ª The noble demon was ready to end it there and then! But then¡ª Before he could even swing down his hands¡ª "[Kneel]" The noble demon heard a voice. It was cold and commanding And the next thing the demon knew¡ª BAM¡ª!! -G-GARGH?!! He was slammed down onto his knee! His body collapsed against his will! Fwisss~ The orbs of demonic energy in his hands fizzled out and vanished! -gurgh...?! The demon''s crimson eyes widened in shock¡ª -''What the fuck is it now...?!'' The noble demon screamed in his head, frustrated¡ª Then, when he looked up to where he heard the voice¡ª "..." The demon saw the headmaster of the Zion Academy. "Leave the students alone." It was Bryan Blackwood! Fwish- His eyes were glowing with blue mana, glaring at the demon. Chapter 171 - 171: 171 - To The Hospital! "Leave the students alone." Bryan commanded, his voice steady and cold. His sharp, unwavering eyes locked onto the noble demon. And looking back at him¡ª -Tch... The noble demon clicked his tongue. -''Why do humans keep popping out and attacking me?!'' He growled internally, irritation creeping into his expression. And then¡ª BOOM!!! SWOOSH¡ª!! A violent surge of demonic energy exploded from his body! The sheer force rippled through the air, shattering Bryan''s telekinesis magic! And with his newfound freedom¡ª BAM!! The demon immediately leaped back! Tap¡ª His feet landed lightly on the ground, his body regaining balance. And without missing a beat¡ª -Why don''t you just go away? The noble demon glared at Bryan, his voice dripping with frustration. Then, at the next moment¡ª FWOOSH¡ª!! The noble demon lunged upward, to where Bryan was hovering! And upon reaching him¡ª FWIZZZT¡ª! The demon stretched out his claws! A dark, crackling energy coated his claws like jagged blades as he swiped at Bryan''s neck! But¡ª FWIP¡ª! Bryan just tilted his head, dodging the attack with minimal movement! And before the demon could pull back his claws¡ª SWOOSH¡ª! -Huh? A sudden force yanked his wrist midair! Then¡ª BAM¡ª! He was dragged down, and his body crashed into the ground! -''Urgh¡­ again?!'' The noble demon gritted his teeth, his wings twitching as he forced himself back up¡ª FWOOSH¡ª! A sudden burst of demonic energy erupted from his body, dispelling the telekinesis'' hold. BAM! And then he kicked off the ground, rushing at Bryan again! SWISH¡ª The demon swung his right hand¡ª SWOOSH¡ª!! Then a crescent-shaped wave of demonic energy shot out from his hand, aimed toward Bryan! And seeing the incoming attack¡ª FWIP¡ª!! Bryan vanished from his spot! F W O O O O S H¡ª!!! The demon''s attack tore through the air where Bryan once stood. -Hm?! The noble demon''s eyes darted around. And then¡ª -''Behind¡ª!'' FWOOOOOSH¡ª!! A powerful, invisible force crushed down on his shoulders! B O O M¡ª! -ggurgh¡­! The demon was forced down on the ground again, he struggled to break free from the telekinesis¡ª SWOOSH~ But Bryan''s telekinetic grip was stronger this time! So, to respond to that¡ª B A M¡ª!! The noble demon stomped on the ground with a burst of demonic energy! CRACK¡ª He shattered the earth beneath him, shaking off the force that was pressing on him! "Huh?" Bryan was surprised with this, he was standing on the ground now too, just a meter behind the demon. And before he could react¡ª FWOOSH¡ª!! The noble demon turned around and flapped his wing, propelling himself toward him! SHIING¡ª The demon''s claws were aiming straight for Bryan''s chest! And to avoid it¡ª "ugh...!" FWIP¡ª!! Bryan sidestepped and turned his body to the side! FWISH¡ª The attack narrowly missed him. But following that¡ª SWIPE¡ª!!! The noble demon twisted his body mid-motion, slashing with his other hand! "?!" Bryan frowned when he saw this. And forcibly tilting his body to the other side¡ª SWISH¡ª! He barely managed to dodge the demon''s claws, a small tear appearing on the sleeve of his white coat! And before he could even try to counter¡ª FWOOSH¡ª!! The noble demon thrust his knee toward Bryan''s ribs! But this time¡ª "[Go away.]" Bryan muttered that with a frown. And then¡ª WHOOSH¡ª! -URGH?!! A powerful telekinetic push knocked the demon back before his attack could even connect! SWISH¡ª TAP- The demon flipped in midair with the help of his wings and landed gracefully on the ground. Then¡ª Fwip- -... His crimson eyes locked onto Bryan. "..." Bryan simply stared back at him. Both their expressions were unreadable. -''¡­He''s strong.'' The noble demon thought to himself, narrowing his eyes. Bryan was faster than him and was more precise, but he himself had raw power and endurance. Neither of them was going all out yet¡ª But from that small exchange alone¡­ The noble demon knew. -''He''s slightly stronger than me.'' He admitted bitterly, his gaze locked onto Bryan. It wasn''t just an assumption¡ªhe could feel it. And worse, he wasn''t in good condition. Even the stab wound that Raye had inflicted earlier was still not fully healed. His body ached. His mana reserves were lower than he''d like. He was at a clear disadvantage. And so, opening his mouth¡ª -What happened to the demons that invaded the event at the outdoor training ground? The demon asked that. His tone was casual, almost indifferent. And without a second thought¡ª "They''re all dead." Bryan replied bluntly. Then, as if that wasn''t enough¡ª "There was one slightly stronger than the others, but he was just a bug too in the end." He added with a light shrug. His voice was calm¡ªtoo calm. -¡­ SWISH¡ª But despite his relaxed tone, the noble demon felt it. That deep, simmering rage coming from Bryan. It sent chills down his spine. -''Tch... So it wasn''t a massive success, huh.'' He thought, a slight frown appearing on his face. -''Even that Baron-rank demon didn''t survive¡­ what a waste of manpower.'' He clicked his tongue in frustration, scratching his temple. Then, shifting his focus back to Bryan¡ª He considered his options. He could keep fighting. But against someone slightly stronger than him? While injured and low on mana? -''No. I should retreat.'' The demon came to a firm decision. And so, faking a disappointed tone¡ª -I see¡­ looks like I''m the only demon left alive here. He let out a small sigh, shaking his head as if mourning his fallen allies. Then¡ª -I should probably leave now. He declared it outright. And before Bryan could react¡ª S W O O S H¡ª!!! The noble demon''s wings snapped open! And instantly¡ª FWAP¡ª!!! WHOOOOOOSH¡ª!!! He took off at full speed, vanishing in an instant! "Tch..." Bryan clicked his tongue, eyes narrowing as he watched the demon escape. He could chase him down. He wanted to. But¡ª "Raye...!" Hearing Jerusha''s desperate voice behind him¡ª Bryan glanced back. He saw her, trembling, pouring everything she had into healing Raye. And in that moment¡ª ''This is more important.'' Bryan made his choice. He let the noble demon go¡ª And decided to ensure the safety of Jerusha and Raye. Tap- tap- tap¡ª Bryan walked over to the two, his steps slow but firm. And when he reached them¡ª TAP¡ª He finally got a proper look at Raye. And seeing his condition¡ª "...!" Bryan''s breath hitched. "Those bastards..." He muttered in rage. His eyes darkened. His fists clenched. Raye was barely alive. His body was a broken mess¡ªgaping wounds, shattered bones, blood everywhere. And beside him¡ª "Keuk...! Ugh!" Jerusha trembled violently as she poured every last ounce of mana into Raye. Her hands were glowing with golden light, shaking, struggling. Her eyes were glassy with tears, her mana was screaming in desperation. Even as Bryan stood there¡ª "Jerusha..." Even as he called out to her¡ª "...!" She didn''t react. Jerusha didn''t even spare the headmaster of their academy a glance! She couldn''t. Because the moment she stops and does that¡ª Raye would die! "Fuuuu..." Bryan took a deep breath, steadying his emotions. He understood the situation clearly¡ªthere was no time to waste. And so, opening his mouth¡ª "I''ll lift you both with my telekinesis. Don''t stop healing Raye. I''ll fly and bring you two to the Academy''s Hospital." He declared that. His voice was calm and firm, leaving no room for hesitation. "Ugh...!" Jerusha did not respond to him. She was too focused, too desperate¡ªas if her entire existence hinged on keeping Raye alive. Bryan didn''t push her to talk. And instead¡ª SWOOSH¡ª! sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. With a simple movement of his fingers, both Jerusha and Raye were lifted off the ground! "...!" Jerusha barely reacted, still clutching Raye, her magic still pouring into him. And without wasting a second¡ª "Here I go." F W O O O S H¡ª!!! Bryan took off, cutting through the sky like a bullet, racing toward the Academy''s hospital at full speed! But as Bryan soared through the air¡ª "There are other survivors...!" Jerusha exclaimed that. Fwip- "Huh?" Bryan immediately stopped on his track when he heard that. Then, glancing back at Jerusha in surprise¡ª "..." Bryan saw her looking at her with a desperate look. And that look immediately snapped him back to reality. "I got it." Bryan replied to Jerusha, lightly nodding his head. Fwish- And then, looking down¡ª S W O O O S H¡ª!!! He scattered his mana throughout the town, searching for someone''s presence that was still alive! And in just seconds¡ª "..." Bryan felt them! Faint presences all across the town. Scattered, weak... but alive. And without hesitation¡ª FWISH¡ª!! He shot toward the nearest ones¡ª In a rundown house! FWIP¡ª! In mere seconds, Bryan reached it¡ª BAM¡ª!!! He smashed through the wall of the house, tearing through the debris to get inside fast! And there¡ª -Grrr...? A deep growl rumbled through the dimly lit room. A water spirit¡ªa tiger with a sleek, translucent body, stood guard. Its piercing blue eyes locked onto Bryan, its stance firm and unwavering. It was protecting two bodies. It was Kyle and Old Man Rey. And not far from them¡ª Bryan also saw Zephyrus and Pyro. All of them were alive... but unconscious. Seeing this¡ª Bryan''s gaze softened slightly. "I came to pick them up and bring them to the hospital. You did good." He spoke, looking at the water tiger. His voice firm yet acknowledging. And the water tiger¡ª -... Its eyes flicked to Jerusha, who was still pouring everything into healing Raye. She was behind Bryan''s back. And understanding Bryan''s words earlier¡ª -Grrr... The water tiger let out a low growl. Then¡ª SWISH¡ª!! It vanished! It unsummoned itself to relieve Jerusha of its mana drain. ''What an understanding spirit.'' Bryan thought, impressed. And following that¡ª FWISH¡ª!!! He lifted Old Man Rey, Kyle, Zephyrus, and Pyro with his telekinesis. And just like that¡ª "Now we''re really good." FWOOSH¡ª!! Bryan resumed his flight, speeding toward the Academy''s hospital. But on his way¡ª ''I''ll bring everyone I can...!'' Fwish¡ª His mana picked up more survivors. Without hesitation¡ª SWOOP¡ª! Bryan veered off course, diving down to rescue the surviving citizens one by one. Some were injured. Some barely clung to life. But Bryan didn''t stop. He gathered them all. And carrying every life he could¡ª W H O O O S H¡ª!!! He rushed toward the hospital. Chapter 172 - 172: 172 - Life Saved F W O O O O S H¡ª!!! Bryan tore through the sky, his body a streak of motion, cutting through the wind like a speeding arrow. FWISH¡ª!!! Nearly twenty bodies hovered around him, he was carrying them with his telekinesis. They were injured. Unconscious. Some are even barely breathing. But Bryan held them all! And even as his mana was being drained rapidly by doing this¡ª "..." His expression never wavered! There was no hesitation in his face¡ªno strain! And instead¡ª SWOOSH¡ª!! Bryan pushed himself to go faster! ''I need to hurry... some of them are dying.'' He thought with a slight frown on his face. His eyes hardened. There was no time to waste. ... ... And at his incredible pace¡ª Within only a few minutes¡ª FWIP¡ª!!! Bryan reached the Academy Hospital! T A P¡ª!!! He landed heavily in front of the entrance, the ground beneath him cracking slightly. And without wasting a second¡ª "EMERGENCY!!!" Bryan exclaimed that. His voice shook the entire hospital grounds. Swoosh¡ª!!! The air trembled, his mana-infused shout carrying through every corridor. And immediately, at his words¡ª BANG¡ª!! The hospital doors burst open. Tap¡ª Tap¡ª Tap¡ª!!! A flurry of hurried footsteps followed. "What is it this time?!" Tap¡ª Tap¡ª Tap¡ª!!! "We already have too many critical patients inside!" Tap¡ª Tap¡ª Tap¡ª!!! "There''s MORE?!" A wave of healers, doctors, and medical staff rushed outside¡ª And then¡ª "Huh...?!" "?!!" Their eyes widened at the floating bodies surrounding Bryan. They all froze in shock. But¡ª Given that they were professionals¡ª "MOVE!!!" "IMMEDIATELY BRING THE CRITICAL PATIENTS INSIDE!" "FAST! PRIORITIZE THOSE ON THE VERGE OF DEATH!" The medical staff sprang into action as soon as possible. Their movements were swift, coordinated, and precise. Getting all the patients inside in just a few moments. But then¡ª They saw Raye and Jerusha. And for a brief moment¡ª "Huh...?!" "...?!!" They hesitated. Jerusha was still healing Raye. Her mana was fluctuating wildly¡ªbarely stable. They also saw Raye''s condition. And immediately realizing the urgency of the situation¡ª "HELP THESE TWO!!!" "THE GIRL¡ªSHE''S ON THE VERGE OF COLLAPSING!" "SOMEONE, GET A HIGH-QUALITY MANA POTION¡ªNOW!!!" They rushed forward with a serious expression on their faces. "She can''t stop¡ªSHE''S USING HER LIFE FORCE TO MAINTAIN THE SPELL!" "HURRY, OR WE LOSE THEM BOTH!!!" The intensity of their voices was palpable. And Jerusha¡ª "Urgh...!" Her body trembled violently. Blood trickled from her nose, lips, and eyes. Her mana reserves were gone. But still¡ª SWOOSH~ The thought of stopping her spell never crossed her mind. ''I won''t stop... not until you''re safe¡­!'' She declared in her head. Her blurry eyes locked onto Raye. And even as her consciousness wavered¡ª S W A A A~!! She continued healing him. And during that¡ª FWOOSH¡ª Bryan went inside the hospital, still carrying the two of them along with some other more critical patients. And there, inside¡ª T A P¡ª!!! Bryan carefully lowered Jerusha and Raye onto the emergency room beds. S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. T A A P¡ª!!! He also did it for the others. F W I S H¡ª! The staff moved quickly, surrounding the patients in each bed in a well coordinated effort. And immediately¡ª FWAAAA~!! The medical staff members started treating the patients. ..... Going back to where Jerusha and Raye are¡ª SWOOSH¡ª A vial of mana potion was uncorked by a nurse and immediately brought to Jerusha''s lips. "Drink this!" The nurse said. And without hesitation¡ª Gulp¡ª Gulp¡ª Gulp¡ª!!! Jerusha downed the entire vial in seconds! And just as fast¡ª Gasp¡ª! Her breathing steadied! Her complexion, which had been pale and lifeless¡ª Gradually regained color! Her mana reserve was filled a little! And seeing that she was getting better¡ª "That''s good." One of the staff members sighed in relief. Jerusha was going to be fine now, at least. So with that¡ª "Let''s help this kid now!" They all focused on Raye now. A firm, commanding voice rang out, cutting through the tense atmosphere. It belonged to Raphael¡ªthe elderly healer from before. (From Chapter 100.) T A P¡ª He took a step forward, his gaze locking onto Raye. His weathered face remained calm, but beneath that¡ª A flicker of recognition. "This kid again..." He muttered under his breath, eyes narrowing. And then¡ª FWISH¡ª!! Two additional healers stepped forward. They moved with urgency, taking position beside Jerusha. Their hands lit up, glowing with strong healing magic. And without hesitation¡ª "Start!" "Got it!" TAP- They extended their palms over Raye''s most critical wounds. SWOOSH¡ª!!! A gentle warmth spread through his mangled body. Soft, golden light bathed his battered form. It was delicate¡ª SWAAAA¡ª!! But relentless. This was the desperate attempt of the two healers to mend the damage in Raye''s body before it became irreversible. And then, during that¡ª FWSH¡ª!!! A different kind of light flickered in Raphael''s hands. It was white, the color of his mana. And with it¡ª Fwoop- A thin, shimmering thread appeared. Whoosh~ A needle in his hand was infused with restorative magic. And with them ready¡ª "I''ll start as well." Raphael confidently stated that. His voice was steady. And then¡ª SHIIK¡ª!!! He began stitching Raye''s wounds! He prioritized the ones that were small, yet fatal. The ones that healing magic alone couldn''t mend fast enough. Shikk~ Each of his stitches were careful¡ª A desperate attempt to hold life together. And after closing up one small would¡ª Splash! Raphael poured a bottle of health potion over Raye''s wounds! FWOOSH~! The liquid shimmered¡ª Sinking into Raye''s torn flesh, sealing the stitches, and stopping the bleeding immediately! This was Raphael''s way of stopping the bleedings! Anyway, all in all¡ª Four people were working to save Raye. No¡ª Five of them! A nurse stood close by, mana potions clutched in her hands. SWOOSH¡ª!!! The moment any of the healers'' mana dipped too low¡ª "Here!" She swiftly handed them a vial. No hesitation. No wasted motion. "Here, Doctor Raphael!" "Thanks." She also assisted Raphael, passing him tools precisely when he needed them. A well-coordinated effort of five people. While battling against time. They were doing all of this¡ª "..." To save Raye. ''I''ll make you wake up, kid...'' Raphael declared in his head, his brows furrowing. And after that¡ª SHIKK¡ª He and the other four worked silently, focusing only on their respective tasks. ... Time blurred. Seconds. Tens of seconds. Minutes. Hours. And still¡ª The five continued to work. Their hands still glowing. Mana still burning. Sweat started dripping. Tik- tak- tik- tak- tik¡ª Each passing moment was a battle. Each wound they healed was another step away from Raye''s death. They closed his wounds, fixed his bones, healed him also¡ª But Raye''s body¡ª Crack-! "Huh?!!" It just refused to recover easily! No matter how much they poured into him¡ª SNAP¡ª His battered form fought back! A deep, searing resistance. As if Raye''s very existence was slipping through their fingers. "Dammit...!" One of the healers cursed under his breath. "He''s not stabilizing fast enough!" The other one gritted her teeth, her mana flaring. Even Raphael¡ª His usually steady hands trembled for just a second. But still, even in this nerve racking situation¡ª "Don''t stop moving...!" Raphael shouted that. But his words weren''t actually needed¡ª "Urgh!" "Ghack?!" "Keuk...!" "Here, more mana potions...! Huff..." No one stopped in their tracks. Not even for a moment. FWISH¡ª!!! Raphael started stitching more. SWOOSH¡ª!!! The other two healers poured even more mana into their healing spell. Jerusha, of course, didn''t lose to them. SPLASH¡ª!!! The nurse poured a vial of healing potions to Raye''s stitches, closing them up immediately. More potions, more energy, more effort were used as time passed by. ''I''m tired now...'' ''Ugh, just get well already you fucking kid!'' Everyone''s bodies screamed for rest. "Another mana potion here...!" Their mana pools ran dangerously low. ... ... ... ... But then, finally¡ª After what felt like an eternity¡ª A single, barely perceptible change. "H...uf...ff..." "...!" They heard a sound! It was faint. But unmistakable¡ª It was Raye''s breathing! "hu...ff..." It was steadier now! And his heartbeat¡ª That weak, barely-there rhythm¡ª Thump- thump- thump¡ª It grew stronger! The chaotic mess inside his body¡ª The torn muscles, the shattered bones, the ruptured organs¡ª Finally... they were healing! And realizing that¡ª "Haaaaaa..." Raphael exhaled. A long, slow breath. His shoulders sagged, but a small smirk played on his lips. And then, opening his mouth¡ª "His life isn''t in danger anymore. Good job, everyone." He announced that! His voice, though steady, carried the weight of hours of relentless effort! "..." A long silence followed after his words. As if everyone had forgotten how to breathe. They were all exhausted. But after processing Raphael''s words¡ª "Haaaaaaaaah..." A collective sigh echoed in the room! Thud¡ª! The nurse, who had spent the last three hours running back and forth fetching mana potions and tools¡ª Collapsed into a chair. Her hands trembled, but she finally let them rest on her lap. Fwip¡ª One of the healers wiped his forehead. Sweat dripped down his fingers. "Fuuuuuuu..." His breath shuddered as he slumped onto the floor, his entire body drained. THUD- Another healer fell back against the wall, gasping. "Huuu...uuu...." They had pushed themselves to the limit. But¡ª They had done it. Raye was alive. They saved him. And knowing that¡ª "..." Jerusha smiled. A weak, barely noticeable¡ª "..." ¡ªBut genuine smile. ''I''m glad...'' A soft, relieved curve of her lips. And as that crushing weight lifted from her shoulders¡ª A deep fatigue settled in Jerusha''s body. It was heavy. Kind of overwhelming. ''I''m... a bit tired...'' Jerusha mumbled in her head. Her vision blurred. Her arms, which had been rigidly held out for hours¡ª Fwip- They fell limp. "Hufff....haa.... Haaa..." Her breathing slowed. And then, at the next moment¡ª THUD! Jerusha collapsed! Her body hit the ground like a ragdoll, lifelessly folding in on itself! Jerusha had lost consciousness. And hearing her fall¡ª "Huh?" "...?!" "Wha?!!" Everyone turned their heads. Their eyes widened! They were stunned in silence! Chapter 173 - 173: 173 - After The Invasion [1] THUD! "..." Jerusha collapsed. Her body hit the ground, limp and unmoving. "..huff... huff... huff..." Her breath, steady but weak. The moment she let her guard down and relaxed¡ªthe exhaustion, the sheer depletion of her mana¡ªit all caught up to her. She had pushed herself too far. And now, she was paying the price of it. But at least¡ª At least, she could rest knowing Raye was alive. And seeing her not moving an inch on the cold floor¡ª "Let''s just put her beside this kid and have them share a bed." Raphael said that. His voice broke the silence. His gaze alternated between Raye and Jerusha, his expression unreadable. "Considering how far she was willing to go for him¡ª" "They''re probably family or a couple. Either way, they surely won''t mind sharing a bed." Raphael stated. The hospital was currently already overflowing with patients. They were short on beds. So this was the best they could do. "She''s just asleep. The kid is probably exhausted too. Let them rest." Raphael added, waving his hand casually. And hearing his instructions¡ª "Got it." "Roger that." The two healers beside him nodded, gently lifting Jerusha. Puff- They carried her over and carefully placed her beside the unconscious Raye. A quiet moment passed. And then¡ª ''Are they... in a relationship?'' Bryan, standing off to the side, tilted his head slightly and asked that internally. That girl had fought to keep Raye alive, as if her own life depended on it. She hadn''t hesitated. Not even for a second. So from the point of view of others, them being in a relationship is likely a high chance. But¡ª "Whatever." Bryan just shrugged, shoving the thought aside. He decided not to think about it. After all, there were more important things for him to do than that. And at that moment¡ª "Headmaster." Raphael approached and called out to him. "Hmm?" Bryan turned his head and looked down. "..." Meeting the gaze of the elderly healer. And then opening his mouth, and confidently¡ª "We''re going to do everything we can to save the patients. Don''t worry." Raphael suddenly declared that. He has a resolute expression on his face. And seeing that unwavering determination in his eyes¡ª "Hmn." Bryan nodded his head. "That''s reassuring." He said. Then, without missing a beat¡ª "I''m going back to the town. There might still be survivors. I''ll bring them all here." He followed that, proclaiming that he''ll be bringing more patients and work to the Academy Hospital today. It was a promise. And Raphael¡ª "Hah! Keep them coming, we''ll take care of them all!" He let out a hearty laugh while responding. Bryan smirked at his words. The two looked at each other with respect. And with that, after a few seconds of silence¡ª T A P¡ª The two walked past each other. Raphael, heading deeper into the hospital, ready to continue his work. While Bryan stepped out of the Academy Hospital¡ª His mission was far from over. And without another moment wasted¡ª FWOOOSH¡ª!!! He shot into the sky using telekinesis, racing back toward the ruined town! And as all of this was happening¡ª "..." "..." Raye and Jerusha were just sleeping on the same bed, peacefully. ... ... ... ... ... ***** ... (Raye''s POV) The moment I regained consciousness¡ª ''Urgh...?'' A sharp, splitting pain struck my head! It felt like my skull was being squeezed. My entire body¡ªmy muscles, my bones¡ª They screamed in agony! I tried to move. But¡ª My eyelids felt unbearably heavy. I couldn''t open them right away. Even breathing felt exhausting. But most of all¡ª My stomach... ... It was fucking empty! It felt like a black hole had formed inside me, twisting and clawing at my insides. ''I''m hungry as fuck.'' Grrrrr¡ª My stomach growled violently, demanding food. And so, after what felt like an eternity¡ª "Ugh...?" I forced my eyes open. The world blurred around me. I didn''t know how long I had been unconscious. I didn''t know what happened after I blacked out. But¡ª None of that mattered right now. Fwip¡ª Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. I pushed myself up with trembling arms. My muscles protested, weak and sore. My whole body shook from the effort. I had no energy. And I was so damn hungry. But still¡ª "Haaaa..." I sat up on the bed. And as my vision slowly adjusted to the light¡ª "Huh?" A familiar face came into view. A beautiful young lady with purple hair and violet eyes. It was Jerusha... She was sitting on a chair at the foot of the bed, staring at me. And at the exact same moment¡ª "Huh?" Her eyes widened when she saw me up. Her body froze. Her lips parted slightly. She looked completely stunned. And seeing her like that¡ª "Erm¡­ Hello?" I awkwardly greeted her. It was all I could think of to say. And finally¡ª Like a switch had been flipped¡ª "RAYE!!!" Jerusha exclaimed my name. Her voice cracked. Her eyes instantly welled with tears. And before I could react¡ª Swoosh¡ª!!! She lunged toward me. Thud¡ª! And her arms wrapped around me¡ªtight! "Raye...!" She buried her face into my shoulder. "Raye..." I could feel her body trembling. "Urgh...!" Jerusha then started to cry. Her grip on me was so tight it was almost suffocating. But despite that¡ª "..." I didn''t push her away. At first, I was just sitting there, stunned and not moving. But then¡ª I felt it. The warmth of her embrace. It was comforting. It made me smile. And so¡ª Softly, weakly, I lifted my arms. Fwip¡ª And then I hugged her back. My left hand rested gently on her back. My right hand¡ª Fwip¡ª Landed on the back of her head. And then¡ª Pat¡­ I started stroking her hair. Slow. Gentle. Reassuringly. Jerusha''s shoulders flinched for a moment. But then¡ª Her trembling eased. Her breathing slowed. Her tears stopped dropping. She calmed down. And with that, I opened my mouth¡ª "I''m okay now. Thank you for saving me back then." I mumbled those words. It felt a little embarrassing to say that. But still¡ª A small, grateful smile rested on my face. "..." Jerusha didn''t respond immediately. She stayed silent for a while. But then¡ª After a few moments¡ª "I''m glad that you''re finally awake." She muttered softly. Her voice was still shaky. Her grip around me didn''t loosen. Neither did mine. We stayed like that¡ª Holding each other. Feeling each other''s warmth. For minutes. Until finally¡ª Fwip¡ª We pulled away. And as our eyes met¡ª A smile naturally formed on both of our faces. Jerusha''s eyes were still red and puffy from crying. Her cheeks were slightly flushed. And her lips, though curved into a smile¡ª Held a trace of awkwardness. Just looking at her like this¡ª "...Pfft¡ª" I couldn''t help but grin. "Ah...!" Jerusha immediately noticed that I was laughing at her. Her eyes widened slightly in realization. And then¡ª Fwish~ She hurriedly fixed herself, straightening her hair, rubbing her eyes, and wiping away any lingering traces of tears. Trying to look more presentable. Seeing Jerusha flustered like that, I couldn''t help myself but want to tease her more. So with a small smirk¡ª "What? Crying that much made you worry about your looks now?" I said that. Jerusha immediately shot me a look. "Excuse me?" "I''m just saying¡ª" I chuckled as she pouted. For a moment, she looked like she wanted to talk back, but instead, she just huffed and crossed her arms. But then¡ª "...Ugh... Why are you like that to your savior?" She turned away dramatically, pretending to be mad. I smiled at the fact that she was going along with my jokes. "Oh? Are you ignoring me now?" I asked her. "Obviously, duh." She replied. "Ah, I see, I see. I guess I''ll just sit here, starving to death, all alone then¡ª" I muttered, pretending to be sad. And then¡ª "W-Wait, wait! You''re hungry? I mean, of course you are... Wait here for a moment, I''ll get you food!" She panicked when she heard that I was hungry. Swish¡ª Jerusha quickly stood up, and I couldn''t help but chuckle again. She was pretending to be angry and now she''s taking care of me. Anyway, I decided to stop teasing her for now¡ª And before she could even leave the room¡ª "Huff..." The laughter died in my throat. Because now that the atmosphere between us was lighter... It was time to ask questions. So after clearing my throat¡ª I opened my mouth. "By the way... how long was I out?" I asked. Considering how hungry I was, I roughly guessed it had been a week. But¡ª "...Huh?" Jerusha''s face changed at my question. The playful expression from earlier? Instantly gone. Instead¡ª "..." A complicated mixture of sadness and hesitation appeared on her face. She lightly bit her lip. Her fingers curled slightly into fists. And¡ª "..." She stayed silent. ''...I have a bad feeling about this.'' I thought with a slight frown. My chest tightened. And slowly¡ª I started getting nervous. But I didn''t rush her. "..." I simply waited. Giving her time. Then after a long, heavy pause¡ª "Fuuuuu..." Jerusha finally opened her mouth. Fwish- She looked at me, there''s still hesitation in her eyes. But still, Jerusha answered my question. And after hearing her words¡ª "Raye... you were out for over a month." "..." I became speechless. Chapter 174 - 174: 174 - After The Invasion [2]—Old Man Rey "Raye... you were out for over a month." Jerusha''s voice was calm, but the weight of her words was anything but that. And hearing her¡ª "..." Raye froze. For a moment, his brain refused to process it. "Huh...?" The word slipped from his lips before he even realized it. A quiet, confused sound¡ªlike his mind was struggling to catch up. ''Over a month?'' ''That couldn''t be right.'' He thought in his head, in denial. Raye''s brows furrowed as his thoughts raced. "Wait¡­ what?" He looked at Jerusha, searching her face, hoping that she was joking. "..." But she wasn''t. Jerusha maintained a serious expression on her face. Her eyes held no trace of amusement. Just quiet, exhausted sincerity. And that''s when it hit him¡ª This wasn''t a mistake. He had really been unconscious for over a month. "..." Raye silently sat on his bed, his mind grinding to a halt. ''A month?'' "A month...?" He couldn''t believe it. His memories felt too fresh¡ªtoo immediate. The battle, the chaos, the pain¡ªit all felt like something that had happened just yesterday. And yet¡ª Fwip¡ª He clenched his fists. His arms were thinner than he remembered. His body felt stiff, like it hadn''t moved in weeks. His stomach twisted. "What the fuck..." Raye muttered, slightly shaking his head. "I can''t believe that I was out for that long." He whispered under his breath, massaging the temple of his head. "..." Jerusha didn''t say a word, she just looked at Raye in silence. And instead¡ª "Hmn..." Her lips pressed together. A frown appearing on her face, deep with hesitation. She was conflicted. And Raye¡ª "Huh?" He caught a glimpse of her face. A bad feeling settled in his gut upon seeing Jerusha''s expression. He immediately felt that something was wrong. Something else than this, and it was more dire. Slowly¡ª Shiick¡ª Raye''s fingers curled into the sheets beneath him. His breathing grew unsteady. "...Jerusha" He said, his voice quieter now. And after a short pause¡ª And readying himself for the worst¡ª "What happened?" Raye opened his mouth and asked that. Jerusha''s lips parted¡ª "..." But no words came out of her mouth. She hesitated. And Raye¡ª He just waited. His chest tightened with each passing second. The silence between them¡ª Swoosh~ It was heavy and suffocating. ''How should I say it...'' Jerusha was thinking. Choosing her words carefully. And that alone¡ª "..." Told Raye everything. This wasn''t just about him being unconscious for a month. It was something else. And it''s worse. "...Jerusha" Raye repeated. His voice was a lot lower and calmer now. "Just tell me." He mumbled, pleading. Jerusha closed her eyes briefly. "Fuuu..." Inhaling through her nose. And then, finally¡ª She opened her mouth. Jerusha''s lips trembled. She lowered her gaze, hands tightening on her sleeves. Raye noticed these. His heartbeat quickened. ''This is bad...'' He could feel it. The way Jerusha hesitated¡ª The way her throat bobbed as she tried to speak¡ª This wasn''t just any bad news. It was personal. "¡­Raye." Jerusha finally muttered. Her voice was quiet. Strained. Like the words physically hurt to say. "..." Raye didn''t interrupt. He just watched her. Waiting. Dreading. And then¡ª Jerusha inhaled sharply. And forced it out. "Old Man Rey... h-he..." Her voice cracked. And as soon as he heard that Old Man Rey was involved in this¡ª ''No...'' Raye''s stomach dropped. "No, no, no, no, no...!" He silently mumbled to himself. Fwip¡ª Jerusha clenched her fists, shutting her eyes. And forcibly¡ª "...He hasn''t woken up either." She declared that. "Old Man Rey... He''s been in a coma for over a month now." Jerusha added, looking down on the cold wooden floor. She got sad too as she remembers that. On the other hand¡ª "..." Raye became silent. His breathing stopped. "..." Silence. Absolute silence. Jerusha bit her lip, her entire body tense. And Raye¡ª "What...?" He just sat there. Frozen. Raye''s mind was a mess. The words wouldn''t stop repeating. ''Old Man Rey¡­ hasn''t woken up.'' ''He''s been in a coma for over a month.'' Each time, they sank deeper¡ªthey felt heavier. "...!" His breath hitched, stuck somewhere in his throat. His chest felt tight. Like something heavy was pressing down on him, suffocating him. "...Old Man..." The words barely came out. His voice was hoarse, it has no energy. "..." Jerusha didn''t say anything. She just sat there, watching Raye, her gaze weighted with something unspoken. Something painful. She knew how he felt. She wasn''t just watching his reaction¡ªshe was feeling it too. "...Ugh..." Raye''s body that was already weak felt even more unsteady. His arms trembled. His legs felt numb. And his heartbeat¡ª Thump¡ª Thump¡ª Thump¡ª! It pounded in his ears. Louder. Heavier. And while stuttering¡ª "...Where is he right now?" Raye asked that. His voice came out rough. "Umm..." Jerusha hesitated for a moment. Raye noticed that. And for him¡ª ''I see...'' This confirmed that Old Man Rey was really in a coma. That Jerusha wasn''t about to take her words back. That this wasn''t just a messed-up joke. That Old Man Rey wasn''t going to walk in the room any second now, scolding him for sleeping in so long. That this wasn''t just some horrible misunderstanding. Raye felt a sting in his heart. And then, at that moment¡ª "He''s in the next room." Jerusha finally answered his question. "Right beside yours." Her voice was steady. And Raye¡ª "..." His stomach twisted once again. But not from hunger. This was something else. Something worse. "Haaa... ha..aa..aa... haa...." His breathing turned uneven. Too fast. Too shallow. His vision blurred¡ªnot from tears, but from the sheer weight of it all. He needed to see him¡ªOld Man Rey. Right now. Fwip¡ª His fingers dug deeper into the bedsheets as he forced himself to sit up properly. "Please..." His breathing was still uneven. His limbs weak, trembling. But none of that mattered. "Please take me to him." He said, looking at Jerusha. His voice came out raw and weak. And at his request¡ª "..." Jerusha hesitated. She could see it. The way Raye''s body swayed. The way his muscles refused to cooperate. The way exhaustion was still weighing him down. But even so¡ª "...Of course." She responded to him while nodding her head. A bitter smile rested on her face. Fwip¡ª Jerusha moved closer, slipping her arm under Raye''s to support him. "Here." FWISH¡ª She helped him up, letting Raye lean against her, his arm draped over her shoulder. Tap¡ª Raye tried to move. But¡ª Thud¡ª! "Urgh...?!" His legs nearly gave out. "Gh...!" His entire body screamed in protest. He has no energy... no strength. His muscles felt like dead weight, like they had forgotten how to work! But patiently¡ª "Be careful." Fwip¡ª Jerusha quickly steadied his body. "Easy now..." "Don''t push yourself too hard." She muttered reassuringly. Raye let out a shaky breath. "Thanks, Jerusha..." His voice was weak, barely more than a whisper, but sincere. Jerusha didn''t reply right away. She just shifted her weight, making sure Raye was steady against her¡ª "Mhm..." Before giving him a quiet nod. And with that¡ª Tap- tap- tap¡ª The two of them stepped forward. Creak¡ª Thud! And then they left the room. Outside... "..." The hallway was silent. Too silent. TAP¡ª Each of their steps felt heavier than the last one. But neither of them stopped. Tap- tap¡ª They just moved. Straight to the room on the right. Where Old Man Rey was... And as soon as they reached the door¡ª "..." Raye and Jerusha stood still. Not saying a word. Not moving. Just standing there. Like stepping forward would make this even more real. ''Can he take it...?'' Jerusha hesitated. She glanced at Raye, as if to ask if he was really ready for this. But Raye¡ª "..." His jaw clenched. His fingers trembled slightly against her shoulder. He wasn''t going to waste another second. "Hufffff..." And with a sharp inhale¡ª B A M¡ª! He pushed the door open with his remaining strength! And seeing what was inside¡ª "...!" Raye froze. He was speechless. Because there¡ª Lying on a soft, white bed¡ª "..." Was Old Man Rey. sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "..... " He didn''t look like the Old Man Rey that Raye knew. The Old Man who had always seemed so old, yet invincible¡ª The Old Man who had trained him, scolded him, and pushed him past his limits¡ª The Old Man that always acted rude, but deep inside, actually cares a lot¡ª Now... He looked so... fragile. It looks like he was withering! His body had shrunk, his skin now clinging to his bones! And his face¡ª It was pale. Hollow. Lined with exhaustion. "ha..a...aa...a...aa.." His breathing was shallow. Barely noticeable. There were dark circles under Old Man Rey''s closed eyes, like he hadn''t rested properly in years. His arms lay limp at his sides, unmoving. The blankets covered most of him, but even then, it was obvious¡ª His body was skin and bones. Weakened. Almost lifeless. And seeing him like that¡ª "...!" Raye felt like something had grabbed his heart and squeezed it. It was the first time he had ever seen Old Man Rey look so... Weak. Fwoosh~ The silence in the room was suffocating. "hu...u..uuu..." The only sound was the faint, breathing of Old Man Rey. Proof that he was still alive. Proof that his heart was still beating. But¡ª It was so weak. "...Ah..." Raye''s lips parted slightly, but no words came out. And then, finally, after calming down for a bit¡ª "I''m sorry..." Raye mumbled that. "I''m sorry..." Again. "I''m sorry....." And again. His voice was getting weaker. Then, slightly bowing his head with a frustrated frown¡ª "If only I arrived earlier that day....." Raye mumbled that to himself. Chapter 175 - 175: 175 - After The Invasion [3]—Kyle "If only I had arrived earlier that day..." Raye mumbled, his voice hollow. His hands trembled at his sides as he looked down, eyes clenched shut, trying to suppress the sting of tears threatening to fall. If only... If only he had been faster. If only he had gotten there sooner. Maybe¡ª Maybe things would have been different. That''s what Raye was thinking about. And because of this... "Ugh..." Raye remembered the day of the invasion. Specifically¡ª The moment he had finally made it to Kyle''s shop. The scene that greeted him. The suffocating heat, the scent of burning flesh. The sight of Old Man Rey and the others littering the ground... And at that moment¡ª "Ah..." Raye''s breathing hitched. His chest felt tight. Gasp! He gasped as he remembered something from that day. "...!" His eyes snapped open, jolting him back to reality. And immediately¡ª Fwish- He turned his gaze to Jerusha. Then, weakly opening his mouth¡ª "How''s Kyle...?!" Raye asked that, he sounds genuinely worried. His voice came out sharp. Urgent. He needed to know. But then¡ª "Koff...! Coff!!" A sudden cough racked his body. And following that¡ª Splurt¡ª A few drops of blood dripped from his lips! "Huh?!" Jerusha''s eyes widened seeing that. "You should go back to your room and rest now!" She said loudly. FWOOSH¡ª She moved instinctively, reaching toward Raye, concern written all over her face. But Raye¡ª Fwip- "..." He avoided Jerusha''s hand and refused to move from his spot. "..." Raye just silently looked at Jerusha. His legs felt weak to move anyway. His body swayed slightly. His vision blurred. But¡ª Even if he felt like he was about to collapse¡ª Even if his entire body was screaming at him to stop¡ª "Keuk..." Raye didn''t budge. Not until he heard her answer. And realizing this¡ª "Ugh..." Jerusha frowned. Seeing Raye like this¡ªpale, barely standing, yet still pushing himself for answers¡ª She couldn''t take it. And so¡ª "Fuuu..." Fwoop~ With a defeated sigh, her shoulders slumped... Fwip- Jerusha''s gaze lowered, her expression darkening as she hesitated for a moment. Then¡ª Silently¡ª She finally spoke. "...Kyle is alright now." Jerusha said. Her voice was quiet. Soft. And at his words... ''Phew.'' Raye felt a bit relived. But then¡ª He immediately noticed that there was something about the way Jerusha said it. Something off. "Wait..." Something that immediately put Raye on edge. And then, just as he feared¡ª "...But¡ª" Jerusha continued talking with a dark expression on her face. Fwip- Her hands clenched into fists again. "Gurgh..." She bit her lip. And with visible difficulty¡ª She forced the words out. "He lost his left arm." Jerusha declared. ... "....." Raye''s mind blanked. "...Huh?" He blinked. Slowly. As if he hadn''t heard her right. As if his brain refused to accept what she just said. Kyle... Lost his¡ª ''His left arm...?'' Raye repeated in his head. "...No." Raye weakly shook his head, his throat suddenly dry. ''That didn''t¡ª'' ''That couldn''t be right.'' He said internally. ''Kyle is a cook.'' Raye declared. And then¡ª ''His hands¡ª'' ''They were everything to him.'' He thought of that as a deep frown crept up on his face. And now¡ª ''One of them was... gone?'' Raye''s mind became a mess again. ''No.'' "No, no, no, no¡ª!" He denied. And looking at Jerusha in the eyes desperately¡ª "...Tell me that you''re joking." He said that. The words tumbled out before he even realized it. A whisper. A desperate denial. But¡ª "Sorry..." Jerusha just shook her head and mumbled that as a response. And contrary to Raye''s wish¡ª She didn''t refute it. "..." Jerusha just... stood there, looking at him. And in that moment¡ª "..." Raye knew. This wasn''t a mistake. This wasn''t a bad joke. This was real. And the weight of that realization crashed down on him like a hammer. "..." Raye became speechless. Three. Three horrifying news had already been dropped on him. Not even half an hour after waking up from a month-long coma¡ª And two of them¡ª They weren''t just about anyone. They were his family. (Obviously, not by blood, but Raye considers them as family...) Old Man Rey¡ªin a coma for over a month. Kyle¡ªlosing his left arm. And because of this¡ª "..." A deep, suffocating weight pressed down on Raye''s chest. His fingers twitched. A heat started to rise inside him¡ªboiling, festering, spreading through his veins like wildfire. And then¡ª "...!!!" Swoosh~ A low, burning rage slowly started building up inside him. His brows furrowed. "Haaa...! Haaaaaa...!" His breathing turned heavier, deeper. Fwip¡ª His hands clenched into fists, nails digging into his palms. Tight. Tighter. So tight that his fingers trembled. So tight that his own skin started to sting. And then¡ª Grit¡ª! Raye teeth clenched together. Hard. So hard that a sharp pain shot through his jaw. So hard that it felt like they were going to crack. And following that¡ª ''Urgh...!'' A storm of emotions raged inside him! Anger. Guilt. Frustration. Hatred. Hatred towards himself¡ªtowards the game scenario¡ªtowards everything! ''If only I was stronger.'' ''If only I had gotten there faster.'' ''If only¡ª'' So many ifs circulated inside of Raye''s head. But he knows it¡ª ''Dammit.'' "Dammit¡ª!!" He knows he can''t turn back time and change what has already happened. Fwip- sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The muscles in Raye''s arms tensed, his entire body trembling with restrained fury. And this fury¡ª It wasn''t just aimless rage. It had a target. A clear, undeniable target. The demons. Every single one of them. But especially¡ª That one. The noble demon. The one who stood alongside Rowan. The one who¡ªjust like Rowan¡ªwould soon be nothing more than a corpse. "..." Raye''s breath grew heavier. Hot. Ragged. His thoughts were clouded with a singular, all-consuming determination. ''I''ll get stronger... Much stronger...'' Raye thought. ''And then¡ª'' ''I''ll fucking kill every one of you.'' He declared that in his head, in silence. ''That''s a promise.'' Raye said internally. A vow made not in words, but in the depths of his soul. A blood-stained oath that only one outcome would be accepted. And then¡ª ''Especially you.'' Raye''s mind sharpened on that noble demon. The one who needed to die by his hands. A deep, burning hatred surged through him¡ª Pop¡ª! Veins bulged across his forehead. His fingers dug so deep into his palms that his nails almost broke the skin. His eyes¡ª Slowly turned bloodshot. Raye was stiffening in anger. And seeing that¡ª "..." Jerusha can''t do anything but just watch in silence. She didn''t know what to say. She didn''t know what to do. Because she had never seen Raye like this before. Not like this. Not this silent, boiling rage. Not this raw, violent fury. Not this Raye¡ª This Raye who looked like he was ready to tear through the entire world. ''...Raye.'' She wanted to call out to him. To say something. But¡ª "..." No words came out of her mouth. So instead, in silence too¡ª ''I''ll always be there for you.'' Jerusha vowed that to herself, looking at Raye with a resolute expression on her face. She had decided... ''I''ll always be just right there to support you.'' Jerusha declared to herself. ***** Anyway, after all of that¡ª "Fuuu..." Jerusha let out a small sigh. "Come on, let''s get you back to your room now." She said. Her voice was soft. Not demanding¡ªbut almost like pleading. And this time¡ª "Okay." Raye complied. No resistance. No inconvenience. "Thank you for bringing me here, and telling me about them." He said. "It was nothing... You have the right to know what happened and see them." Jerusha replied to him with a small smile. "..." Raye just smiled at her too. And with that¡ª "Careful..." Tap... Tap... Tap¡ª Jerusha carefully helped Raye, guiding him back to his room. T a p... Each step was slow, Raye''s body was really still weak as fuck. But eventually¡ª Creak¡ª They made it back to Raye''s hospital room. "There..." Puff¡ª "Ugh... Thanks..." Jerusha gently lowered Raye onto the hospital bed. And after that¡ª "Rest here for a while." She fixed the blanket over him, making sure he was comfortable. "I''ll call the doctor and get you some food." She said. Then¡ª Fwip- Tap- tap- tap¡ª Thud¡ª Jerusha stood up and left the room, closing the door behind her. And so¡ª "..." Raye was left alone in the room. Swoosh~ "..." The silence was deafening. And with nothing else to do... Fwish- Fwoosh- Fwaash~ Raye''s gaze wandered around the room, taking in the plain walls, the small bedside table, the dim lighting. It was a boring room. Too quiet. Too still. ''What should I do for the time being...?'' Raye asked in his head. But then¡ª At that moment¡ª FWOOSH¡ª A sudden gust of energy rippled through the air. And in front of Raye¡ª FWISH~ A bluish light flickered into existence! It was a system window. And it''s hovering right before his eyes. And seeing this¡ª "Wha...?" Raye''s eyes widened. Confusion hit him like a brick, he hadn''t expected the system window to appear right now. But ignoring that¡ª "Hmm?" Raye read what was written on the window. Chapter 176 - 176: 176 - After The Invasion [4] FWISH¡ª A bluish glow flickered into existence. A system window appeared right in front of Raye. "..." His eyes narrowed. He was confused. But ignoring that for now¡ª ''What''s this...?'' His gaze locked onto the glowing system window, reading what was written on it. ===== [Against All Odds ¨C Survivor of the Demon''s Onslaught!] [Rewards]: * +10 to All Stats * +50% Exp Boost for half a year {Title: Demon Slayer} (Acquired) * When fighting a demon, your stats increase by 10% ===== Raye stared at the screen. His mind, still sluggish from waking up, tried to make sense of it. "..." He remained silent. Even with the rewards in front of him¡ªRaye couldn''t bring himself to feel happy. Not after everything that had happened. The invasion. The aftermath. "..." Raye''s fingers twitched in annoyance. His body was still weak. His heart, still heavy. But then¡ª "Hm?" His gaze landed on the last reward. The title, [Demon Slayer]. He probably got it from killing Rowan. And reading its effect¡ª "Hah." A dry, hollow laugh escaped Raye''s mouth. "..." His eyes, void of warmth, grew cold. "It''s clear now." Raye muttered. And then, continuing¡ª ''Whoever is behind this system is really pushing me to get involved in the game scenarios.'' He declared that in his head. This wasn''t just a coincidence. It wasn''t luck. The system¡ªwhatever or whoever controlled it¡ªwas deliberately shaping Raye into a weapon. Pushing him. Guiding him. Forcing him toward one outcome. "..." Raye sat in silence, staring at the glowing window. Seconds passed. Then¡ª After a while¡ª "Fine..." His voice, quiet at first, hardened into something resolute. Something serious. "...I''ll get involved and kill those fucking demons for you." He mumbled that. Not to anyone in particular. Not even to the system. But to himself. His fury had not faded. Instead¡ª Fwoosh~ It was growing. Fwip- Raye''s nails dug into his palm, his breathing slow yet deep... ***** Anyway... As he was waiting for Jerusha to come back¡ª "..." Raye closed his eyes. He had nothing to do anyway. And so¡ª "Huuuuuuuu..." He took a slow, deep breath¡ª SWOOSH¡ª And began to meditate. Mana, the energy coursing through his body, had become stagnant after a month of unconsciousness. Raye could feel it¡ªsluggish, heavy, unresponsive. Which is obviously not good. He needed to get stronger. Faster. And the first step to that is to regain full control of his mana. Fwoom¡ª "Fuuuu...!" Raye exhaled. Then¡ªgently and steadily... F W O O O S H~!! He started circulating the mana inside him. It was like stirring still water, ripples gradually spreading outward. "Urgh..." Slowly, the dormant energy inside him began to flow. "..." Raye guided it through his veins, through his core, letting it pulse with each controlled breath. Fwooo~!! It was warm. Familiar. A power that belonged to him. And in doing this meditation¡ª "Haaaa¡­" Raye''s mind began to clear up. The weight in his chest didn''t disappear, nor did the fire in his heart, but¡ª This¡­ helped. "..." It kept him grounded. His anger¡ªstill there, still burning¡ªbecame something more controlled. Sharper. Refined. His rage was no longer an uncontrollable storm. But instead a blade. ''I''ll kill them.'' A blade he would use to get stronger. "Fuuuuuu..." Fwoosh¡ª Raye kept going, his breathing deep, steady, as his body gradually adapted to the mana flow. He could feel it. His recovery accelerating. His mana growing more responsive. This was only the beginning. Raye was going to get well soon. And once he did¡ª His promise would begin. The promise to slay every demon... ''This would''ve been more effective if I had drugs on me.'' Raye thought. (He''s talking about drugs like enhancement pills... He wants to make use of his talent.) ... ... ***** Not long after that, about half an hour later¡ª Click- Creak¡ª The door opened. "...?" Raye didn''t stop meditating¡ªhis mana continued to circulate within him¡ªbut he slowly opened his eyes. And there¡ª Tap- "I''m back, sorry for taking so long!" Jerusha stepped inside, holding a simple packed lunch in her hands. And beside her¡ª "Hello, kid. I''m here to check on your condition." S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. A calm, familiar voice reached Raye''s ears. It was Raphael. The elderly healer. Tap- tap- tap¡ª He walked in with his usual composed demeanor, a small frown on his face. Despite his age, his posture was straight, his presence firm. Swish~ His long white coat swayed slightly as he stepped closer to Raye''s bed. Jerusha, on the other hand¡ª Pat- "..." She just placed the food on the bedside table and glanced at Raye with a slightly furrowed brow. "Are you meditating right now?" She asked, feeling the mana from Raye. "..." Raye didn''t answer immediately. Instead¡ª Fwoosh¡ª He let out one final deep breath, stabilizing his mana flow before finally responding. "Yeah." His voice was calm. "It helps me recover faster." Raye said. "Remember your condition. Don''t overwork yourself." Jerusha followed. "I know, don''t worry." Then Raye responded. "..." Raphael just looked at them in silence, before stepping closer to Raye. Tap- "Well, at least you''re aware of your own body''s condition." Raphael said, adjusting the small bag slung over his shoulder. "But let me do my job, alright?" He added. And with that¡ª Fwip¡ª He pulled out a small wooden cane, tapping it lightly against the floor. TAP- SWOOOSH~ A faint greenish glow enveloped his hand as he reached out toward Raye. "Now, let''s see how badly you''re holding up." Raphael muttered to himself. And then¡ª Fwip¡ª His glowing hand hovered over Raye''s chest. "Huh?" A faint warmth spreading through Raye''s body. The healer''s magic gently flowed into him, examining his condition from the inside out. "..." Raye remained silent, his body still as the energy coursed through his veins. He could feel it¡ªhis muscles, his bones, his mana pathways¡ªeverything was being checked. "Hmm... " Raphael''s brows furrowed slightly in concentration. "...Not bad." His hand moved slightly, shifting from Raye''s chest to his arms, then to his legs, ensuring everything was in place. And after a few moments later. Fwish¡ª The healer withdrew his hand, the glow fading. "You''re good now." Raphael stated as he straightened his posture, dusting off his coat too. "You just need to rest and recover your strength, especially since you''ve been asleep for months." He followed. And hearing that¡ª Raye bowed his head slightly. "Thank you." His tone was polite, appreciative. For a moment... "..." Raphael just looked at him. Then, with a small smile on his face¡ª "I''m glad you survived." He said that. There was warmth in his voice. After all, every life that Raphael had saved meant something to him. It was why he did this in the first place. And hearing his kind words¡ª "Thank you." Raye repeated, sincerity in his voice. "Mhm." Swoosh~ Raphael simply nodded before turning away. Fwip- Tap- He grabbed his cane, tapped it lightly against the floor, and walked toward the door. But just as he was about to leave¡ª Fwish- "..." Raphael stopped on his track and glanced back, his gaze shifting between Raye and Jerusha. And then¡ª With a teasing smirk¡ª "I''ll leave you two lovebirds be. Just don''t disturb others if you''re going to do some exercise." Raphael said that. And looking specifically at Jerusha¡ª "Also, remember that he''s not fully recovered yet." He added that. "...?" Jerusha blinked. "...HUH?!" Her face turned red instantly. "HEY¡ª!" Raye, on the other hand¡ª His entire body stiffened. Embarrassment flooded him so fast that he nearly forgot how to breathe. His mouth opened¡ª But before either of them could protest¡ª "Meh, whatever." THUD¡ª Raphael just casually shrugged, stepped out, and shut the door behind him. Leaving¡ª "..." "..." Silence. Raye and Jerusha alone in the room. ''That damn old man¡­'' Raye cursed Raphael internally, his face still burning from embarrassment. He gritted his teeth. His fists clenched the sheets beneath him. ''He''s a healer! Shouldn''t he be more professional?!'' His thoughts were fuming, but on the outside¡ª "...Tch." Raye clicked his tongue and looked away, refusing to meet Jerusha''s gaze. And Jerusha¡ª "...Ugh." She groaned, rubbing her forehead. Her face was still red. "...That stupid old man." She muttered under her breath, clearly just as flustered as Raye. Neither of them spoke for a while. The air in the room felt awkward. And so¡ª "...Forget about it." Raye mumbled that, trying to shake off the embarrassment. "Yeah. I will." Jerusha quickly agreed. But even as she said that¡ª Her face remained flushed. ... ... ***** As the awkwardness faded¡ª "Here. Eat up." Jerusha handed Raye the lunch she brought. "Thanks." Raye took it without hesitation. A small smile flashed on his face before immediately tearing into the food. And the packed lunch¡ª Inside of it were fried chickens! And after not eating for over a month¡ª Crunch¡ª! "Nom...! Nom!!" GULP¡ª! Raye devoured it like it was his last meal on earth. He didn''t care about manners. He didn''t care how messy he looked. He was starving. And Jerusha¡ª "...Hehe." She just chuckled softly. Watching Raye eat like this, like a man fresh out of the battlefield, it was almost funny. But more than that¡ª "...Good." She mumbled under her breath, a sweet smile forming on her lips. Seeing him eat, seeing him regain his strength¡ª It reassured her. At least now, he was here. Awake. Alive. That was all that mattered. "...Thanks." Raye spoke between bites, glancing at her with a small, genuine smile. And Jerusha¡ª "Welcome." She replied with a sweet smile on her face. "Just hurry up and finish eating already." Her tone was casual, but the warmth in her voice was unmistakable. "...Yeah, yeah." Raye chuckled, continuing his meal. Jerusha stayed by his side, resting her chin on her hand as she quietly watched over him. Neither of them spoke much after that. But even in the silence¡ª There was comfort around them. Chapter 177 - 177: 177 - After The Invasion [5]—Catching up Nom- nom- nom¡ª As Raye continued eating, savoring each bite¡ª "Hm...?" He suddenly paused. Fwish- His eyes flickered toward Jerusha as his cheeks were still puffed with food. "...?" Jerusha, who had been quietly watching over him, blinked in surprise. "What is it? Do you need something?" She asked, tilting her head slightly. GULP¡ª Raye swallowed his mouthful of food before responding. "Can you tell me what happened while I was out?" He asked. His voice was calm, but his gaze was sharp and unwavering. A month was a long time. Too long. Raye needed to catch up on what happened. And Jerusha, hearing his request¡ª "Oh, okay." She nodded without hesitation. Of course, she''d tell him. Raye deserved to know. And so¡ª As Raye continued eating, Jerusha sat beside him and began. "I figured you''d ask that, so I''ll start from the beginning." She had come prepared. After all¡ª She had brought plenty of food. More than just one packed lunch. She knew how hungry Raye would be. And as he ate¡ª "So this is what happened after that¡ª" Jerusha began telling him everything. ... ***** ... Nom... Nom... Nom... Raye chewed his food slowly. Processing everything Jerusha just told him. Apparently¡ª There had been no classes held ever since the demons'' invasion. The academy focused on rebuilding the town and helping the citizens recover from the attack. Meanwhile¡ª The other academies were lending aid. Their staff members and students, they hadn''t gone back yet. Also, the security around the academy was being enforced. And how the demons got inside the barrier... It had been investigated. And based on the investigators¡ª The way the demons got in... "It was an inside job..." Jerusha declared, her expression serious. And hearing that¡ª "..." Raye''s stomach twisted. "Someone had deactivated the defenses from the inside." "The staff in charge of security were attacked." "Some unconscious. Some dead." Jerusha followed. It was a backstab. A betrayal. And the culprit behind it¡ª "It was Rickrey Marcos." Jerusha muttered, a frown appearing on her face. "..." Raye stopped eating all and all. The metal spoon that he was using was bent weirdly as he clenched his hands into fists so hard. And with a cold look in his eyes... "That bastard...?" Raye mumbled that, looking slightly down as Rickrey''s face appeared in his mind. It was the same Rickrey that lost against him in the sparring match and against Devin in the tournament. It was the same arrogant bastard who acted like he was above everyone. And as Raye thought that he couldn''t get any more trash¡ª "According to the investigation, Rickrey gained a lot of strength because he... He became a demon contractor." Jerusha suddenly went and stated that. "..." Raye became silent. "That fucker..." He muttered under his breath. His grip on his spoon tightened even more¡ª SNAP¡ª The cheap metal broke under his fingers. Jerusha noticed it. "..." But she didn''t say anything. Because¡ª She understood. Rickrey wasn''t forced into this. He wasn''t tricked. He deliberately chose to betray humanity and let the demons run rampage in a civilized place. He chose to side with the demons. He chose power over the lives of many innocents. And because of that¡ª People died. Raye took a deep breath. "huff..." And slowly exhaled it out weakly. "...How did they find out?" He asked Jerusha. His voice was calm. But Jerusha could hear it. The restrained anger from his tone. The silent storm. "..." Jerusha looked at Raye. Her expression was crumbling as she slowly frowns. "The survivors saw him." She said. "He wasn''t even hiding it¡ªhe was fighting alongside the demons, Raye." Then she added. "...Tch." Raye clicked his tongue. Rickrey wasn''t even hiding it. Meaning¡ª He was proud of what he did, he saw nothing shameful or bad about it. And that he doesn''t plan to return to this side anymore¡ªin humanity''s side... And that¡ª That pissed Raye off even more. "...What else?" He asked. "Ugh..." Jerusha closed her eyes for a moment. Then¡ª "The teachers and the headmaster already confirmed it. They''re treating him as a high-priority target now." "His execution is guaranteed if they catch him." She followed. "...Good." Raye responded to her. His voice¡ª Still calm. But his eyes¡ª His eyes were filled with something else. "...But the problem is." Jerusha continued. "They don''t know where he is now." "...I see." Raye muttered. Rickrey disappeared after that invasion. Typical. "Villains like him are cowards... After all." Raye whispered to himself. Rickrey knew that he''d be hunted and be treated as a most wanted enemy.. And yet¡ª He still did it. "Fuuuu..." Raye exhaled again. Then¡ª "..." He closed his eyes for a moment. And opening his mouth¡ª "Fucking bastard." He muttered that. ... ***** After eating and catching up with the general events¡ª "Where are the others?" Raye asked that to Jerusha. And without further ado¡ª "Well..." She started telling Raye about the others. ... ... Devin and Kyle¡ª "They were back at the shop and they''re operating it again." "But at the same time, they were helping in rebuilding the town by donating money used for the constructions." Jerusha said. Kyle, even with only one hand now, was still working hard. That guy¡ª ''He wasn''t going to let something like that stop him, huh.'' Raye thought with a smile. And Devin¡ª ''Well, that idiot wasn''t the type to sit still.'' He was doing whatever he could to help. Even if that meant heavy lifting or fixing broken buildings with sheer force. "...Those two never change." Raye muttered. "I agree." Jerusha just nodded her head with a smile on her face. Then¡ª Lycus, Leon, and Allen next. "The three of them were training..." "Together." Jerusha mumbled. Which meant¡ª They were going all out. Leon, a swordsman. Allen, a duelist. Then Lycus, a feral beast in human form. Each of them had their own fighting style. And if they were training together¡ª Then they were refining their skills with every bout they have! They were pushing themselves to do even better! Preparing for the next battle! "...That''s good." Raye whispered, hearing that the three of them are getting along now. Then, next¡ª Sofia. "She was producing mana and health potions like a factory... In just minutes." Jerusha ssid that with a frown. "That girl''s insane." Raye muttered, he knows first hand just how high quality was the potions Sofia was creating. "That''s true... Hehe..." Jerusha chuckled after hearing Raye''s words. "She''s been working non-stop." She said. "Some of the injured townsfolk are already recovering thanks to her potions." Then Jerusha added. "...I see." That was a relief. Having someone like Sofia around¡ª ''It made a huge difference.'' Raye thought to himself. And then, finally¡ª Lena next. "She''s always in the library... And she''s studying about healing spells now." Jerusha proclaimed. "...She''s been studying healing magic?" Raye asked to himself, muttering. "Yeah." Jerusha nodded. "She''s been reading everything she can get her hands on. Advanced healing spells, ancient techniques¡­ anything that might help." She explained. "..." Raye was silent. He knew why she was doing it. ''Someone probably almost died in front of her and Lena hated how powerless she was when that happened.'' And now¡ª "She''s pushing herself." Raye weakly whispered under his breath. And knowing Lena''s personality and a similar scene from the game¡ª "...Has she been eating properly?" Raye asked that. And at his question¡ª "Erm..." Jerusha hesitated. "She eats." She said. "But she barely leaves the library. I''ve tried bringing her food, but¡­" "...She just thanks me and keeps reading." And then she followed, letting out a tired sigh. "... She''s an idiot." Raye muttered. But¡ª He understood. Everyone was dealing with this in their own way. And Lena¡­ She just didn''t want to be useless ever again. "...Haaaa." Raye exhaled. Then¡ª "Thanks for telling me." He said that to Jerusha. "Of course." Jerusha smiled a little. Fwip- Raye nodded. Then¡ª "..." He closed his eyes. Processing everything. The town. The academy. His friends. The traitor. Rickrey. The demons. And the noble demon. There was a lot to think about. But one thing was certain¡ª Raye needed to get stronger. Fast. Then finally, after readying himself¡ª "Also... How are Pyro and Zephyrus?" Raye asked that, scratching the side of his right cheek and looking toward Jerusha. He had been worried about them. But¡ª Feeling that his connection with them was still intact... Raye knew they were doing fine. And hearing his concern¡ª "The two of them are at the cabin." Jerusha muttered that with a smile. "They''re taking care of it and protecting it. They''d be happy to see you¡ªI''ll bring them over later." "...Haaa." Raye let out a relieved sigh, his shoulders loosening slightly. "I''m glad." He mumbled weakly. Though¡ª "I don''t suggest summoning them right now." Jerusha added. "Hm?" Raye looked at her with questioning eyes. "They''re probably inside the Northern Forest now." "Meditating and recovering their mana." Jerusha continued. And hearing that¡ª "I got it..." Raye nodded. "I''ll let them rest for now." He understood. Spirits, like mages, needed time to recover their mana. Especially after something as draining as the invasion. And seeing Raye being so considerate¡ª "I''ll bring them later so you three can meet." Jerusha muttered that. She knew¡ª Raye wasn''t in any condition to summon his spirits casually right now. And noticing her kindness¡ª "Thank you." Raye smiled at her. A genuine, sweet smile. "..." Jerusha blinked. Then¡ª She looked away. sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "...It''s nothing." She muttered under her breath, her ears slightly pink. Chapter 178 - 178: 178 - Early in the morning When Raye woke up, it was already night. The room was dimly lit by a soft glow from the lantern outside the window. And when he glanced at the clock on the wall¡ª It was already 9 PM. And so, after eating his fill and talking with Jerusha a little more¡ª Raye decided to go back to sleep. His body was still sluggish. His strength hadn''t fully returned. On the other hand¡ª Jerusha remained in Raye''s room. She wanted to keep watch over his condition. After all¡ª He had just woken up from a month-long coma. Complications could still appear. At first¡ª "I''ll be fine, you don''t have to stay." Raye said that. But¡ª "Nope." Jerusha crossed her arms. "I''m staying." And she didn''t budge no matter how much Raye tried to refuse. So in the end¡ª "Haaa... Fine." Raye just let out a sigh in defeat. And opening his mouth again¡ª "...I''m going to sleep now." "Thanks again for doing this." He muttered that. "It''s nothing big." Jerusha smiled. "Sleep well. The faster you recover, the sooner you can get back on your feet." She said. "..." Raye stared at her for a moment¡ª Then¡ª Puff¡ª He sank into the bed. His exhaustion took over instantly. And within seconds¡ª "..." He fell asleep. "Haha..." Jerusha chuckled softly. "That was fast." She mumbled, a small smile forming on her lips. She could sense the mana in Raye''s body settling. That meant¡ª He was already in a deep sleep. Jerusha sat in silence, watching Raye''s peaceful, sleeping face. And for some reason¡ª Thump¡ª Thump¡ª Thump¡ª Her heart was racing. "Hmmm...?" Her face felt unusually warm. And the longer she stared¡ª The faster her heart beat. "...?" She blinked, confused. ''Why am I feeling this way?'' Jerusha asked internally. She shook her head lightly, trying to dismiss the strange warmth spreading through her chest. And after that¡ª S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Tap¡ª Fwip- She stood up from the chair. Her footsteps were soft as she approached the side of the bed¡ª Where Raye lay, deep in sleep. "..." Jerusha just stared at him for a few seconds. Then slowly¡ª Fwish¡ª She reached out her hand¡ª Tap- And gently brushed through his white hair. ''His hair is so smooth...'' She thought absentmindedly. Her fingers ran through the soft strands, ruffling his hair ever so lightly. "heh..." A small smile formed on her lips. And then¡ª Pat- pat- She started patting him. Soft, gentle pats on his head. Thump¡ª Thump¡ª Thump¡ª Her heartbeat grew even louder. Her cheeks were getting redder. Her whole body warmer. "..." And as she gazed at Raye''s sleeping face¡ª So calm. So handsome. So peaceful. A deep warmth bloomed in her chest. And softly¡ª "Sweet dreams." Jerusha whispered that with a tender smile. ***** The next day¡­ "Ughh... Haaaaaa..." Raye slowly woke up, his eyelids fluttering open. "Oof..." His body still felt sluggish, but at least his senses were much clearer than yesterday. Then as he adjusted to the dim morning light, his gaze wandered¡ª And¡ª "Hm...?" His eyes landed on Jerusha. She was sitting beside his bed, her head resting on the mattress, her arms tucked under it like a makeshift pillow. Her steady, rhythmic breathing told him that she was fast asleep. It didn''t take much for Raye to understand what had happened. ''She must''ve stayed up all night watching over me¡­'' Raye thought to himself. A quiet, gentle warmth spread through his chest. And then¡ª "..." A soft smile appeared on his face. Pat¡ª His right hand slowly reached out to her. Swish~ His fingers brushed against Jerusha''s silky purple hair, stroking it carefully, gently. Her soft, peaceful expression made him relax as well. And opening his mouth¡ª "Rest well." Raye whispered that, his voice low and warm. His expression was soft. His eyes tender. "..." For a moment, Raye simply watched her sleep, his fingers moving carefully so as not to wake her. But then, suddenly¡ª BAM¡ª!! The door to the room was violently thrown open! "HUH??" FWISH¡ª Raye''s head immediately snapped toward the doorway. And there¡ª He saw a group of people stood! Devin. Kyle. Lycus. Lena. Leon. Sofia. Allen. All of them stood at the entrance, staring at Raye. Their faces were brimming with excitement. They had heard from the elder healer (Raphael) that Raye had finally woken up¡ª And rushed to his room immediately! However¡ª What greeted them was¡ª "..." Raye. Sitting upright in bed. His right hand gently caressing the sleeping Jerusha''s hair. And his expression? It was soft. Tender. Affectionate. And seeing that¡ª ""Huh¡­?"" The seven froze on the entrance of the room, shocked and speechless. Their excited expressions shifted. Confusion. Shock. And in some cases¡ª A knowing smirk! A heavy silence fell upon the room. Raye, still half-awake, stared back at them. "...?" He blinked. Then blinked again. "...Huh?" And when his brain finally caught up¡ª "Wait...!!" His entire body flinched! FWISH¡ª!! His hand immediately shot away from Jerusha''s hair! His eyes wide, frantic as he looked back at them. "W-Wait, this isn''t¡ª" But before he could even explain¡ª "OOOOHHHHHH~" Devin and Lycus grinned. Grinned like devils. "Heh, well, well, well~ What do we have here?" Lycus smirked, folding his arms. "A tender, intimate morning scene? Damn, we really interrupted something good, huh?" Devin added, his smirk stretching wider. And Raye''s face? "Ugh..." He was frowning, embarrassed. His cheeks becoming rosy as time passes by. Raye opened his mouth again¡ª "It''s not¡ª" But before he could even deny it¡ª "Jerusha stayed with you all night, huh~?" Lena went and teased that, rubbing her chin. "How sweet." Sofia giggled, looking between Raye and Jerusha while smiling cheerfully. M "..." "..." Allen and Leon just stared. Their expressions were too unreadable. "...Should we leave? Let you two continue?" Leon seriously asked. And hearing his words... "Urgh..." Raye just massaged the temple of his head "No, you don''t need to leave..." He said. Kyle was about to say something this time too. But at that moment¡ª BAM¡ª!! A strong, loud sound echoed through the area! And following that¡ª "shut up... please..." They heard a voice. It was coming from Jerusha! "...!" Everyone froze. And then¡ª Fwish~ Jerusha lifted her head. Her drowsy, half-asleep face turning into one of realization. "Huh?" Her mind finally registering the situation. The way she fell asleep beside Raye. The way Raye''s hand had been stroking her hair. And the way EVERYONE was watching them. "..." A deep. Terrible. Silence. And then¡ª "¡ªHAAAAAAAAAAAAAH?!?!?!" Her entire face exploded in red! ***** The room was in absolute chaos. Jerusha''s face was burning. Raye was frantically trying to explain himself. And the others¡ª Devin and Lycus? Grinning like wolves. Kyle and Sofia? Teasing with playful smiles. Leon? Still seriously considering if they should leave. Allen? Watching with mild amusement. Lena? Just silently staring, a smile rested on her face. "Y-YOU GUYS¡ª!!" Jerusha stammered, her hands clenching into fists. "Wow, you two look so close." Lena giggled, tilting her head. "Yeah, yeah~ So tell us, when did it start becoming like this?" Lycus smirked. BAM¡ª!! Jerusha immediately threw a pillow at his face. "Shut up...!" She exclaimed in embarrassment. "Oof?! Violence first thing in the morning? Damn..." Lycus jokingly complained, rubbing his face. Raye, still flustered, covered his face with one hand. "Why are you guys even here this early¡­" He asked. It was just barely 6 AM. "Obviously ''cause we heard you were awake! Do you know how worried everyone was?" Devin grinned, throwing an arm around Raye''s shoulder. And at that, the mood finally shifted. The teasing died down. And one by one¡ª Their expressions softened. The excitement was still there, but now¡ª It was genuine relief. Sofia was the first to step forward, reaching into a small satchel on her hip. "You still look weak, here¡ª" Clink- She pulled out a small glass bottle, filled with a shimmering golden liquid. A high-grade healing potion. "Drink this, it''ll help with your recovery." She held it out to Raye with a gentle smile. Raye blinked, before accepting it. "Thanks, Sofia." He said. Pop- He uncorked it and took a sip¡ª A warm, soothing energy immediately spread through his body. His fatigue, his sluggishness¡ª It wasn''t completely gone, but it eased. Meanwhile, Kyle grinned and reached into a wrapped cloth. "Here, eat this too." Plop¡ª He placed a stick of beef skewers in Raye''s hand. "..." Raye looked at it. Then at Kyle. Then at the entire bag of skewers he was holding. "...Did you seriously bring an entire meal?" Kyle smirked. "Of course! You just woke up after a whole month. You must be starving." He said warmly. Raye saw that his left arm was really gone. It made him feel guilty. But he knows that Kyle doesn''t want that to break this moment. So instead, with a smile on his face¡ª "...Fair enough." Raye took a bite from the beef skewers in his hand. The juicy, seasoned beef melted in his mouth. "...hmm, that''s good." "Hah! I knew it!" Kyle grinned, hearing his words. The mood in the room gradually lightened. The teasing faded into warm conversation. Devin crossed his arms. "You really had us worried, Raye." Lycus nodded, grinning. "Yeah, I thought you''d be out for another month. Are you good now?" And at his question, Raye exhaled. "Still kinda sluggish¡­ but I''ll manage." He stated. Allen leaned against the wall. "Well, considering that it''s you... You''ll just need a little rest." He muttered, trying to act cool. Then Leon, who had been quiet¡ª "... I''m glad you survived." Finally spoke. "...Hmm?" Leon''s fierce black eyes met his. "You fought the demons. You held out. And even if you collapsed¡ª" After a short pause¡ª "You survived." He declared that. "..." For a moment¡ª Raye just stared. Then¡ª He smiled. "Yeah¡­ I did." Everyone was relieved. The weight of the past month¡ª The worry, the exhaustion, the uncertainty¡ª It didn''t disappear. But for now¡ª They could breathe. They could talk. They could laugh. Jerusha, still flustered, sat beside Raye, quietly listening to the conversation. She wasn''t talking much. But when she glanced at him¡ª And saw him eating, smiling, talking with everyone¡ª A small, relieved smile appeared on her lips. ''I''m glad¡­'' She thought to herself. And as the day went on¡ª They all talked and talked, catching up on everything they had missed. Chapter 179 - 179: 179 - Realization After meeting everyone again after being in a coma¡ª Raye and the others talked. They started catching up. Most of them were just filling Raye in on what they had been doing for the past month. Which Raye already knew some of it from Jerusha¡ª But hearing things directly from them was much more detailed. And so¡ª Raye listened with a smile resting on his face. At first, Jerusha was still quiet, still feeling the embarrassment from earlier. But after a while¡ª She calmed down and joined the conversation. And with that¡ª They all started talking, sharing stories, and updating each other. Raye was happy. Lycus. Devin. Lena. Jerusha. Kyle. Sofia. Leon. Allen¡ª They were having a good time too. Catching up with Raye... It was comforting. Because deep down¡ª They were really worried. And now that they saw him awake, alive, and smiling¡ª It finally felt real. And as the conversation went on¡ª Kyle suddenly unwrapped something. Beef skewers. "Alright! Enough talking, eat up!" Kyle grinned, holding them out. And when he did¡ª "Whoa, you brought all that?" Devin blinked. "Heh! I came prepared!" Kyle smirked. And like that¡ª Everyone started eating. The room was filled with the scent of grilled meat, the sounds of chewing, and the occasional teasing. For the first time in a while¡ª It felt... normal. ... ... But as the afternoon arrived¡ª One by one¡ª They started leaving... Kyle left first. He couldn''t leave the shop unattended for too long, especially since it was still being rebuilt. "Don''t worry, I''ll drop by again later." Kyle said, waving as he left. Next was Allen, Leon, Lycus, and Devin. They were heading to the woods¡ªprobably to spar. "Rest up, Raye. We''ll be back later." Leon said simply. Devin smirked. "Next time, you''re joining us." Lycus chuckled. "Yeah, no slacking off forever, you know." "...Right, right." Raye laughed, waving them off. And not long after¡ª Sofia left too. She needed to make more potions to help the injured. "Take care, Raye. And don''t push yourself too hard." She reminded him before leaving. And finally¡ª Lena. She returned to the library. Studying more healing magic. She didn''t say much¡ª But as she left, she gave one last glance at Raye before disappearing behind the door. And just like that¡ª "..." "..." Raye and Jerusha were left alone again. But soon¡ª "I need to go back to my dorm too." Even Jerusha needs to leave. "I need to clean myself up and take care of a few things." She said. Raye looked at her. She had been with him since the moment he woke up. She probably needed the break. "Alright." He weakly nodded his head. But before leaving¡ª "I''ll come back first thing in the morning, so don''t worry." Jerusha said with a worried smile. And smiling back at her¡ª A reassuring smile of his own¡ª "Rest well. Don''t worry, I''ll be fine." Raye declared that. "..." Jerusha stared at him for a moment. And then¡ª A real smile. Genuine. Soft. Compared to the last one¡ª This one felt lighter. And with that¡ª Thud- She turned and left, the door shutting behind her. "..." Raye was left alone in the room. Fwish- Fwoosh- He looked around. It was Quiet. Empty. The warmth, the noise, the laughter that filled the room just moments ago¡ª "Hmm..." It was gone. And now¡ª Only silence remained. "..." Raye''s gaze lowered. His right hand¡ª The same one that had just been patting Jerusha''s head earlier. The same one that had just been grabbing a beef skewer. The same one that had just been waving goodbye to everyone. Now¡ª It just rested on his lap. Cold and still. "...This is boring." Raye mumbled. His fingers twitched slightly. He clenched them¡ª Then loosened them again. "Haaaaaaa..." A sigh escaped his lips. For the past month, he had been unconscious. Not thinking. Not feeling. But now that he was awake¡ª Now that he had felt the warmth of his friends again¡ª Being alone like this felt... Lonely. "..." He leaned back against the headboard. He stared at the ceiling. His mind started drifting¡ª Back to the battles. Back to the flames. Back to the moment he collapsed. Back to the moment he almost didn''t wake up. "..." His eyes slowly shut. And deep inside¡ª A thought crept in. ''What if I never woke up?'' A question that made his heart nervous. ''Would they have still been laughing like that?'' He asked, pertaining to Jerusha and the other. ''Would they have still eaten together like that?'' ''Or would they have been¡ª'' But then¡ª "...Tch." Raye clicked his tongue, shaking his head. ''What was he even thinking?'' S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. He said in his head, realizing how negative he was being. Jerusha and the others... They were here. They were alive. And so was he. That should be enough. But still¡ª Fwip- Raye clenched his fist again. The silence of the room pressed against his chest. It felt... heavy. And for the first time since waking up¡ª He realized something. Lying in bed like this... Doing nothing... Being alone in an empty room... Remembering about Old Man Rey... "Fuuu..." Raye realized that being weak in this world can make you lose something or someone important. And so with a resolute expression on his face¡ª "I need to recover fast and get out of this damn room." Raye declared that. And with that¡ª Puff¡ª He laid down on the bed and rested instead. ... ... ... ***** Four days had passed since Raye woke up. And finally¡ª "You''re good to go now. We hope to not see you here so often." Raphael said that with a smirk on his face. He was being discharged! "...Hah." Raye exhaled, a small, relieved smile forming on his lips. He was healed enough to leave the hospital. He could finally go back to normal. And hearing that news¡ª "Finally..." He muttered that under his breath. And then¡ª "Yay! You''re out now!" Jerusha''s voice rang out, full of excitement. Fwish¡ª "..." Raye turned to her. She was beaming. Her violet eyes glowed with warmth. Her hands were clasped together, and her smile¡ª It was genuine, bright, and happy. Thump¡ª A strange, yet familiar warmth pounded in Raye''s chest. And at that moment¡ª ''Ah...'' A realization dawned on him. From the moment he had opened his eyes¡ª Jerusha was there. She had been watching over him when he was still in a coma. She had been the first person he saw when he woke up. And even after that¡ª She had stayed. Through the past few days¡ª She was there. "..." Raye''s gaze softened. His mind recalled even more. She even kept her promise. She brought Pyro and Zephyrus yesterday. And just remembering how excited the two spirits had been¡ª How they nuzzled into him, full of joy and relief¡ª Raye''s smile widened. He continued remembering. Not just these past few days. Not just this time. But before too. Throughout the time he knew her. Every single time she had helped him. Every single time she cared for him. And at the end of all those thoughts¡ª Something clicked inside Raye. ''I see...'' He realized something himself. A truth he had never acknowledged before. "..." His lips almost curled up even more. His face threatened to heat up. And looking at Jerusha again¡ª The way she smiled. The way she cheered for his recovery. The way she looked so happy just because he was okay. Thump¡ª Thump¡ª Thump¡ª His heart pounded faster. His breath hitched. And finally¡ª A single thought entered his mind. ''I like her.'' Thump¡ª His heart confirmed it. Thump¡ª Even more. Thump¡ª And even more than that. "..." Raye''s face heated up. His heart was pounding so fast, he almost thought it would burst out of his chest. And then¡ª A thought entered his mind. ''I want to tell her.'' Right here. Right now. ''I want to tell Jerusha how I feel...'' Raye declared internally. (Bruh... That''s bold...) But then¡ª "..." ''No.'' Fwip¡ª He suddenly shook his head, forcing himself to calm down. The old man. The demons. The situation. Everything. It all came crashing back down on him. ''Not now.'' Raye thought. This wasn''t the time. Not when things were still uncertain. Not when there was still so much ahead of them. And so¡ª After finally calming himself down¡ª ''Once everything has settled¡­ that''s when I''ll tell her.'' Raye declared that to himself. So instead¡ª "..." He just stayed silent. He looked at Jerusha. She was still smiling. Still cheering for him. Still happy. A bright, genuine smile on her face. And seeing that¡ª "...?" Jerusha blinked, tilting her head in confusion. She had noticed the way Raye was staring at her. But she didn''t question it. She just kept smiling. She just kept being Jerusha. And looking at her like that¡ª ''God, she''s so cute.'' Raye thought of that. Thump- thump- thump¡ª His heart was beating faster. But¡ª "Fuuu..." Raye took a quiet breath, steadying himself. He wasn''t flustered. He wasn''t panicking. He had already made up his mind. Not now. His feelings were clear, but he would wait. He was calm. "...Raye?" Jerusha called out, tilting her head slightly. He had been staring at her for a while now. "Ah... It''s nothing." Raye simply smiled, his gaze warm and unwavering. Jerusha blinked but then just shrugged it off, still smiling brightly. "Well, come on! You just got discharged, right? Let''s get out of here!" She stretched her arms and turned toward the door. And watching her¡ª Raye let out a small chuckle. "Yeah." He followed after her, his steps light. Even if he wasn''t saying it yet¡ª He already knew. And that was enough for now. Chapter 180 - 180: 180 - A Call Just a few minutes after getting discharged from the hospital¡ª Tap¡ª "I''m home." Raye arrived at the cabin, stopping at the entrance. And there¡ª -Hm? -Meep?! He was greeted by Zephyrus and Pyro. -MEEEEEEP!!! FWOOSH¡ª! Pyro shot toward him¡ª PASH!! Burying his tiny fire face into Raye''s left cheek. -MEEP!!! He chirped excitedly, his flames flapping nonstop. And seeing him like that¡ª "Haha... I''m happy to be back too." sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Raye chuckled, lifting his hand to gently pat Pyro''s small, warm body. Fwish~ -How''s your condition? Zephyrus then flew beside him and asked that, his tone was calm but there''s a hint of concern. "Hmm?" Raye turned to him. And with an awkward smile¡ª "I''m all good now." He declared that with confidence. -Mhm... That''s good. Zephyrus replied casually, acting as if it wasn''t a big deal. Though in reality... He was relieved. Happy. Raye knew this, so quietly¡ª "..." He just smiled. Then, at that moment¡ª "Hi guys, I''m also here... Hehe..." Jerusha appeared behind Raye! She had been following Raye, making sure he was okay. ''I would''ve told her before that I could handle this on my own¡­ but now, I don''t mind her company at all.'' Raye thought, a small grin forming on his lips. -Meep! Pyro chirped, greeting Jerusha with excitement. -Hello. Zephyrus simply followed, waving his right wing at her. And then¡ª "Let''s go inside now. I have some roasted chickens from Kyle." Raye suddenly announced that, raising a bag in his hand. And after hearing his words¡ª -Meep! -I''ll clean the table. FWOOSH¡ª Pyro and Zephyrus immediately zipped inside to prepare. "I''ll help them." Jerusha then said with a smile. And with bright eyes¡ª Tap- tap- tap¡ª She followed after the two. Raye watched the three of them go, chuckling softly. "Guess everyone''s hungry." He mumbled. And with that¡ª Tap¡ª He stepped inside the cabin. Though, as soon as he entered¡ª "..." He stopped. He was frozen in his place. His feet just barely crossed the door. Then silently¡ª Fwish~ Raye''s gaze drifted around. The cabin was just as he remembered. Untouched. Unchanged. ''Hmm¡­ those guys must''ve been taking care of this place.'' He thought, pertaining to Devin and the others. "..." The inside of the cabin was spotless. "Hah..." A soft laugh escaped Raye''s lips. But then¡ª "..." His smile faded slightly. His gaze lowered to the wooden floor. "...I''m home... I''ll be waiting for you..." His voice was weak, almost a whisper. A quiet promise. He was talking about Old Man Rey. Raye wanted him to recover quickly and return¡ªso they could go back to their normal lives. But he shook the thought away. Fwip¡ª Lifting his head, his expression returned to normal. And as if nothing had happened¡ª "..." Tap¡ª tap¡ª tap¡ª He started walking again, following Jerusha and the others inside. ... ... ***** Nom- nom- nom¡ª Chomp! GULP¡ª The sound of crunching filled the cabin as Raye bit into a juicy roasted chicken leg. And across from him¡ª "Hmmn?! Shoo gooshd...!!" Jerusha took a bite as well, her eyes lighting up at the taste. -Meep! Meep! -This is really good. nom- nom- nom- Pyro and Zephyrus happily munched on their own smaller portions, their bodies shaking slightly. The warmth of the meal, the laughter, and the chatter made the atmosphere feel light. They talked about random things¡ª Jerusha mentioned how the academy had been quiet lately after the invasion. Zephyrus told a funny story about how Pyro got stuck inside a bag of flour at Kyle''s shop. Pyro, of course, squeaked in protest, making Jerusha and Raye giggle. Raye mostly listened, a small smile on his face. This... It felt peaceful. And as they ate, talked, and laughed¡ª Time passed quickly. And before they knew it¡ª ... ... "...I should get going now." Jerusha suddenly said that. The four of them had already finished eating lunch just a few tens of minutes ago. "Hm?" Raye blinked. "Already?" He asked. He hadn''t realized how much time had passed. And at his question¡ª "Mhm." Jerusha nodded. "I still have things to do back at my dorm." She said. And without further ado¡ª She stood up and started preparing to leave. -Meep¡­ Pyro made a small, sad noise, looking up at Jerusha. -You''re leaving? Zephyrus asked, tilting his head. Jerusha smiled at them. "I''ll be back tomorrow." She declared. Fwish- Then she turned to Raye. "You better not pass out while I''m gone, okay?" Jerusha said. "Haha... I won''t." Raye replied with a chuckle. And seeing him smile like that¡ª "Good." Jerusha nodded, satisfied. Then¡ª Tap- tap- tap¡ª She walked toward the door. Fwip- Raye stood up too, following her. Zephyrus and Pyro followed after. And when they reached the entrance¡ª "..." Jerusha turned back to him, hesitating for a second. Then¡ª She smiled. "See you tomorrow, Raye." Jerusha muttered. Raye looked at her. "...Yeah. See you tomorrow." And with that¡ª Thud¡ª The door closed behind her. Raye stood there for a moment, staring at the door. Then¡ª "Haaaa..." With a small exhale¡ª Tap- He turned around and started walking back back inside. Fwip¡ª Raye slowly looked around the cabin. "..." It was quiet. Too quiet. The space that once felt small and cozy¡­ now felt strangely big. With just him, Pyro, and Zephyrus here¡ª It felt... empty. Raye clicked his tongue. ''Damn it¡­'' He cursed out. Raye misses the Old Man. After waking up days ago¡ª He was greeted by Jerusha. Then the next day, his friends came to visit him. These had made him forget. Forget the silence. Forget the loneliness. And now, with everyone gone¡ª They all came rushing back. "Fuuuu..." Raye let out a slow breath. Then¡ª He shook his head. ''No time for this.'' He thought. His eyes sharpened. He was done sitting around. If there was one thing he realized while lying in that hospital bed¡ª It was that he hated being powerless. The demons were still out there. The old man was still unconscious. And Raye¡­ he still had a long way to go. Clench¡ª He clenched his fists. ''I need to get stronger.'' He proclaimed in his head. Then at that moment¡ª -Meep? Pyro tilted his head, noticing the change in Raye''s expression. -What''s wrong? Zephyrus asked, his eyes narrowing. Raye exhaled. Then¡ª A smirk tugged at his lips. "Nothing." He turned toward them, eyes blazing with determination. "But starting today¡­ training resumes." ... ***** The next day, in the northern forest... Fwoosh¡ª! Raye took a deep breath. Then¡ª BAM¡ª! He launched himself into a sprint. Tap¡ª Tap¡ª Tap¡ª Tap¡ª His feet barely touched the ground as he sped through the dense forest, weaving between trees like a shadow. His movements were fluid, precise¡ªalmost unnatural. Fwip¡ª! A sharp turn. Bang¡ª! He kicked off a thick branch, soaring high before landing effortlessly on another. Breathe in¡­ Breathe out. His body was still recovering, but he wasn''t about to take it easy. He had lost too much time. His body had gotten sluggish. His battle instincts dulled. His balance wasn''t as sharp as before. He needed to fix all of that. Now. THUMP¡ª! He suddenly stopped on the highest tree branch, standing perfectly still despite the height. Balance... check. Then¡ª CRACK¡ª! He slammed his foot down, breaking the branch he stood on¡ª And as he fell¡ª Fwip¡ª! He twisted his body mid-air, rotating swiftly¡ª And with perfect timing¡ª BOOM¡ª! He landed on the ground. Smooth. Controlled. Not a single misstep. Raye grinned. ''Not bad.'' But he wasn''t done yet. Whoosh¡ª! A gust of wind rushed past as he immediately dropped to the ground, entering a low stance. Push-ups. One hand. Then¡ª BOOM¡ª! He pushed off the ground with so much force that his entire body lifted into the air. Then¡ª SLAM¡ª! He switched hands mid-air and caught himself, continuing the reps. One... Two... Three... His muscles burned, but it wasn''t enough to stop him. Next¡ª BOOM¡ª! He launched himself off the ground with a push-up so strong it sent him flipping backward. Mid-air, he straightened his body¡ª And¡ª CRASH¡ª! Landed with a roll. He immediately broke into a sprint again. Tap¡ª Tap¡ª Tap¡ª Next test¡ªbattle sense. Raye''s eyes sharpened. He needed to regain his instincts. So¡ª He closed his eyes. Darkness. Only his senses to rely on now. Fwoosh¡ª A rustling in the trees¡ª! BAM¡ª! Raye moved before thinking, dodging a falling branch just in time. His body was remembering. The movements. The danger. The flow of battle. Yes. He was getting back into it. Little by little. And with every moment, every motion¡ª Raye''s grin widened. ''This is more like it.'' Fwoosh¡ª! He dashed forward, his body moving on pure instinct. BAM¡ª! His foot slammed into a thick tree trunk, sending cracks running through it as he flipped backward, twisting mid-air before landing effortlessly. His breathing was steady. His muscles burned, but it was a good burn. He was getting back into rhythm. And just as he was about to continue¡ª Tap¡ª Tap¡ª "Huh...?" Raye felt a presence. Someone was approaching. Fwish¡ª! Raye''s sharp gaze flickered toward the source¡ª The leaves rustled, and then¡ª "Raye!" Jerusha emerged from the trees. She had rushed to find him. Raye blinked. "Jerusha? You''re early." Raye straightened up, wiping a bit of sweat off his forehead. Jerusha stepped closer, hands on her mouth. "You¡ª" She pointed at him, her expression shocked. "Do you ever take a break? You were discharged just yesterday, and you''re already pushing yourself this hard?" She said. "I don''t have time to take it easy." Raye replied with a smirk. Jerusha sighed. "You''re seriously impossible..." But then¡ª Her expression turned serious. "Anyway, I came here because the headmaster is calling for you." Then she declared that. "Huh?" Raye''s smirk faded. "The headmaster?" Jerusha nodded. "Yeah, he said it''s important." Raye''s eyes narrowed slightly. If the headmaster was calling for him right after he got discharged¡­ Then this wasn''t just some casual meeting. Something was up. "...Alright." He exhaled, rolling his shoulders. "I''ll go see him now." Raye muttered. Chapter 181 - 181: 181 - Rewards! After resting and changing into his best set of uniform¡ª FWOOOSH¡ª!! Raye shot forward like a bullet, dashing toward Xapham Hall, where the headmaster''s office was located. "Ohh, you''ve mostly regained your speed, huh." FWISH¡ª Jerusha muttered as she flew beside him, easily matching his pace. She was accompanying him. "Yeah, eating a lot really helped." Raye answered. His movements were smooth, controlled¡ªhis body finally feeling like his own again. And with how fast they were moving¡ª ----- ---- T A P¡ª They arrived in no time to the Xapham Hall. "..." Raye and Jerusha stopped at the entrance of it, all silent. Fwip- Jerusha turned to Rate. "Well then..." She stretched her arms lightly. "I''ll be going now. I need to see Professor Jacqueline." She said. Raye glanced at her, nodding. "Alright. Thanks for accompanying me." A small but genuine smile formed on his face. ''Hmm, he''s smiling more now, huh.'' Jerusha thought, pausing for a second before smiling back. (Guess why Jerusha!!! Guess why!!!) And after that¡ª Tap- tap- tap¡ª Tap- tap- tap¡ª They parted ways. Raye exhaled, rolling his shoulders. "Time to claim my rewards, I guess." And with that¡ª He headed straight for Bryan''s office. ... ***** "..." Raye quickly arrived at his destination, standing before the large wooden door of Bryan''s office. And before he could even knock¡ª "It''s open. Come in." A calm yet authoritative voice came from inside. It was Bryan Blackwood''s¡ªthe headmaster. "Hm?" Raye narrowed his eyes slightly. ''Did he sense me approaching? Or was he just expecting me?'' He asked in his head. Either way¡ª Creak¡ª Tap- He pushed the door open and stepped inside. And there¡ª "..." He saw Bryan seated behind his desk, leaning back slightly, his sharp gaze already fixed on Raye. "Good. You''re here." His voice was composed, but there was a weight behind it. Fwish¡ª Raye walked forward and stood before the headmaster''s desk. "...You called for me?" Bryan studied him for a moment before nodding. "Yes. Have a seat." He instructed. Then¡ª Pat¡ª Raye sat down on the chair across from him, waiting for what was next. Bryan rested his elbows on the desk, lacing his fingers together as he observed Raye. Then¡ª "How''s your condition?" His tone was casual, but his gaze was sharp, as if analyzing every movement Raye made. Hearing that¡ª Raye leaned back slightly on his chair. sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Hmm... I feel fine now." He answered honestly. "I''ve been eating well, moving around, and even training earlier." His lips curled into a small smile. "So yeah, I''d say I''m back in shape." Bryan''s eyes narrowed slightly. "Back in shape, huh?" A brief silence filled the room. Then¡ª "You almost died, Raye." Bryan''s voice turned serious. "And it hasn''t even been a full week since you woke up." "...I know." Raye replied, his expression steady. "I won''t say I''m at my best yet, but I won''t let myself stay weak either." His voice was firm. Resolute. Bryan just looked at him for a moment. Then¡ª "...Good." A smirk of approval formed on his lips. "Because I didn''t call you here just to check on your condition." He said. "You already know why I called you, right?" Bryan leaned slightly forward, his sharp gaze fixed on Raye. And without hesitation¡ª "Yeah, it''s to talk about my rewards... Right?" Raye answered confidently, his eyes meeting Bryan''s without wavering. "Mhm." Bryan nodded, a small smirk playing on his lips. "You''re right." Then, without beating around the bush¡ª Thud¡ª He rested his arms on the desk, his expression turning serious. "What do you want?" His voice was calm yet heavy. "If it''s within my power, I''ll grant it." His sharp eyes observed Raye, waiting for his answer. "..." Raye stayed silent. His eyes lowered slightly as he took a moment to carefully rethink his choices. This was an opportunity¡ªone he couldn''t waste. Then, after a while¡ª "I want three rewards." He declared that! (Shameless bastard... Good one, Raye.) His voice was firm, unwavering. "...?" Bryan leaned back slightly, his gaze sharpening. "Go on." And after getting the signal to continue¡ª Raye immediately opened his mouth. First¡ª "I want to get a month off from the academy, without my grades dropping or losing my scholarship." He said. "...?" Bryan''s brows furrowed. He squinted his eyes at Raye, but after a brief pause¡ª "...That''s doable." He nodded his head. "You deserve at least that much." Then second¡ª "I want access to the magic engineering lab, and I want to be able to freely use the materials there." Raye requested that. "Huh?" Bryan''s expression darkened slightly. Tak- tak- tak¡ª His fingers tapped against the desk. "That one''s a little tricky." He mumbled, leaning forward again. "Unrestricted access to the lab isn''t something I can just hand over. The academy has its own rules." Bryan explained. "I don''t need full access. I just need the materials to work on some stuff." Raye remained calm and replied. Bryan''s frown deepened. "That''s the issue, some materials for magic engineering are either expensive or hard to get. So it''s hard to let you use them however you want." He added. And without beating around the bush¡ª "Then let''s settle for a compromise." Raye said, looking directly at Bryan. "I''ll only use the common materials. And if I need anything rare, I''ll go through the proper requests." He followed. And at his words¡ª "..." Bryan''s tense expression softened "...Is that all?" He asked. Raye smirked slightly. "And let me use one Epic-rank material." Then he muttered that with a straight face! "..." Bryan stared at him for a long moment. Speechless. He was thinking about Raye''s proposal. Then after a while¡ª "...Tch." He clicked his tongue. "You sure know how to negotiate, huh?" Bryan said. "I''ve learned a thing or two." Raye''s smile widened. "Haaaa...." A deep sigh escaped Bryan''s lips. Then finally¡ª "Fine. You get access to common materials, you can request rares with approval, and you get one epic material of your choosing." He nodded his head, accepting Raye''s proposition. "Sounds good to me." Raye''s smirk turned into a full grin. Bryan narrowed his eyes, he can''t believe he just agreed to that. But remembering what Raye did before... He decided to just shrug it off. So¡ª "...Your third wish?" The rewarding continued. Bryan asked, his tone steady but watchful. "..." Raye didn''t answer immediately. He went silent again. His expression was unreadable as he lowered his gaze slightly, deep in thought. Bryan''s brow twitched. ''Why is he taking so long to say it...?'' A strange sense of unease crept up his spine. ''Is he about to ask for something outrageous...?'' He frowned, his fingers tapping against the desk. But shaking off his bad feeling¡ª ''If it''s something unreasonable, I can just refuse it.'' Bryan reassured himself. "..." Tak- tak- tak¡ª But the longer Raye stayed silent, the more his nerves tensed. ... ... And then¡ª Finally, after about a full minute of silence¡ª Raye opened his mouth. And with a straight face¡ª "I want money." He confidently muttered that. "...?" Bryan blinked. And during that¡ª Raye''s gaze lifted, sharp and unwavering. "A lot of money." He followed. Bryan froze for a second. Then¡ª "Pfft¡ªHahaha!" He burst into laughter. "You had me thinking you were about to ask for something absurd!" Bryan exclaimed, relief. "..." Raye just smiled at him. Bryan shook his head, wiping away a stray tear. "So, money, huh?" He leaned forward, resting his elbows on the desk. "And what exactly do you need ''a lot'' of money for?" Bryan asked, narrowing his eyes. Then without hesitation¡ª "Drugs." Raye answered immediately. "...What?" Bryan blinked. Then, after a moment of silence¡ª "Huh? What? Can you say that again?" He leaned forward, his expression twisting in confusion. Realizing how misleading his words sounded¡ª "I mean enhancement drugs that would help me get stronger." Raye quickly clarified. "Ahhhh..." Bryan let out a long sigh, slumping back in his chair. "For a second there, I thought I was going to have to expel you on the spot." He muttered, rubbing his temple. "Haaa..." Bryan exhaled through his nose, regaining his composure as he looked at Raye. "How much money do you want?" He asked directly, getting straight to the point. But instead of answering with a specific number¡ª Raye let out a sly smirk. "I don''t know. Based on the other two rewards that I''m getting, you decide how much you can spare me." His tone was casual, almost carefree, yet there was a sharpness behind his words. Bryan''s brows twitched slightly. Raye was deliberately avoiding giving an exact amount. And it didn''t take long for Bryan to understand why. The brat was trying to maximize his reward¡ªgetting the most money possible while still keeping things within a reasonable range. Raye was being careful. Not greedy enough to make Bryan outright refuse. But not modest enough to sell himself short. The realization made Bryan chuckle under his breath. "...Cheeky brat." He muttered, shaking his head. Still, it wasn''t like he was going to go back on his word now. Scratching his head in mild frustration¡ª "Fine. I''ll get your three rewards sorted out as soon as possible." He stated plainly, as if it wasn''t a big deal. But it was. Because in that moment¡ª He had just accepted all of Raye''s demands! And hearing that¡ª "Thank you." Raye grinned widely, his expression almost too satisfied! Bryan''s eye twitched slightly. That smile... That damn smile... "...Is this what it feels like to sign a deal with the devil?" Bryan muttered under his breath, realizing that he had just been thoroughly milked dry. "Ugh..." He groaned, rubbing his temples as if he had just made the worst deal of his life. "You really don''t hold back, huh?" He muttered. Raye just grinned, unfazed. "I just take what''s given to me." "More like you take as much as you can without crossing the line." Bryan scoffed, shaking his head. "Exactly." Then Raye replied without hesitation. Making Bryan let out another sigh and just frown in silence. Chapter 182 - 182: 182 - Teach Me "I can probably grant you your second and third rewards by tomorrow." Bryan said after thinking about it for a while. And Raye¡ª "Sweet. I''ll come back tomorrow then?" He was happy to hear that. "Yeah, do that." Bryan mumbled. "And your first reward, the one-month break, you can use it whenever, starting from now." Then he added. "Hmm... Can I ask when the academy will start again?" Raye asked, resting his chin on his right hand as he calculated things in his head. And without much thought about it¡ª "Probably in two weeks." Bryan casually answered. "The town''s reconstruction is stable now¡ªno more immediate fixes needed. It should be fully rebuilt in about a month. So, we plan to reopen the academy in two weeks." He explained further. And hearing that¡ª "I got it." Raye nodded, finalizing his plans in his mind. And with all his questions now answered¡ª "I''ll be going now, Headmaster. Thank you." Raye excused himself. "Okay. Take care." Bryan replied, already turning his focus back to the mountain of paperwork on his desk. And without further ado¡ª Creak¡ª Thud- Raye left the headmaster''s office. As he walked down the hall¡ª "Hmm... Hhmm¡ª" He hummed a tune, a big smile on his face. ----- "..." Bryan glanced up, silently looking at the door where Raye just left. ''That brat...'' He let out a tired sigh, leaning back on his chair. A small frown appeared on his face as he recalled Raye''s three requests¡ªespecially the second one. "What is he going to do in the magic engineering lab anyway?" He grumbled. But even though he said that¡­ "Hah." A small smile remained in his face. Because, in truth¡ª Raye deserved all of the rewards he had requested. Not just because of what he did in the friendly tournament and the monster hunt¡ª But purely because of what he had done during the invasion. It was far beyond what any student¡ªno, even most professors¡ªhad accomplished during that chaotic invasion. Raye¡ª ''He killed a High-Rank demon.'' Something that should have been impossible for most students. ''And not only that...'' Raye also fought a Noble Demon! He stalled it in its place! Yes it was toying with Raye and was not fighting seriously... But Raye still faced it alone! And in doing so¡ª ''He prevented countless casualties... He saved a lot of lives.'' If that Noble Demon had been left free, if Raye hadn''t kept it occupied, then¡ª ''The entire town would''ve been wiped out, along with the citizens.'' Bryan clenched his fist as he thought of that. The town¡ª It had all been on the verge of collapse because of the invasion. It''s destruction was stopped by Raye alone, when he realized for some reason that the demons'' attack on the tournament was merely a diversion. "If ever, his rewards are a bit lacking..." Bryan muttered with a shrug. He was shaking his head in amusement. If it had been anyone else, they might''ve demanded something far greater¡ªhigh-ranking artifacts, noble titles, even a recommendation for a direct position in the empire''s forces. But Raye? All he wanted was time, resources, and a little money to get stronger. And with those three... Bryan could already tell. "What is he even up to...?" That Raye was preparing for something even bigger. And somehow¡ª "Heh." That just made him happy. And with a smile on his face¡ª "I guess I''ll add something in his rewards from me personally." Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Bryan muttered that. ***** After leaving Bryan''s office¡ª "Hmm... Hnmmm... hmm...¡ª" Raye didn''t head back to the cabin immediately. Instead¡ª Tap- tap- tap¡ª His footsteps echoed as he walked down the halls, heading toward another destination. An office that belonged to someone else. Someone who he had recognized as the fastest person he had ever seen. And that someone¡ª "I wonder if he''s in his office." It was Ramiel Hale. The head professor of the [S CLASS]. A man known for his hellish training, casual and carefree actions¡ªyet also feared for his insane battle prowess and speed! Tap¡ª "I''m here." Raye arrived at the door of Ramiel''s office, and without hesitation¡ª Knock. Knock. He knocked firmly. "..." Swoosh~ For a moment, silence filled the air. This made Raye think that his professor was away. ''Too bad, I''ll just come back tomorrow then.'' He declared in his head, about to walk away. But then¡ª "¡­Enter." A calm, yet commanding voice suddenly responded from inside! "...?!" And Raye quickly recognized who it was. Ramiel. Anyway... Creak¡ª Tap- Raye pushed the door open and stepped inside the room. And there, sitting at his desk, reviewing a stack of documents¡ª "..." Ramiel Hale looked at him. His messy hair, tired expression, and the dark bags under his eyes from lack of sleep made him look lifeless and pale. His sharp, onyx-black eyes flicked up, locking onto Raye''s figure. "¡­Well, this is a surprise. Glad to see that you''re still alive, kid." Ramiel leaned back slightly in his chair, placing the documents aside and taking a breather. "I didn''t think you''d come looking for me, what do you want?" He asked. His tone was unreadable. "Wait... Are you even okay, Professor Ramiel?" Raye suddenly asked, seeing his appearance. Ramiel blinked, tilting his head slightly. Then after that¡ª "Haaah..." He let out a long, exhausted sigh. And opening his mouth¡ª "I''m just bored doing all these damn paperworks." He grumbled that. "I don''t want this. I''m being forced to do this... Ugh..." He leaned back, rubbing his temples in frustration. Then, like a dam breaking¡ª He started complaining nonstop. "I mean, seriously! What kind of combat instructor spends hours sitting at a desk doing nothing but processing documents?!" His eyes twitched in annoyance. "I should be outside, training students, testing out new techniques¡ªdoing something actually useful!" He ranted, gesturing at the mountain of papers in front of him. "But nooo, that bastard headmaster of ours dumped all this garbage on me just because I ''have leadership qualities.'' What bullshit! I don''t have a single ounce of talent in leadership!" Fwip¡ª Ramiel aggressively flicked a paper aside, his expression twisted in pure frustration. Meanwhile, Raye¡ª "..." He just stared at him. Watching this grown man lose his mind over office work. It was... kind of amusing. Especially considering the fact that this same man had once dragged him through hellish training sessions without a single ounce of mercy. And now? Now, here he was, whining like a child because of paperwork. ''Heh...'' A smirk slowly formed on Raye''s face. "...Wow." That was all he said. And upon hearing that¡ª "Tsk." Ramiel clicked his tongue and crossed his arms. "You''re judging me, aren''t you?" Raye didn''t even hesitate. "A little." He went and replied with that. Ramiel groaned, rubbing his temples. "Shut up. What do you want?" Then he asked that again. And this time¡ª With more confidence¡ª "I''m here to cure your boredom, actually." Raye declared that. His voice carried an undeniable weight. And hearing those words¡ª "...?" Ramiel frowned, his frustration momentarily replaced by curiosity. And before he could even attempt to speak or respond¡ª "I want you to train me." Raye stated that. His voice was firm. His gaze resolute. And hearing him¡ª "..." Ramiel fell completely silent. His brain seemed to pause for a moment, trying to comprehend what he just heard. Then, as if that wasn''t enough¡ª "To be exact... I want you to teach me your lightning technique." Raye suddenly went and added that. "And also... I want you to make me faster." Ramiel¡ª "Huh? What?... Huh?" He was so shocked that he actually stuttered. It wasn''t every day that someone came to him, not just asking for training, but specifically requesting his lightning technique¡ªone of the most advanced techniques in existence, and his unique, signature technique! And on top of that, Raye was even asking him to make him faster! "..." Ramiel blinked. Once. Twice. And then¡ª "...Are you insane?" He just blurted that out. And without hesitation¡ª "Yeah, kinda." Raye replied that to him with a smirk on his face! And hearing his response¡ª "..." Ramiel became silent again. But just seconds after¡ª "HAHAHAHA¡ª!!!" He started laughing loudly, he was amused! Fwish- He looked at Raye¡ª His face was still serious. His eyes were still brimming with resolution. And seeing that he was not joking¡ª BAM¡ª! F W O O S H~ Ramiel slammed his hands on his table, cracking it and scattering the documents on top of it! And with a wide grin on his face¡ª "Follow me, you crazy bastard." Ramiel instructed that to Raye. Without missing a beat¡ª Tap¡ª Raye stepped forward. The two of them left the room without hesitation. "Just so you know, I haven''t accepted your request yet." Ramiel said, stretching his arms and rolling his shoulders, shaking off the stiffness from sitting for hours. And already predicting this¡ª "I know." Raye replied, a casual smile on his face. He was already preparing himself for what was about to happen. "Good." Ramiel smirked, cracking his knuckles. "We''ll have to see first if you''re worthy of my techniques and training first." Then he proclaimed that with confidence. Chapter 183 - 183: 183 - Flash After leaving the office¡ª Raye and Ramiel made their way to one of the academy''s indoor training grounds. The air inside was still and heavy, carrying the faint scent of sweat and scorched wood from past training sessions and duels. And there¡ª "Get ready." Ramiel said that, his tone sharp and direct. And without wasting any time¡ª Fwip¡ª He began stretching his body, rolling his shoulders and loosening his joints. He has a smile on his face, glad that he''s not doing paperwork anymore. "..." Raye watched him in silence. ''So we''re going to fight, huh...'' He thought. "Ugh..." Then a small frown appeared on his face. He had expected some kind of test, but seeing Ramiel casually warming up like this meant he was taking it seriously. But shrugging his shoulders¡ª "Whatever." Fwish¡ª Raye just started preparing himself, rolling his wrists, shifting his stance. Preparing himself for whatever was coming next. ***** After a few minutes¡ª "Hmm, all done." Raye was fully geared up. Tap- tap- tap¡ª Walking away from the equipment rack¡ª Swish- Two wooden swords were in his hands. SWOOSH¡ª He was giving them a few test swings to get a feel for their weight. Then¡ª Fwip¡ª He strapped a light leather vest onto himself, tightening the buckles. It wasn''t much in terms of defense, especially against Ramiel, but it was better than nothing. And after that¡ª Fwish¡ª He reached for a set of throwable wooden daggers, tucking them securely into the vest''s small compartments. Raye''s movements were smooth, methodical. And once he was fully equipped¡ª "Fuuuu..." He exhaled slowly, gripping his swords tightly. Meanwhile... "..." Ramiel simply put on a pair of leather gloves. A temporary replacement for his personal gauntlets. Clench¡ª He tightened his fists. Then¡ª BAM¡ª!! Fwoosh~! He punched them together, sending a small shockwave rippling through the air. His energy surged¡ªhe was fired up! "Hm?" And after seeing that Raye was already good to go too¡ª ''Heh.'' A sly smirk appeared on Ramiel''s face. Then opening his mouth¡ª "Climb up the arena and let''s start." He instructed that, his voice laced with anticipation. "..." Raye frowned slightly at Ramiel''s words. But with no choice in the matter¡ª ''Well, here goes nothing.'' Tap- tap- tap¡ª He silently complied, making his way toward the arena, each step echoing against the walls of the training hall. He climbed up, his thoughts filled with mild grumbling. And soon¡ª T A P¡ª! Both him and Ramiel stood atop the solid concrete floor of the arena. "..." Their gazes locked. They stood on opposite sides, the tension settling in the space between them. Crack- Ramiel stretched his neck from side to side, loosening up as he spoke. "We''re going to fight, that''s the test." He said. "..." Raye remained silent, already expecting this. Then¡ª "Since you can''t defeat me¡­" Ramiel said boastfully¡ª "...?" Raye''s brow twitched in annoyance. But he didn''t argue. Because it was true, unfortunately. There was no world where he could beat Ramiel right now. Still¡ª ''It was irritating hearing it so bluntly.'' Raye thought. Anyway¡ª "And so..." "You''ll pass once you land a successful attack on me." Ramiel continued and declared that with full confidence. Like he had already decided his own victory. A sly smirk rested on his face. "...?" Raye tilted his head, confused by what he had just heard. But before he could even process it¡ª "We''re immediately starting now!" Ramiel suddenly exclaimed that! ***** "..." Raye just stood in place, silent. Even though his test had already begun. He looked at Ramiel¡ª "Taking your time, huh. Don''t make me wait for long." And Ramiel was looking back at him with a confident smile. Seeing that¡ª ''He''s serious.'' Raye thought. And shaking his head¡ª "Okay..." He refocused himself. Then without any more further ado¡ª F W O O S H¡ª He started circulating mana inside his body! "..." Raye never took his eyes off Ramiel as he did so. S W O O O S H¡ª!! A powerful gust of wind surged around his body. It was like he was standing in the eye of a tornado. But then¡ª SWISH¡ª The winds started condensing. F W I S H¡ª! They all gathered at his legs, swirling violently around them! And seeing that¡ª "Still using the same technique, huh." Ramiel mumbled that, a small smirk on his face. He had seen Raye use this skill countless times before. He couldn''t help but admire how Raye had developed such a technique on his own. But still¡ª ''It''s not fast enough to catch me.'' Ramiel thought, slightly disappointed. ''If this was my first time seeing this, it would''ve work on me.'' He added. However, just then¡ª "I''m going to borrow some of your strength, Zephyrus." Raye suddenly mumbled that. "...?" Ramiel frowned, confused. He thought that Raye was now spewing random shits to confuse him and catch him off guard. But then, at the next moment¡ª "[Summon]" S W O O O O O S H¡ª!!! A powerful burst of wind suddenly exploded from Raye''s body! "Ugh...?!" Ramiel groaned as a violent gust sent dust flying, shaking the entire area! Fwip- He quickly raised his left arm to shield his eyes from the pressure. But as soon as he did that... ''Now.'' Raye saw that as an opportunity¡ª "[Flash]" And then he muttered that! "?!!" Ramiel''s eyes widened when he heard that. He knew what was coming! FWIP¡ª He immediately moved his left arm away from his face¡ª And then¡ª "...!" He saw him. Raye was already in front of him! ''Brat...!'' F W O O S H¡ª! The sudden burst of speed sent a violent gust spiraling behind Raye! His wooden sword was raised¡ª And with no hesitation¡ª S W I S H¡ª! He swung it down toward Ramiel''s shoulder! But¡ª T A P¡ª Ramiel''s foot shifted. F W I S H¡ª! His body twisted slightly¡ª And in that instant¡ª S W O O S H¡ª Raye''s attack struck nothing but air! "..." Though Raye had already predicted this! ''As expected of the fastest person in the empire.'' He stated in his head. And then¡ª Without hesitation¡ª S W I S H¡ª! He swung his other wooden sword! But this time, Ramiel was already prepared¡ª F W O O S H¡ª! He moved. His right fist shot forward, it was a direct counter! B A M¡ª! His fist collided with the wooden sword in Raye''s left hand¡ª And just like that¡ª C R A C K¡ª! It shattered like it was nothing! "Not fast enough, kid." Ramiel said with an arrogant smile on his face, his eyes still locked onto Raye. But Raye¡ª "..." He just stared back straight into Ramiel''s eyes. He was still calm. Still composed. And then¡ª "[Flash]" He muttered that again with a slight smile! F W I S H¡ª! Then he suddenly disappeared! And the next thing Ramiel knew¡ª F W I P¡ª Raye was behind him! "?!" His eyes widened in pure shock! ''What...?!!'' Raye was faster than before¡ªfar beyond what he remembered! But even though Ramiel saw him¡ª Even though his instincts screamed at him to move¡ª He was too late. "Thank you for being too complacent and underestimating my condition." Raye''s voice came from behind him, a quiet, mocking mumble. And then¡ª T W H A C K¡ª!!! A sharp impact struck his right ribs! Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Urgh...?" Ramiel''s eyes widened slightly as he felt the impact from Raye''s strike. And before he could retaliate¡ª Tap¡ª Tap¡ª Raye had already backed away, keeping his stance as he watched Ramiel carefully. And then¡ª "..." Silence. Ramiel remained still, his expression blank. He was now facing Raye. A few seconds passed¡ª Then¡ª "...Hah." He let out a small laugh. ''I can''t believe I lost.'' Ramiel thought. "Are you sure you just woke up from a coma?" He asked, frowning at Raye. "Haa... Haaa... Yeah..." Raye responded, breathing slightly heavier but still composed. And after everything had finally calmed down... "Damn it, this isn''t stress relieving at all." Ramiel grumbled with a smirk, rolling his shoulder as he exhaled. Then, with a nod¡ª "Fine, I''ll teach you." He announced that! And hearing him say that¡ª "Sweet." Raye smiled, wiping some sweat off his forehead. He just used almost all of his mana in a duel that didn''t even last for 10 seconds. "You really got me there. I thought you were still recovering." Ramiel mumbled, stretching his neck. "Honestly, I thought the test was easy when you said what it was. " Then Raye shrugged, his breathing steadying. (He was expecting something harder, that''s why he was confused earlier when Ramiel said what the test was.) "Hah...! Only you would think something like against me." Ramiel let out a snort. "Cheeky bastard." Then, rolling his shoulders once more¡ª "Alright, training starts tomorrow. I''ll beat that crazy idea of yours into shape." He stated that. "I''m looking forward to it." Raye grinned, already prepared for the hell that awaited him. "I gotta admit, you''ve improved more than I expected." Ramiel crossed his arms, looking Raye up and down with an amused glint in his eyes. "I''ll take that as a compliment." Raye smirked. "You should. But don''t get cocky¡ªtoday was just a test. Tomorrow, I won''t go easy on you." "Good. I don''t want you to." Ramiel let out a low laugh before turning around. "Get some rest, kid. You''ll need it." And with that¡ª Their training was set in stone. Meanwhile... -Huh? Where am I? Zephyrus was confused. He had just been flying with Pyro back at the cabin when, out of nowhere¡ª Raye summoned him to borrow his power. Chapter 184 - 184: 184 - Getting Back on Track "Huuuu..." Raye let out a tired sigh as he walked. He was currently on his way out of Xapham Hall. "Ugh..." He was exhausted. He had burned through a huge chunk of his mana in an instant, pushing himself to the limit earlier¡ªjust to make himself faster, just to catch Ramiel off guard. ''If he hadn''t assumed I''d be slower because I just woke up from a coma... And if it wasn''t for Zephyrus... I wouldn''t have been able to catch him off guard.'' Raye declared in his head, his brows furrowing. He just got lucky. If Ramiel had been even slightly more cautious, things wouldn''t have worked out the way they did. Anyway, speaking of Zephyrus¡ª -Hey, Raye. A voice suddenly spoke beside him. Fwish- "Hmm?" Raye turned his head slightly, spotting Zephyrus flying beside him, flapping his wings hard to keep his round body afloat. He hadn''t unsummoned him yet¡ªpartly because he hadn''t thought about it, but mostly because it was nice having someone to talk to on his way back. Moving on¡ª -Why the hell did you summon me earlier? Zephyrus asked, tilting his little head. "Hm?" Raye blinked at the question. Then, in the most casual manner¡ª S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Needed your power." Raye answered with a shrug of his shoulders. -Hah? "I needed to borrow your mana to go even faster." -...What? "To win the test Ramiel gave me." -... Zephyrus fell silent. He stared at Raye for a few seconds, trying to process his answer in his cute little head. Then¡ª -Hmm. Okay. He just accepted it, as simple as that. Raye chuckled slightly. "Thanks to you, I passed it." He stated genuinely. And with a complicated feeling settling in his cute little chest¡ª -Erm... No problem...? Zephyrus replied awkwardly, unsure how to take the praise. He felt like he did nothing. After all, he was just summoned. ... ... Anyway¡ª After that, the two of them just started heading back to the cabin. Their pace was unhurried. Fwoosh~ The cool afternoon air brushing against Raye''s skin as he walked through the academy''s refixed paths. For a while... "..." -... Neither of the two spoke, they were just looking around. But then¡ª "So... what''s been going on at the cabin while I was gone?" Raye suddenly asked, breaking the silence. Fwap! Zephyrus flapped his wings lazily, tilting his small head in thought. -Hmm, well... It''s been the same as always. Just minus you and the Old Human... It was a bit lonely. He answered. "..." Raye was speechless when he heard that, especially the last part. He felt a sting in his heart. "...I see." That was all he could say at that moment. ***** After that small talk¡ª Raye and Zephyrus just silently continued on their way. Raye''s steps were steady, still unhurried. Swoosh~ Zephyrus just floated beside him, flapping his wings lazily to keep up. They talked from time to time, but nothing too deep like before¡ªjust casual exchanges now. Sometimes about the academy. Sometimes about how weird it felt to be walking like this again after the invasion. And other times, just simple complaints. -Hah... I hate flying long distances. My wings feel sore. Zephyrus grumbled, stretching them out. Raye scoffed. "You literally fly everywhere. How can you even get tired?" "And the cabin isn''t even that far." He said. -Hey, it takes effort, okay?! Unlike you humans, I have short legs. I can''t just casually stroll around! Zephyrus exclaimed. Raye let out a small chuckle after hearing that. The conversation stayed light as they made their way back. And before long¡ª ... ... Tap¡ª They arrived at the cabin. "We''re here." Raye muttered under his breath before stepping inside. And as soon as he did¡ª -MEEEEEEP!!! FWOOOOSH¡ª! A bright fireball shot straight at him! "Huh?!" Raye barely had time to react before¡ª TWHACK! Something small and warm smacked right into his chest! "Ugh¡ª!" Stumbling slightly, he looked down¡ª And there¡ª "...Pyro?" The little fire spirit clung to him, his tiny flames flickering wildly in excitement! Raye then realized¡ª After he summoned Zephyrus¡­ Pyro was left alone here. And with that¡ª A pang of guilt settled in his chest. "...Sorry about that, Pyro." His voice was soft as he slowly reached out, gently patting the little spirit''s head. Pyro''s flames flickered, his body warming up even more at Raye''s touch. And then¡ª A small smile formed on Raye''s lips. "Let''s eat. I brought beef skewers from Kyle''s shop for you." He said with warmth. -MEEEP!! Pyro excitedly responded. He was hungry now too. And with that¡ª The three of them ate lunch... They''re a bit late for lunch though. ***** After finishing lunch¡­ Tap- Raye stepped out of the cabin. Swoosh~ Rustle- rustle- rustle¡ª The afternoon air was cool, the gentle rustling of leaves filling the quiet space. Tap- tap- tap¡ª He walked a few steps forward¡ª "Hup." Twap- And sat down on a tree stump. And there¡ª "..." He fell into silence. His mind drifted back to everything that had happened today. His meeting with the Headmaster. The rewards he proposed. His quick duel with Ramiel. And¡­ how he ended up accepting to teach him. Thinking about it now¡ª ''It all happened so fast.'' "..." Raye felt that it was somewhat unreal. But shaking his head¡ª "I should just be glad everything went as planned." Raye just said that. Raye also remembered that tomorrow, he''d be busy too. He''d meet with the headmaster again to receive his rewards. Then, he''d meet with Ramiel to start their training¡ª The hellish training. Just thinking about it made his body tense. He already knew Ramiel wouldn''t go easy on him. No matter how exhausted he was, no matter how much his body ached, he''d have to push through. But Raye didn''t mind. It was exactly what he needed. And after that¡­ "I''m going to check the magic engineering lab and start with my plan as soon as possible." He muttered, his gaze lowering to his hands. The plan. It was something he had been thinking about for a while now. A project that could potentially change everything¡ªbut only if he got it right. He had to get started as soon as possible. There was no time to waste. So with that many things happening to Raye tomorrow, did he rest? No! Instead¡ª He just went right back to training! ''I don''t have the luxury to take it easy.'' He declared in his head. And just like that¡ª Raye continued his usual training. Hours passed. He trained until 9 PM... Until his stamina was completely drained and his mana was exhausted. And only after pushing himself to the limit¡ª Puff¡ª "Ugh..." ¡ªDid he finally collapse onto his bed. "..." His body felt heavy. His mind foggy. And just like that... He fell asleep. That was the only time he rested. Oh, and also¡ª -... -... Zephyrus and Pyro were curled up beside him, fast asleep on the bed too. ... ... ***** The Next Day¡ª "Ugh..." Raye woke up early as usual. And the first thing he did? "Time to work." Was to chop logs. Thwack- thwack- THWACK¡ª! The sharp sound of his axe splitting wood echoed through the quiet morning air. He worked swiftly, stacking the chopped logs neatly to be used as firewood later. Then after finishing that, he went and started preparing breakfast for him and the two. The aroma of cooked meat and fresh bread soon filled the air. And with that¡ª Raye walked back in the cabin, straight to the two who were still sound asleep on his bed. "...Wake up, you two." He calmly said. -... -... Neither of them responded. Raye sighed. And then¡ª Bam! -MEEP?! -Uagh?! W-What?! With a simple flick to their foreheads, both Zephyrus and Pyro jolted awake in confusion. "Breakfast is ready." That was all Raye said before leaving his room and sitting down to eat. -... Still half-asleep, Zephyrus and Pyro groggily floated toward the table, joining him for the meal. ... ... Then after eating breakfast¡ª Fwip- "I''ll get going now." Raye grabbed his weapons and set out alone to the Northern Forest. His goal? It was to check the traps that Old Man Rey had placed. ... ... The trek was peaceful, the cool morning air refreshing as he moved through the dense woods. And soon¡ª Raye found what he was looking for. Two deers were caught in the traps. Both were already dead. So with swift efficiency¡ª "Hmm." Fwish- Raye secured them and carried them back to the cabin. ... ... After getting back and processing the deers'' bodies¡ª "Time to stretch." Raye started his normal training. Like push ups, running, sit ups... Anything that strengthens his body! He did these for an hour or two! Only stopping once he felt satisfied. And at that point, sweat dripped from his body, and his clothes clung to his skin. And after seeing that¡ª "Guess it''s time to wash up now." Raye made his way to the nearby river. And there¡ª SPLASH!!! He jumped in the water to clean himself. The cool water was refreshing as he bathed, washing away the fatigue from his training. Then once he was done... "Ugh... Cold..." Raye returned to the cabin, dried off, and changed into his uniform. Fwip- And with all of that finished¡ª "I''m leaving now." Raye finally set off, headed toward the Xapham Hall. Chapter 185 - 185: 185 - Gearing Up! As soon as he stepped into Xapham Hall¡ª Raye didn''t waste any time. He moved with purpose, heading straight for Bryan''s office. Standing before the door, he knocked once and spoke. "Headmaster, it''s Raye." A brief silence followed before a calm, familiar voice responded from inside. "Come in." Bryan''s tone was casual, as if he had been expecting him. And without further ado¡ª Creak¡ª The wooden door groaned as Raye pushed it open. Tap¡ª His shoes made a light sound against the floor as he stepped inside the room. Looking at Raye¡ª "..." Bryan gestured toward the chair opposite him. "Sit." He instructed. "..." Tap- tap¡ª Puff- Raye silently complied, moving forward and taking his seat without a word. And the moment he settled in¡ª Thud! Bryan placed a bag on the table in front of him. The sound was heavy. "Hm?" Raye''s eyes immediately widened as he looked at the bag, already having an idea of what was inside. And before he could even open his mouth¡ª "That''s 500 gold coins." Bryan declared that without hesitation. "..." Raye was speechless. Five hundred gold coins. That amount wasn''t something he could just brush off. And unconsciously¡ª "Heh..." A small smile tugged at his lips. "..." Bryan noticed and smirked as well. Then, with a casual motion¡ª Fwoosh¡ª!! A box appeared out of thin air! THUD! It landed heavily on the table near Raye. "...?" Raye blinked in confusion. He glanced at Bryan, searching for an explanation. Bryan, still smirking slyly, leaned back and¡ª "Take a look inside." He spoke casually. "...?" Raye had no idea what was going on, but¡ª Fwip¡ª He followed Bryan''s words and lifted the lid. ''I wonder what''s inside.'' The thought crossed his mind as he peered inside. And the moment he did¡ª "Wha¡ª" Raye''s eyes widened. Inside the box, neatly arranged, were ten enhancement pills¡ªeach one brewing with mana! Fwish¡ª His gaze snapped toward Bryan. And with a casual shrug¡ª "That came from me personally. Doesn''t do much for me, but I''m sure it''ll help you. Consider it an extra reward." Bryan stated nonchalantly. "..." Raye was at a loss for words. But almost immediately¡ª "Thank you." He bowed his head. "Meh, it''s nothing big." Bryan waved it off. (For him, it really wasn''t. The man had money.) Then, as if remembering something¡ª "Now, take a look at the other contents of the box." He added. "Huh?" Raye blinked, confused. ''There''s more?'' His gaze returned to the box. And sure enough¡ª There was another item inside. A book. Its brown cover looked unassuming, almost too plain compared to the pills. He hadn''t noticed it earlier, completely distracted by the enhancement pills. ''What''s this?'' Curiosity sparked in his mind. Then, after a moment¡ª "..." He glanced at Bryan again. And¡ª "Heh..." Bryan was grinning. No, smirking like an idiot! He was waiting. Waiting for Raye''s reaction. ''Bruh, what the hell is this?'' Raye thought, exasperated. Then, without further ado¡ª Fwip¡ª He picked up the book. Fwish¡ª He flipped it open. And¡ª "..." Raye began reading. At first, it seemed like nothing special. ''Oh, it''s just a grimoire.'' That was his initial thought. But as he kept reading¡ª "Huh...?" His eyes narrowed. Something was off. This wasn''t just any grimoire. The deeper he read, the more he realized¡ª ''What the fuck...?'' The book in his hands¡ª It contained Bryan''s personal technique. His telekinesis. And noticing how stunned he was¡ª "Heh... Surprised?" Bryan spoke boastfully, his voice full of pride. "..." Raye looked at him, his mind racing. He opened his mouth several times, but¡ª No words came out. Seeing his reaction, Bryan chuckled. "I understand how you feel. Receiving something like that must be shocking." He spoke arrogantly, brimming with confidence. (And he wasn''t wrong.) Then, with a smug grin¡ª "Though, that''s not my complete technique." He added that. Raye''s eyes flickered. "It''s better than most of the telekinesis magic in the world¡ªthose weak imitations of my power... But it''s not as great as my complete technique." Bryan explained, his tone as casual as if he were talking about the weather. "..." Raye remained silent. He had already figured that was the case. But still¡ª ''This is a big deal! Even in the game, there was no way to learn Bryan''s telekinesis!'' He declared that in his head, excitement surging through him. Anyway, snapping out of his stupor¡ª "Ugh... You''re acting really proud, huh..." Raye finally spoke, closing the grimoire and eyeing Bryan with a smirk. "Hah! Of course. This is my technique we''re talking about." Bryan leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms. Raye shook his head, still feeling the weight of what he had just received. "Well¡­ I won''t say no to free power up." He said. Bryan laughed. "Smart choice." A brief silence passed before Raye took the bag of gold and the grimoire, standing up. He looked at Bryan, his expression calmer now. "Thanks. For everything." Raye muttered, genuinely. Bryan waved him off. "Just don''t waste it." He casually mumbled. Raye nodded. And with that¡ª Tap- tap- tap¡ª Creak¡ª Thud- He turned around, walked to the door, and left the room. "..." Bryan stared at the closed door in silence. Then, scratching his cheek¡ª "Hmm... I probably gave him too much." He muttered to himself. But almost immediately¡ª S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. He shook his head. "Meh." He just shrugged it off. ''For some reason... I''m quite fond of that brat. So whatever.'' He declared in his head, a small smile resting on his face. ***** Fwoosh¡ª Raye stored the bag of gold and the box Bryan had given him into his spatial storage ring. And immediately after¡ª "Time to suffer, I guess..." Tap¡ª Tap¡ª Tap¡ª With a small frown on his face, he started making his way to Ramiel''s office. ... ... Upon arriving at his destination¡ª "It''s Raye." He knocked firmly, making his presence known. "..." Silence. There was no response from inside. ''Is he not here?'' Raye wondered, furrowing his brows. But then¡ª BAM! The door slammed open without warning! "Ugh...?!" Raye instinctively jumped back, but not fast enough¡ªhis nose still got clipped by the edge of the door. And from inside¡ª "Finally. I thought you backed out." Ramiel stepped out with a wide grin, looking at Raye with amused eyes. "Ouch... What''s the big deal?" Raye grumbled, rubbing his nose as he shot Ramiel an irritated look. "You got hit?" Ramiel asked, tilting his head. "Yeah, obviously." Raye retorted. And with a casual shrug¡ª "That''s because you''re slow." Ramiel stated matter-of-factly. "?!" Raye''s eyes widened. He opened his mouth to argue¡ªbecause that was ridiculous! He was probably the fastest student in Zion Academy! But before he could even get a word out¡ª "Yes, you can move fast, but that''s all. Your reaction time is shit. You sense things and attacks just above average. Your field vision is narrow. And you can only move in a straight line." Ramiel listed off his flaws with brutal honesty. "Gugh..." Raye fell silent. Because... ''He''s right...'' He bitterly admitted in his head. Then¡ª "That''s what we need to fix first before I even consider teaching you my technique." Ramiel followed up, crossing his arms. And with that, he turned on his heel¡ª "Let''s go." Tap¡ª Tap¡ª Tap¡ª Without waiting for a response, he started walking away. "..." Raye silently watched his back. Then¡ª Tap¡ª Without another word, he followed after him. The two of them were headed toward one of the academy''s indoor training grounds. And just like that¡ª Raye''s hellish training began. ... ... ----- Ramiel didn''t hold back. Not even a little. The training was purely physical¡ªno magic, no fancy techniques. Just grueling, relentless drills meant to break Raye down and rebuild him stronger. Dodging exercises that pushed his reflexes to their limits. Sprinting and agility drills that forced him to move unpredictably. Strength training that left his body screaming in pain. Reaction training where he had to evade attacks with zero warning. Like, he literally attacked Raye while they were having a one minute break! And through all of it¡ª Not once did Ramiel teach Raye his technique. When Raye finally caught his breath and asked¡ª "When do I start learning your technique?" Ramiel simply smirked and said¡ª "Fix your foundation first, brat." And that was that. Raye suffered through hours of brutal training until his body could barely move. And by the end of it¡ª Thud! He collapsed onto the floor, exhausted. And yet... He clenched his fists. Because deep down¡ª He knew all of this was necessary. ***** Finally, after a couple of hours¡ª "Ugh..." Raye separated from Ramiel, groaning with a deep frown on his face. He was annoyed. He was exhausted. And his entire body was screaming at him to take a break. But instead of doing that¡ª "..." He found himself standing in front of the Magic Engineering Lab. "I can just rest while I''m working on something." He muttered under his breath. (Bruh, rest...) And with that¡ª Tok- tok¡ª He knocked on the double doors. "..." Silence. Raye waited. And after a few moments¡ª Creak¡ª The door slowly opened from the inside. "Huh?" An older man, his dark hair streaked with gray, peered out. His sharp eyes briefly scanned Raye before a look of recognition crossed his face. "Ah! The headmaster told me about you. I was expecting you." He greeted him with a welcoming smile. "Ah, hello." Raye greeted back, keeping his tone polite. "Come in, come in. I''m the only one here at the moment." The man stepped aside, motioning for him to enter. And without hesitation¡ª Tap¡ª Raye walked inside. He was limping a bit though. The man definitely noticed but chose not to say anything. "Now, I know your restrictions and whatnots." "I''m currently working on my own project, so I''ll be keeping an eye on you, but I won''t bother you." The man said casually. "Okay." Raye simply replied, appreciating the lack of unnecessary chatter. Then¡ª "Ah, but if you ever need help, just come to me. I''ll assist you however I can." The man added with a reassuring smile. "..." Raye looked at him for a moment. Then, slightly bowing his head¡ª "Thank you." He expressed his gratitude. "No problem! Well then, see you around!" The man waved before heading back to his own workstation, leaving Raye completely alone. And now¡ª "..." Raye let out a deep breath. "I can finally work on it." His lips curled into a small smile. And with that¡ª Fwish¡ª He summoned [Celestria] from his spatial ring in the form of an elegant white sword. His white blade gleamed under the lab''s bright lights, its mystical details pulsing faintly. Raye knew that, in terms of raw strength and skill, he was close to reaching his peak. He was reaching his limit... So in order to still grow stronger¡ª He needed more. And as his body can''t get any more stronger¡ª "Time to get some upgrades." Raye decided to focus on his equipment! His gaze locked onto [Celestria] as he slowly ran his fingers across its surface. His mind raced with possibilities, but there was one main goal he had in mind. With a resolute expression¡ª "Now... how can I connect this to my spirit power?" Raye asked that to himself! Chapter 186 - 186: 186 - Five Months Two weeks after Raye woke up¡ª The daily rhythm of Zion Academy had resumed. Students attended classes, and the academy''s halls buzzed with activity once more. The visiting students and staff from other academies had also returned to their respective institutions¡ª Except for those from the Crimson Academy. They had been summoned by the emperor. The reason? To investigate whether any of them had conspired with Rickrey to allow demons into Zion Academy. However¡ª After an extensive interrogation and successfully proving their innocence¡ª They were immediately released and permitted to return to their academy. Meanwhile¡ª The town that had been ravaged by the demon attack was nearly fully restored. Houses had been rebuilt, businesses reopened, and the streets were once again filled with life. But even so¡ª The air remained heavy with grief. The memory of the invasion, and the countless lives lost, still weighed on the hearts of the people. And so, in response¡ª Before school officially resumed¡ª Zion Academy held a solemn ceremony to bid farewell to the fallen. It was a day of mourning. A moment to honor the dead and acknowledge the sacrifices made. And after that¡ª A second ceremony was held¡ª One of gratitude and recognition. It was time to honor those who had stood against the demons. Leon, Lycus, Allen, Devin, Lena, Sofia, and Jerusha were formally recognized by the royal family. For their bravery¡ª For their efforts in defeating demons, protecting students, and saving countless citizens¡ª They were each awarded high honors. Aria, too, received recognition for her contributions. And as for Raye¡ª He was given a special distinction. For single-handedly stopping a noble demon from rampaging. S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. For slaying a high-rank demon. For saving innumerable lives in the process. His deeds could not be ignored. All of them were rewarded appropriately¡ª Their achievements acknowledged in full. And as their names were announced¡ª They were showered with applause. With admiration. ... And after the ceremonies¡ª Life at Zion Academy gradually returned to normal. At least, for most people. But for some individuals¡ª Normal was no longer enough. The demon invasion had changed them. Leon, Allen, Lycus, and Devin¡ª The four had begun rigorous daily training. No more casual sparring¡ª They trained with intensity that pushed their limits. Their battles were relentless, their drive unshaken. They even invited Raye to join them¡ª But he refused. (You all know why...) Lena and Jerusha¡ª Before the invasion, they had been confident in their skills. They were at the top of their grade, naturally gifted, and respected. They knew they were strong. But after experiencing true battle¡ª They realized something crushing. They weren''t strong enough. There was still so much more they could achieve. And so¡ª They threw themselves into secluded training. Lena buried herself in the library, absorbing new spells and refining her magic. Jerusha focused on experimenting with her spirit magic¡ªexpanding her abilities. And beyond that¡ª She had begun forming connections and contracts with even more spirits. ... Sofia¡ª Unlike the others¡ª She knew she wasn''t cut out for battle. Fighting on the front lines wasn''t her strength. But that didn''t mean she couldn''t contribute. So instead¡ª She dedicated herself to alchemy. If she couldn''t fight alongside them¡ª She''d support them in her own way. Sofia poured her efforts into learning potion-making and pill-crafting. And she wasn''t just studying on her own¡ª She became an apprentice under Professor Jacqueline Orchid, the head of the alchemy department. And with the professor''s guidance¡ª Sofia vowed to master the art of alchemy. For her friends¡ª For the future battles ahead. ... Kyle¡ª He wasn''t a warrior. He wasn''t an alchemist. He wasn''t a mage, a swordsman, or a strategist. But¡ª Kyle was good at one thing. Making money. And so¡ª That was exactly what he did. Kyle ran his shop almost 24/7, barely stopping to rest. Even with his left hand gone, he still worked tirelessly, never letting it slow him down. But just managing a single shop wasn''t enough for him. He expanded. He met with merchants, negotiating partnerships and securing deals. He set up branches in other towns. He launched new franchises, diving into untapped markets. He even started importing and exporting rare materials for weapons, armor, and potions. Kyle built an entire financial network from the ground up. And it wasn''t just for himself¡ª It was for them. For the group. To make sure they never lacked resources, weapons, potions, or supplies. At first¡ª Everyone, Jerusha and the others, were hesitant to accept his help. They didn''t want to rely on him too much. But when Kyle faced them seriously and said¡ª "This is my way of fighting." They stopped refusing. And from that moment¡ª Kyle became the financial backbone of their group. ... Pyro and Zephyrus¡ª They weren''t weak. But they weren''t strong enough either. The realization had been gnawing at them for a while now. Yes, they could boost Raye''s abilities. Yes, they were helpful in supporting him in battle. But when it came to actual combat? Fighting on their own? They were practically useless. And Pyro, especially¡ª He had known this for a long time. So¡ª They decided to change that. Every single day, without fail, Pyro and Zephyrus set out to the Northern Forest to train. Their goal? To evolve. To grow stronger. Jerusha was actually helping them with that. She guided them, offering her knowledge of spirits and how to awaken dormant power. She even had them communicate with other spirits, hoping they could find new ways to develop their abilities. But for Zephyrus¡ª This wasn''t just about growth. He had another goal in mind. To recover his original strength. The strength he had lost. And he knew that in order to do that¡ª He needed help. Even though it hurt his pride¡ª Even though he would rather avoid it¡ª He went and asked his old friend for help. The white griffin¡ª Phobos... Phobos didn''t hesitate to agree. He knew Zephyrus too well, and despite his pride¡ª Zephyrus was determined to regain his former strength. And so¡ª The three of them¡ªZephyrus, Pyro, and Phobos¡ª They started training together without fail. They pushed themselves to the limit, seeking growth beyond their current abilities. Zephyrus was relentless, forcing himself to tap into the strength he once had. He honed his wind magic with precision, aiming for complete mastery rather than just raw force. His movements became sharper, his control more refined. Pyro, on the other hand¡ª He focused on refining his flames. He wasn''t content with simply boosting Raye''s abilities¡ªhe wanted to stand on his own. He experimented with condensing his fire, shaping it, controlling it with absolute precision rather than just releasing bursts of heat. Phobos, despite being the strongest among them¡ª He trained just as hard. He wasn''t satisfied with being stagnant. And watching Zephyrus and Pyro push themselves¡ª It only fueled his own drive. He guided them when needed, but he never made it easy. Forcing them to break through their limits. The three of them¡ª They were always together, aiming to be stronger. ... Then finally¡ª Raye. He almost never stops moving. He took care of the cabin, ensuring everything remained in order. He looked after Zephyrus and Pyro, managing their needs while they pursued their own paths to strength. Every morning, he would wake up early. Without fail. The first thing he did was complete the daily chores¡ªcleaning, fixing, maintaining everything that needed attention. Then, he headed into the forest to hunt, providing food for himself and the others. After that, he trained. Not for long, just enough to keep his body in peak condition before heading back to clean up and prepare for the day ahead. And then, after all that¡ª That''s when he would go to the academy. Raye studied harder than ever, absorbing every lesson, every technique, every small detail that could help him grow stronger. He listened attentively, experimented with different applications of magic, and pushed himself to understand everything beyond just surface-level knowledge. And after classes ended¡ª He would immediately head to Ramiel for training. And there¡ª He fought. He endured. He struggled until his body couldn''t take it anymore. Until his muscles screamed, until his breath was ragged, until his limbs refused to move. Raye was doing this training... Every. Single. Damn. Day. But even that wasn''t the end. After resting just enough to regain some energy, Raye would go straight to the magic engineering lab. And there¡ª He would work on [Celestria]. Hours upon hours were spent refining it, testing modifications, making adjustments, and experimenting with ways to integrate it with his spirit power. He didn''t stop until the sun had long set and his stomach reminded him of the time. It was time for dinner. By then, he was too exhausted to cook, so he always passed by Kyle''s shop to grab something to eat. And then¡ª He returned home. At the cabin, he, Pyro, and Zephyrus would sit together and have dinner. Sometimes, others from the group would join them. But most of the time¡ª It was just Jerusha... After dinner, Raye would clean up, making sure everything was in order¡ª And then¡ª He would go out to train again. This time, he focused on Bryan''s telekinesis. Every night, he pushed his limits, trying to master it, trying to refine his control, trying to make it his own. Again and again, he practiced, until his mana was completely drained. Only then¡ª Only when he had nothing left to give¡ª Did he finally retreat to his room. And finally¡ª Puff- He allowed himself to rest. And just like that¡ª The cycle continued. Again. And again. And again. And now¡ª Five months had passed. Chapter 187 - 187: 187 - After Five Months! (Raye''s POV) "..." Five months. It''s been five months since the demons'' invasion. And now¡ª Vacation has already started. I still haven''t used my one month break from school. I haven''t even touched most of my reward money because of Kyle and the pills that the Headmaster gave me. (Actually, Raye received even more money from the royal family for his achievements during the invasion...) "I can''t believe five months have already passed." And through all of that... Old Man Rey still hasn''t woken up. He remains in a coma, showing no signs of waking. No change, no improvement¡ªnothing. "..." My fist tightened, and a faint frown formed on my face as the thought lingered in my mind. I fell silent. For five whole months, I''ve thrown myself into getting stronger. Learning. Pushing my limits. Refining [Celestria]. But even with everything I''ve been doing¡ª I always find time to visit Old Man Rey. Every single day. Even if just for a little while. And it''s not just me. The others visit him too. Especially Kyle, Jerusha, Devin, Lycus, Pyro, and Sofia. Zephyrus and Lena have been completely absorbed in their training¡ªfocusing solely on getting stronger. (They still visit when they can.) As for Leon and Allen¡­ they were never really close to Old Man Rey. They find it awkward to visit. (But even so, those two still come from time to time.) "Haaaa..." I let out a slow, tired sigh. ''Please... wake up soon.'' I don''t know who I was praying to, but I did anyway as I have my eyes closed. And after a moment¡ª Fwish¡ª I opened my eyes and glanced to my right. And there¡ª "Hmm... it''s almost done." I saw [Celestria]. Sitting in its white ring form. I had just finished working on it for today. And now¡ª I was just resting for a bit before heading back to the cabin. My entire body still ached from today''s training with Professor Ramiel. Fwish¡ª "..." I lowered my gaze to my right hand. Then, with minimal effort¡ª BZZZT¡ª! A small jolt of electricity crackled between my fingers. "Hmm..." A satisfied smile formed on my lips. I had only learned how to manifest electricity last month after months of conditioning my body to handle it. The output wasn''t strong¡ªnot yet. But I can summon electric strong enough to stun an opponent. Enough to give me an edge in battle. ''Those months of training were worth it.'' I thought. At least for a few seconds¡ª Until I remembered exactly what I had to go through to get here... "..." ''Yeah... Maybe not.'' I followed in my head as my body felt heavy just from remembering my training. ... Anyway¡ª After resting for a bit, I felt some of my strength return. My body still hurts, but I''ll live. It wasn''t much, but it was enough to move around without feeling like I was dying. So, after tidying up the table where I had been working, I decided to call it a day. "I''m leaving now." I announced to the others in the lab as I grabbed my things. "Oh, take care!" "See ya tomorrow!" "Bye!" Their voices responded almost in unison, filled with warmth. Aside from me, there were ten others who were almost always here. Half were professors, while the other half were tertiary students and students with special permission... Like me. And after working alongside them for months, we had all grown pretty close. Moving on¡ª Creak¡ª Thud- I stepped out of the lab, shutting the door behind me. Tap- tap- tap¡ª Then I began making my way back to the cabin. "Hmm... It''s pretty cold tonight." I mumbled as I got outside. It was already past 7 PM. ***** After leaving the lab¡ª I made a quick stop at Kyle''s shop to grab food for dinner. We talked for a bit, catching up on things like we always did. But, just like every other time these days, it didn''t last long. Both of us were busy. Both of us were exhausted. Ever since the demons'' invasion, this had become the norm. We all rarely saw each other anymore. And for a while now¡ª ''Our group has never been complete¡­'' The thought weighed on me. I didn''t like to admit it, but... it felt lonely. "Haaaaa..." I let out another sigh, staring up at the starry sky. "I miss Jerusha..." The words slipped out in a quiet mumble. Out of everyone, I saw her the most these days¡­ But even then, it had been a long time since we had a proper moment together. ''Not gonna lie, I''ve been feeling a little awkward around her ever since I realized my feelings... I don''t show it on my face, though. I''m not that stupid.'' I silently declared in my head. Oh, and by the way¡ª I ended up buying a literally half whole roasted pig for Zephyrus, Pyro, and me tonight. I said "buying"... But in reality, Kyle just gave it to me. I tried to insist on paying, but he wouldn''t take the money¡ªno matter what I said. "He''s more persistent than me." I muttered under my breath. Tap¡ª tap¡ª tap¡ª I kept walking, my mind wandering aimlessly. I wasn''t sure what to do or say. I''m really tired now too. Being alone wasn''t bad¡­ but it was boring when I had nothing to do. And so, out of a mix of curiosity and sheer boredom¡ª "Hmm, I should probably check my stats now." I decided on that. The last time I checked was almost a month ago. I had nothing better to do anyway. So, opening my mouth¡ª "Status." I muttered the word. And just like that¡ª FWOOSH¡ª!! A bluish, transparent system window materialized in front of me out of thin air. S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ===== Name: Raye Alvah Age: 19 Year Level: 2 Race: Human ----- Stamina: 86 Intellect: 92 Mana: 83 Strength: 85 Speed: 95 Talent: 93 Luck: 90 ----- Wind Element [I]: Level 43 (98%) Fire Element: Level 44 (2%) Spirit Magic: Level 43 (90%) Magic Engineering: Level 30 (65%) Bow: Level 25 (50%) Dagger: Level 40 (47%) Sword: Level 45 (48%) Cooking: Level 45 (6%) ... ... ----- Overall Grade: B+ Growth Rate: S+ ===== I''m so close to reaching [A-] rank now. I''ve grown stronger. I can see it with my eyes. I can also feel it. If this were months ago, I probably would''ve been jumping in joy after seeing my current stats. But now¡ª I know better. Because when I think back to the noble demon that I fought¡­ "It''s still not enough." I whispered under my breath. ''I still need to do more.'' I clenched my fist. I couldn''t allow myself to get complacent¡ªnot now, not ever. Tap¡ª tap¡ª tap¡ª So I kept moving forward, my pace steady. Each step brought me closer to my destination. A resolute expression settled on my face. And after this¡ª My day proceeded just like normal. I ate dinner with Pyro and Zephyrus back in the cabin. I cleaned up after. Then, I trained for a bit again. Until I''m all exhausted. That''s just when I headed to my room and slept. ... ... ***** Another week passed... Raye was once again in the magic engineering lab, his body still wrecked from training with Ramiel. Seated on a chair, he barely had the strength to stand. His hands trembled slightly, his muscles screamed in protest, and every inch of his body ached. Yet¡ª "..." ¡ªhis focus remained unshaken. His eyes were locked onto [Celestria], hands moving with precise, almost mechanical efficiency. Every component, every delicate engraving, every single detail¡ªhe worked through them all without hesitation. "..." There was something different about him today. "Raye?" "Are you okay?" A few people from the lab noticed his state and tried to check on him. "..." But Raye didn''t even flinch. He didn''t spare them a single glance. He didn''t hear them. And that was when they realized¡ª ''He''s almost done.'' He was in a trance. A state of absolute immersion. And so¡ª "..." They quietly stepped back and let him be. ''I just need to add this last item... My one free use of epic grade material... The [Spirit Stone]...'' Raye declared in his head as beads of sweat formed on his forehead. And finally¡ª ... ... After a couple of hours straight being in a trance¡ª ... ... "Ah!" "IT''S DONE!!!" Raye finished his project. SWOOOSH¡ª!!! A strong gust of winds erupted from the [Celestria] as he successfully attached the [The Spirit Stone] on it! "...!" The people in the lab were shocked by this. They stopped their work and they all looked at Raye. And in his hands¡ª Fwooooh~ They saw a glowing white ring with a beautiful black gem on it! "..." They were all momentarily speechless. But after snapping out of their thoughts¡ª "Ah! Congratulations, Raye!" "Congratulations!" "Congrats." They all greeted Raye. And Raye¡ª "... Thank you." He smiled and bowed his head at them, embarrassed. Then after that¡ª "Excuse me for a bit!" He said that. Tap- tap- tap¡ª Creak¡ª Thud! And then he hurriedly left the lab! "..." The people in the lab just smiled watching him go. They know how he feels, what he is thinking. Raye¡ª ''To the training grounds...!'' He wants to test [Celestria] as soon as possible. Chapter 188 - 188: 188 - BANG! Tap- tap- tap¡ª Raye moved swiftly, his pace relentless as he rushed toward an indoor training ground. And before long¡ª TAP! "..." He arrived in front of one inside Xapham Hall. And despite sprinting at full speed without stopping¡ª "..." Raye''s breathing remained steady. Not a single drop of sweat formed on his skin. Before, a run like that would''ve left him gasping for air, his mana nearly drained¡ª But now? It barely affected him. Anyway¡ª Creak¡ª Without a moment''s hesitation, Raye stepped inside the training ground. S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Thud! The door shut behind him. And immediately¡ª ''The target range¡­!'' His gaze swept across the area. There were other students present¡ª "Where is it¡­?" ¡ªbut Raye didn''t spare them a glance. He wasn''t here for them. He was here for one thing. And after just a few seconds¡ª "Ah..." There it was. His target. The shooting range section of the training grounds. As soon as he saw that, without a hint of hesitation¡ª Tap- tap- tap¡ª Rayw started walking toward it, [Celestria] shifting seamlessly, coiling around the index finger of his left hand, an elegant white ring. Meanwhile¡ª "It''s Senior Raye!" "What is he doing here...?" "He''s so handsome..." "He''s also, like, super duper strong, right?" A quiet stir rippled through the students. Whispers, stares, excitement. His presence alone was enough to command attention. After all¡ª He wasn''t just some ordinary student now. He was Raye. A name spoken with admiration, awe, and respect. Raye had made a name for himself. During the friendly competition between academies¡ªhis skill, thinking, and sheer talent had drawn attention. (Talent...? Hmm? Really???) During the demons'' invasion¡ªhis strength and "bravery" had solidified his reputation. And for the past five months¡ª His name had been mentioned countless times. By the royal family. By the academy staff members. By nobles, warriors, scholars, and countless other important figures during the many ceremonies that had taken place. His achievements were recognized. His feats were discussed. His name had spread far and wide. And now¡ª The moment he stepped into the training ground¡ª "..." "..." All eyes were drawn to him. Not just because of his fame. But because of who he was. A student who stood at the pinnacle of Zion Academy''s younger generation along with his friend group! And yet¡ª "..." Raye didn''t react. He didn''t acknowledge the whispers, the stares, and the admiration. Or more likely... He didn''t even notice that these was all happening around him. After all, he was just here for one reason¡ª To test [Celestria]. And so, without hesitation¡ª TAP¡ª He stepped into the shooting range. "..." His eyes remained focused and determined. ***** (Raye''s POV) I stood in the long-range target area of the training grounds. "..." I remained silent, my gaze fixed on the targets tens of meters away from me. Not gonna lie... I could hit the bullseye on any of them¡ªwithout fail. But that didn''t really matter. ''If I wanted to test my aim, I would''ve gone to the outdoor training grounds instead.'' I can adjust the targets there as far as I can. But no¡ª Right now, I was here for something else. Something far more important. And so, without further ado¡ª "..." My eyes shifted toward [Celestria], wrapped around the index finger of my left hand. And then, silently¡ª FWOOSH¡ª! I circulated a massive amount of mana through my body¡­ And in an instant¡ª FWISH! I transferred it all into [Celestria]! Then as soon as mana surged into the elegant white ring¡ª ''Think...'' I focused and started creating a mental image inside my head. A clear, precise image of something... And immediately¡ª SWISH¡ª! [Celestria] began to shift, its form rapidly changing¡ª Not into a sword, nor a dagger, nor anything with a blade! No¡ª This time¡ª FWIP¡ª "¡­!" The artifact transformed¡ªinto a fucking gun! Sleek, elegant, and refined, its entire frame gleamed in pristine white, with intricate silver etchings running along the barrel, forming an intricate celestial pattern. The grip was smooth, fitting perfectly in my palm, while the trigger responded with an almost magnetic pull, like it was made just for me. A single glowing blue line traced along the side, pulsing faintly, reacting to my mana like a living extension of myself. "Hah¡­" A small, satisfied smile crept onto my face as I admired its appearance. I can''t make complex weapons like this before using [Celestria]. This is one of the results of my work! "Huh?" "What the hell is that?" "Holy shit¡­ that crossbow looks insane!" Murmurs filled the training ground as several students turned to look my way, their eyes widening in fascination. I could feel their gazes lingering on me, their curiosity evident. But honestly¡ª I didn''t blame them. Even I had to admit¡ªthis thing looked damn cool. Still, I wasn''t here to show off. And so¡ªwithout sparing them a glance¡ª I took a deep breath, steadying myself. Then, getting serious¡ª "¡­" My eyes locked onto one of the targets in the distance. With a calm expression¡ª FWIP¡ª I raised my left hand, steady and unwavering, the gun aimed straight ahead. Then, parting my lips... "[Blaze]" I muttered that. And at that moment¡ª SWAAAAAAAA¡ª!! A surge of heat erupted from the weapon in my grasp! Flames burst to life, consuming the sleek white frame of the gun, swirling like a living entity! CRACK¡ª! The fire crackled, wild yet controlled, bending to my will as if the gun itself had awakened. The air shimmered with heat, distorting the space around it. "..." But I didn''t flinch. I didn''t hesitate. I didn''t even care... Because at that moment¡ª Nothing else mattered. Not the stares. Not the murmurs. Not the heat licking at my fingers. All that mattered¡ª Was the shot. ''Bang.'' The thought flashed through my mind. And then¡ª CLICK¡ª I pulled the trigger. SWOOOOOOSH¡ª!!! A blinding streak of fire erupted from the gun''s muzzle, slicing through the air like a red-hot laser! SWISH¡ª The blazing projectile flew straight ahead, unwavering, not bending in the slightest¡ª A thin, razor-sharp line of fire. And yet¡ª PSH¡ª! It pierced through the thick hay bale target like it wasn''t even there. Like it was nothing. Like it was just air! And it didn''t stop there¡ª PSH¡ª! It tore right through the solid concrete wall behind the target! Then¡ª BOOM¡ª!!! A violent explosion erupted on the other side! CRACK¡ª BOOOOM!! The entire wall collapsed from the sheer force of it! FWOOOSH¡ª!!! A shockwave of dust and debris blasted outward, rippling through the training ground! The very floor trembled as if the earth itself had been shaken!? "KYAAAA¡ª?!!" "W-What the fuck?!" "GAHHHH!!!" Screams filled the air as students recoiled in shock, shielding their eyes from the debris. Panic spread like wildfire¡ªeveryone flinching, backing away, completely overwhelmed by the sheer destruction that had just unfolded before them. Fear. Confusion. Disbelief. And then¡ª "..." Silence. Thick. Heavy. Overwhelming silence. The dust began to settle. The echoes of the blast faded. And every single pair of eyes turned toward the one responsible for this catastrophe. To me. And I¡ª "..." I was just standing here. Dumbfounded. "What the fuck¡­?" I muttered unconsciously, staring at the aftermath of my attack. I didn''t expect it to be that strong. My mind immediately flashed back to my old spell¡ªGUN. The one where I say "[Bang]" before firing? Yeah, that one. What I just did now... it was basically an upgraded version of that. I already knew my Gun Spell was cool¡ªfast, unpredictable, perfect for catching enemies off guard and using it to ambush them. But there was one major flaw¡ª ''Its firepower was weak as fuck.'' And now, with enemies getting stronger and stronger¡­ It wouldn''t take long before that spell became completely useless in battle. That''s why I stopped using it. But discarding it entirely felt like a waste. So¡ª That''s when my project was born. I spent months upgrading [Celestria], reinforcing its durability, improving its transformation ability, and refining every single aspect I could. And now¡ª I was able to turn it into a gun. Something I couldn''t do before. But that wasn''t all. I went one step further. I embedded a [Spirit Stone] inside [Celestria]. That meant¡ª I could imbue it with spirit magic. And earlier¡ª That''s exactly what I did. I fired [Blaze] as a bullet. I expected it to be powerful. But I didn''t expect this! "..." I stared at the collapsed wall, the lingering heat from the explosion still radiating in the air. "Haha¡­" A small laugh escaped my mouth. My experiment was a success. And not just a success¡ª It was even better than I imagined! And so¡ª Ignoring the stares, ignoring the murmurs and weird looks I was getting from the other students¡ª I simply looked down at [Celestria], the elegant white gun resting in my left hand. Then, opening my mouth¡ª "I should test this out more¡­" I muttered under my breath, barely paying any mind to my surroundings. "...!" The students around me who overheard my words stiffened. Their faces twisted in sheer terror¡ªeyes wide, bodies tense, some even flinching as if they expected me to fire another shot at any moment. I could practically feel their nervous glances piercing through me. Whispers spread among them, hushed but frantic. It was almost amusing. I blinked, staring at their reactions for a second before tilting my head slightly. "What weirdos." I muttered again, completely unfazed. And then¡ª ... I started testing [Celestria]''s new capabilities again. I experimented on a lot of things. That is all I did for the rest of the day... I didn''t stop. Well... Not until it was time for dinner and I needed to head back to the Cabin ... Chapter 189 - 189: 189 - To Get Stronger The Next Day¡­ Raye was called to the Headmaster''s office. "..." He already knew what was coming. Without a word, he silently made his way there. Standing outside Bryan''s office, he knocked lightly before speaking. "It''s Raye." He made his presence known. And in a menacing, low voice¡ª "Come in." Bryan''s tone alone carried a weight of impending doom. "Ugh¡­" Raye groaned. He knew this was going to be a headache. After mentally preparing himself¡ª Creak¡ª Thud. He stepped inside. "..." The atmosphere was tense. Bryan was sitting behind his desk, arms crossed, expression unreadable. His sharp gaze locked onto Raye the second he entered. Raye stood there in silence, meeting his stare without flinching. "..." Neither spoke for a moment. Then¡ª "You know why I called you, right?" Bryan finally broke the silence. "..." Raye remained quiet for a few seconds. Then, with a small nod¡ª "Yeah." As soon as he admitted it¡ª "You brat! What were you thinking?!" Bryan exploded. "Ugh¡­" He groaned, massaging his temples as if dealing with a migraine. Meanwhile, Raye just scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "I was just too focused on training and excited¡­ I forgot." He mumbled, avoiding Bryan''s burning glare. But that only made the Headmaster angrier. "YOU BROKE ALMOST HALF OF THE INDOOR TRAINING GROUNDS LAST NIGHT!!!" Bryan shouted, his voice booming through the room. The veins on his forehead were bulging now. "YOU SHOULD''VE STOPPED WHEN YOU BROKE THE WALL!!!" His anger didn''t stop there¡ª "IF YOU WANTED TO GO WILD, YOU SHOULD''VE USED THE OUTDOOR TRAINING GROUNDS!!!" He practically roared in frustration. That''s right¡­ Raye almost made the entire indoor training facility collapse last night with all his reckless experiments using [Celestria]. "..." Silence. Raye stood still, his gaze slightly lowered, listening to Bryan''s frustrated rant. He didn''t argue. He didn''t try to explain himself. Because this time¡ª He deserved it. Bryan let out an exhausted sigh, rubbing his temple. Then, after a beat¡ª "¡­I''m sorry." Raye said that, his voice was quiet but sincere. Bryan blinked, caught off guard. He expected excuses. Maybe even a cocky remark. But not this. Not actual guilt on Raye''s face. "¡­Hah?" The Headmaster squinted at him. "You mean that?" Raye nodded without hesitation. "Yeah." His fist clenched slightly. "I got carried away¡­ I didn''t mean to break anything, but it happened, and that''s on me." He said and paused. Then¡ª "¡­How bad is it?" Raye asked. "Hah..." Bryan let out a dry chuckle. "Half the indoor training grounds need repairs. They have to rebuild part of the wall, reinforce the structure." He mumbled. "And don''t even get me started on the floor." Raye exhaled sharply after hearing that. It was really worse than he thought. So opening his mouth¡ª "I''ll pay for it." He declared that. Bryan raised an eyebrow. "¡­What?" "The repairs. I''ll cover them." Raye repeated. Bryan stared at him for a moment. "Haaa..." Then after letting out a sigh and slightly shaking his head ¡ª "¡­Keep it." He declined Raye''s offer. "..." Raye frowned. "I can afford it." He said. "I know." Bryan smirked slightly, arms crossing over his chest. "But that''s not the point." Raye narrowed his eyes. "¡­Then what is?" Bryan sighed again, leaning back in his chair. "Money won''t fix everything, kid. You can replace a wall, but you can''t replace common sense." He stated. "Next time, just be more careful." And then he followed. His voice wasn''t as harsh now. It wasn''t a punishment. Just a warning. "...?" Raye stared at him. Then, after a moment¡ª "¡­Alright." He replied. Bryan''s smirk widened. "Good. Now get outta here." Raye nodded, turning toward the door¡ª But just before he stepped out¡ª "Oh, and Raye?" Bryan called out to him. "Hm?" Rate stopped, glancing back. Bryan''s expression softened, just a little. "Don''t blow up any more buildings." He muttered. Raye blinked. Then¡ª A small chuckle escaped him. "¡­No promises." And with that¡ª Tap¡ª He left the room. Though, as soon as he stepped outside¡ª "Ah... I should''ve told him that I''m taking my one-month off soon." Raye suddenly remembered that. He paused for a moment, considering whether to turn back¡ª But after just a few seconds¡ª "Meh, that can wait." With a shrug, he brushed it off and continued on his way. After all, the vacation had just started. Not even a week had passed yet. The academy had given them a full one-month break, and Raye planned to leave next week. But since his expedition would likely take longer than a month, he had already decided to use his extra one-month leave before departing. That way¡ª By the time classes resumed, he would be excused, and his grades wouldn''t suffer. So as he made his way toward Ramiel''s office¡ª ''I should focus on packing and getting everything ready for the trip.'' He thought to himself, already making mental notes on what to bring. Then, after a moment¡ª "Hmm¡­ I should probably let the others know too." He mumbled under his breath. ... Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ... ... ... ***** A week had passed since the vacation began¡ª And now... It was time for Raye to leave. Standing in front of the cabin¡ª "..." Raye gazed at it silently, his expression tinged with sadness. Zephyrus and Pyro were coming with him, of course. So no one would be left behind in the cabin. ''That''s kinda sad when you think about it.'' He thought as he let out a quiet sigh. Then, at that moment¡ª "I''ll take care of it and clean it from time to time, don''t worry!" Jerusha suddenly declared that. She was standing behind Raye. Fwish¡ª "...?" Raye turned to her. And when he did¡ª He saw her standing there, smiling at him sweetly. That warm, gentle smile of hers¡ª It made something stir inside his chest. "Thanks." He replied, smiling back at her. And inwardly¡ª ''I''ll miss you.'' He declared that silently. (BRUH, JUST SAY IT!!!) Before he could dwell on it any longer¡ª "We''ll also protect it." Kyle spoke up. "Yeah, that''s right!" "Yeah, of course." "I''ll help!" Devin, Lycus, and Sofia quickly followed, their voices filled with determination. "Erm¡­ we''ll help if ever." "Err... yeah." Leon and Allen awkwardly chimed in, scratching the back of their heads. And finally¡ª "I recently learned a spell used for cleaning. I''ll use it in the cabin." Lena muttered. Everyone was here. The whole group had gathered to see Raye off. Then a realization struck him¡ª ''Haha¡­ it''s been a while since we''ve all been together like this.'' He thought, a warm smile forming on his face. And with a slight bow of his head¡ª "Thanks, everyone." Raye mumbled softly. -Thanks. -Meep! Zephyrus and Pyro, who were resting on each of his shoulders, chimed in right after him. "Hehe..." "It''s nothing big!" "..." The others responded with smiles, their expressions warm and genuine. "..." Raye straightened himself, letting his gaze linger on each of them for a moment¡ª Taking in their faces, their presence, their support. Then, with a calm voice¡ª "I''ll be leaving now." He declared. "..." Everyone simply looked at him in silence. No words, no immediate response. Just a quiet moment where the weight of his departure sank in. But after that brief pause¡ª "Take care." "We''ll be waiting for you!" "Don''t pass out on the road, Raye!" One by one, they spoke up, their voices carrying warmth and concern. "..." Raye couldn''t help but smile. And with that¡ª Tap¡ª He took his first step forward, heading toward the Academy''s main gate. The others followed, walking alongside him. Pyro and Zephyrus, still perched on his shoulders, stayed close. Even now¡ª He wasn''t leaving alone. ***** At the academy''s main gate¡ª Raye waved one last goodbye to everyone. But before leaving¡ª "I''m heading out to get stronger... I hope you guys won''t be left behind when I come back." He said that with a sly smirk. And without even giving anyone a chance to respond¡ª He turned and stepped into the carriage. It was one prepared by Kyle, who was transporting his products to another city. Raye would accompany it halfway¡ªat least until he reached his first destination. And just like that¡ª "..." Raye left Zion Academy once again. After bidding him farewell¡ª "..." Everyone''s expressions hardened, a serious determination filling their eyes. "Hah... Let''s surprise him when he comes back with our improvements." Lycus suddenly mumbled. Following him¡ª "You bet!" Devin exclaimed excitedly. The others felt the same. Their desire to grow stronger¡ªto surpass their current selves¡ªburned even brighter because of Raye. So, without wasting another second¡ª "Let''s go." T A P¡ª The eight of them turned and started heading back into the academy''s vicinity. Fueled by motivation. Ready to push themselves further. But Jerusha¡ª "..." She just stood there, staring at the empty road where Raye had disappeared. A hint of sadness lingered in her eyes. And as she slightly lowered her head, gaze dropping to the ground¡ª "Please take care... and come back safe..." She whispered softly. ''I miss you already.'' She declared in her mind. (YOU SHOULD''VE TOLD HIM EARLIER!!!) She wouldn''t be able to see Raye for over a month. And in a world without advanced technology¡ª There was no way for them to communicate. No letters, no messages. No news. Nothing. That thought weighed heavily on her chest. "Ugh... I wish I could''ve come with him." She grumbled under her breath. Then, shaking off her thoughts¡ª Tap¡ª She turned and started following the others. Chapter 190 - 190: 190 - Not Again "..." Raye sat silently inside the carriage, legs crossed in a lotus position, eyes closed in deep concentration. Fwoosh~ He was meditating, guiding the flow of mana through his body with steady precision. And beside him¡ª -... -meep... Swoosh~! Zephyrus and Pyro were also doing the same, their small forms mirroring his focus. Despite the carriage jolting and swaying over the uneven terrain, none of them flinched. Their concentration remained unshaken. But not long after that¡ª T A P¡ª The carriage came to a halt. And shortly after, a voice broke the silence. "Sir? We''ve decided to set up camp here for the day." A man stepped inside, his tone polite and respectful. "Hmm?" Raye opened his eyes and looked at the man. Their gazes met. Then, with a slight nod of his head¡ª "Got it. We''ll help set up camp." Raye responded, declaring that. And hearing his words¡ª "...!" The man''s eyes widened in panic. "Ah, no! You don''t have to, Sir! We just wanted to inform you!" He exclaimed hastily. "...?" Raye was confused by his reaction. -Huh? -Meep? Even Zephyrus and Pyro. The man had been given clear orders from his boss, Kyle¡ªtreat Raye with the utmost care. Everyone in the merchant group had received the same instructions. They had also noticed how Kyle and Devin treated Raye with special regard. So it was obvious¡ªhe was important to them. There''s just no way they''ll treat Raye normally. And Raye¡ª "..." He realized this. -... -meep... Zephyrus and Pyro exchanged glances, similarly overwhelmed by the excessive courtesy. So to end this¡ª "Haaaa..." Raye let out a quiet sigh. And shaking his head¡ª "We want to help. Just let us be." He said that. The man hesitated. "Ah...! Umm! Hmm..." He fumbled for words, clearly flustered. But after a moment of thought¡ª "...Okay." He just said that. And with that¡ª "Let''s go, guys." -Hmn... Okay. -Meep! Raye, Zephyrus, and Pyro stepped out of the carriage. ***** The sun was beginning to set, casting long shadows over the rugged terrain. Raye, Zephyrus, and Pyro¡ªalong with five other members of the merchant expedition¡ªbegan setting up camp. The air was cool, carrying the scent of earth and distant trees. And without wasting time¡ª "Alright, let''s get to it." Raye rolled up his sleeves. One of the merchants, a burly man named Garrick, nodded. "We''ll set up the tents first. Can you guys help with the poles and ropes?" He asked. And immediately¡ª "On it." Raye responded, stepping forward. Garrick''s face cringed a little after realizing that he basically ordered Raye something. But after remembering what he said that treat him normally¡ª ''I guess it''ll all be fine...'' Garrick thought of that, reassuring himself. Meanwhile, Zephyrus¡ª -hmn. He floated beside Raye, watching before moving to help with the ropes using his wind magic. And Pyro¡ª -Meep! He bounced onto a pile of supplies, chirping. He doesn''t know what to do, but he wants to help. (Same Pyro... Same...) "Hehe..." A merchant chuckled, looking at him. He thought Pyro was cute. And parting his lips¡ª "You should do something like this." He mumbled that, looking at the cute ball of fire. -Meep? Pyro then tilted his head, looking at the man who approached him. And after that¡ª "If you want to help, you can do this..." The man started instructing Pyro things to do so he could help. -Meep! Meep! Meep! Pyro was more that happy to receive help from someone. Moving on¡ª BAM! BAM! BAM! Raye drove stakes into the ground with a big wooden hammer, securing the tent''s framework. ''This is just like chopping logs... but easier.'' He thought to himself. FWOOOSH¡ª FWIIISH¡ª FWAAAASH¡ª!!! The others from the group moved efficiently too, working in sync. They clearly had worked together for quite a time now. Their teamworks was insane as fuck. "..." Even Raye was speechless when he watched them work. ... Rustling fabric. Clinking metal. The camp slowly took shape. And as the last tent was secured¡ª "Hah... Nice work, everyone." Garrick said that, wiping sweat from his brow. He was the acting leader of of the merchant group that was with Raye. "Now, let''s get the fire going before it gets too dark." He followed. He made some of the people in the group collect dry woods or stick to be used as campfire tonight. But then¡ª "I''ll handle it." Raye suddenly declared that! He volunteered to light up fhe fire so casually! TAP¡ª He stepped forward¡ªextending a hand over the firewood. Then with a faint glow in his eyes¡ª "[Ignite]" He muttered that. And the next thing everyone knew¡ª SWAAAAAAA¡ª!!! "...?!" "What¡ª?!" "Huh...?" The dry woods were caught in fire, completing their campfire! Fwish~ "..." "..." The merchants exchanged glances, surprised at what they had just witnessed. And then¡ª "...Hah. You really are something else, Sir Raye." One of them murmured. He was the guy that Raye met earlier Raye simply shook his head. "It''s nothing special." He said calmly, confidently. -The fire is too strong... Let me fix it. Then Zephyrus said that, adjusting the fire''s strength by controlling the air around it. Pyro¡ª -Meep... He curled up beside the fire, his small body radiating faint heat of its own. And with all of that¡ª "Hmm, this is okay now." The camp was set. And as night fell¡ª Swaaaaa~ The fire crackled. "Did you hear...?" "Our destination¡ª" "Well..." Quiet chatters everywhere. Soft laughter. For now¡ª They could all let down their guards and rest. "..." -... Not Raye and Pyro though. ***** (Raye''s POV) Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. I sat outside my tent, perched on a small wooden stool, my two swords resting across my lap. One black, one white¡ªtheir polished edges caught the flickering light of the campfire, reflecting a soft glow. I was cleaning and inspecting them. "Hmm..." The forest was quiet tonight, save for the occasional rustle of leaves and the distant chirping of insects. Swooosh~ A cool breeze swept through the camp, carrying the faint scent of burning wood. Fwish¡ª "..." I glanced up at the sky. Stars stretched endlessly above, scattered like specks of silver on a vast, dark canvas. It was beautiful. ''In the future, I want to watch the stars above with Jerusha and laze around all day.'' I thought to myself. Anyway... It''s 11 PM now. Everyone was already asleep in their tents. "..." And yet, I showed no signs of sleeping. My hands continued their work¡ªmeticulously examining my blades, ensuring every inch was free of imperfections. On the other hand¡ª -Zzzzzzz... -Meeeeep... Inside the tent, Zephyrus and Pyro were fast asleep, their soft breathing mixing with the gentle crackling of the fire. Their small forms rose and fell with each breath, completely at ease. We had trained hard today, whenever and wherever we could. Whether it was during the journey or in stolen moments of rest, we had pushed ourselves. So, for tonight¡ª I decided to let them be. Moving on... As I ran a cloth over the edge of my white sword. "Sir Raye?" A voice called out to me from the darkness beyond the fire''s glow. "Hmm?" I paused, my fingers tightening slightly around the hilt. Fwip¡ª I turned toward the voice¡ª And there¡ª "Huh?" It was the same man from earlier, the one who had woken me from my meditation. He stood before me, looking down with a hesitant expression. The flickering fire cast shifting shadows over his face, highlighting his uncertainty. The man hesitated for a moment before finally speaking. "Ah¡­ I just realized I never properly introduced myself earlier." He said, rubbing the back of his neck. "My name''s Ryan. I''m one of the senior members of the merchant group." His voice was steady, but there was a hint of awkwardness in his tone, as if he wasn''t quite sure how to approach me. I glanced at him before setting my swords aside and rising to my feet. "Raye." I responded simply, extending a hand. "...!" Ryan blinked, momentarily surprised. "Ah...!" Fwip¡ª But he quickly reached out and shook it. His grip was firm, a sign of experience and reliability. Then as our hands parted, his gaze shifted to the swords, their polished surfaces catching the firelight. Then, his eyes returned to me, a curious glint in them. "So¡­ why are you still awake at this hour?" He asked, tilting his head. "Are you keeping watch? I can do it if you want to, Sir." He followed with a smile on his face. Meanwhile, me¡ª "..." I became silent a his question. I didn''t react immediately¡ªjust sat there, my expression unreadable. Ryan, however, must have noticed something in my face. His brows furrowed slightly, and realization dawned on him. "A-Ah¡­" He shifted on his feet, his voice turning apologetic. "Sorry. I didn''t mean to pry." He said. But looking at him¡ª "It''s fine." I just casually said that, shaking my head. Ryan seemed relieved, but before he could say anything else¡ª "I''ll answer your question." I muttered that. Ryan''s eyes widened slightly at that. Then, after a pause, I exhaled softly. And opening my lips¡ª "It''s just a habit of mine." I mumbled the words, a bitter smile tugging at my lips. Because deep inside¡­ I still remembered. The Misty Forest. Months ago. Reggie and Timmy. Their faces flashed through my mind¡ªmemories I had buried but never forgotten. ''I just don''t want it to happen again.'' The thought settled heavily in my chest, unspoken yet ever present. Chapter 191 - 191: 191 - Wrong Place "Ugh..." Raye groaned. Morning had arrived, but he had barely gotten any sleep. At most, he had managed two hours of rest¡ªright before the sun began to rise and the others started waking up. Nothing had happened last night. But Raye¡ª ''It''s better to be extra cautious and have nothing happen than to be careless and suffer for it later.'' He wasn''t disappointed in the slightest. In fact, he was relieved that nothing happened. Anyway¡ª "We''re leaving now. Are you okay, Sir Raye?" Garrick approached him, his tone laced with concern. And Raye¡ª "I''m fine... Let''s go." He simply shrugged, brushing off the concern. "Got it." Garrick gave a nod before turning to the rest of the group. And then¡ª "EVERYONE, WE''RE LEAVING IN A MINUTE! GET READY!!!" His voice boomed across the camp. The merchants quickly moved to finish tidying up, making sure to leave no trace of their stay. Meanwhile, Raye¡ª ''Ugh... I''ll just sleep during the trip.'' With that thought, he stepped into the carriage he had been riding the day before. -ugh... -meep... Zephyrus and Pyro, perched on his shoulders, were just as exhausted¡ªstill half-asleep and clinging to him drowsily. ***** Soon¡ª Raye and the merchant group set off once more, continuing their journey. "..." Fwoosh~ Inside the carriage, Raye resumed his meditation, allowing mana to flow steadily through his body. And at the same time¡ª "Fuuuu..." He was also getting some much-needed rest. Raye was currently alone in the carriage. Where were Zephyrus and Pyro, you ask? They were soaring high above, trailing after the group as they glided effortlessly through the sky. And what were they doing? Training. Or to be more specific¡ª They were practicing their skills, refining their control and precision. Using their abilities inside the carriage was out of the question. And with the merchant group traveling close by, recklessly unleashing their powers on the ground was just as dangerous. So, the sky became their training ground. And so¡ª "..." Raye had the carriage all to himself. He actually preferred it this way¡ªit allowed him to focus more deeply. With no distractions, he could fully immerse himself in his meditation. And with Zephyrus and Pyro gone¡ª He was hogging all the mana around the carriage for himself. ''Hmm, this is peaceful...'' Raye thought. BUT THEN! As Raye was sat in the carriage, basking in the peaceful solitude¡ª Rustle- rustle- rustle¡ª A sudden movement broke the silence! "...?" Raye heard this. He immediately opened his eyes and frowned as he looked toward the source of the sound. And then¡ª Fwip¡ª The cloth entrance of the carriage was pulled open as someone grabbed and pushed it aside! "...!" Raye''s eyes flicked open, his brows furrowing slightly. And the next thing he knew¡ª Tap¡ª A man stepped inside! Dust-covered boots. Ragged clothes. A rough, unshaven face. He wasn''t part of the merchant group. Raye doesn''t know him, not one bit. And then¡ª Fwish- Their eyes met¡ª "..." "..." And heavy silence dawned down the carriage. Swoosh~ The two just stared at each other. The tension in the air was immediate¡ªthick and awkward. Raye didn''t know who the hell this guy was. And from the way the man stiffened, he clearly hadn''t expected Raye either. "Huh...?" The man''s eyes darted around, quickly assessing the situation. His breathing hitched, and for a split second¡ªpanic flashed across his face. Because he had just realized¡ª He had entered the wrong damn carriage. A lone bandit. "Uh..." The man blinked, struggling to come up with something to say. And Raye? "..." He just tilted his head slightly, expression unreadable. The two continued to stare at each other in awkward silence. The carriage jolted slightly as it moved, but neither of them reacted. Finally¡ª "...Sooo... uh..." The bandit scratched his cheek, shifting uncomfortably. Then¡ª "..." Raye narrowed his eyes slightly. "You''re not with the merchants." It wasn''t a question. It was a statement. And at his word, the bandit winced. "Ah... well... y-you see... hehe..." He chuckled nervously, raising his hands slightly. sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Raye said nothing. He just stared. Unmoving. Unblinking. And the longer the silence stretched¡ª The more the bandit''s face twitched. Sweat started forming on his forehead. Because at this point¡ª He knew. He had fucked up. The bandit''s nervous chuckles faded as he quickly realized something. There was no escape. The carriage was moving. The only exit was behind him. And standing¡ªor rather, sitting in front of him was someone who clearly wasn''t an ordinary traveler. He could tell based on the way Raye was dressed and looking at the two cool looking swords beside him. "Umm... Hmmm..." A cold sweat ran down the bandit''s back. His instincts screamed at him. Telling him to leave, to run, to get away! And as the awkward silence was getting longer¡ª ''F-Fuck...!'' Desperation took over the bandit. And opening his mouth¡ª "A-AAARGH!!!" WHOOSH¡ª He let out a crazed scream and he lunged forward at Raye! FWIP¡ª He was gripping a beat-up sword with both hands. There was no reason or plan behind this action of his¡ªjust pure panic-driven aggression! SWOOOSH¡ª The dull edge of the bandit''s sword whistled through the air as he swung it horizontally! The bandit''s heart pounded as he aimed straight for Raye''s head. But¡ª "..." Raye didn''t move. Didn''t flinch. He didn''t even blink. "..." He just stared at the incoming attack, eyes calm, expression unreadable. And then¡ª Fwip¡ª His right hand moved. Faster than the bandit''s eyes could follow. In one fluid motion¡ª He grabbed [Nyx], the black sword resting beside him. And with a single, effortless swing¡ª SLASH¡ª! A beautiful, controlled arc. A perfect stroke. The bandit barely even registered what had happened. Until¡ª Ting¡ª His sword stopped. No¡ª His sword''s blade¡­ It was gone! "¡­H-Huh?" The bandit blinked, his breath hitching. Tink! A sharp metallic clink rang out as half of his sword, severed cleanly, spun through the air before landing on the carriage floor. "...?!" The bandit froze in his place. Swaaah~ A shiver ran down his spine. Beads of sweat trickled down his forehead. Then slowly¡­ hesitant¡ª "...?" His gaze lifted to meet Raye''s. "..." And when he saw those cold, unbothered eyes staring back at him¡ª ''S-Shit...'' His stomach dropped. His fingers trembled. Fear took over. He made a mistake. A huge mistake. And then, as the bandit was like that¡ª Fwip- A hand landed on his wrist! It was Raye''s hand. "Huh...?" And before the bandit could even process what was happening¡ª BAM¡ª!!! A devastating force slammed into his stomach! Raye punched him in the gut with his left fist! "GUH¡ª!!!" The bandit crumpled. His eyes rolled back. Spit flew from his mouth. His breath left him in an instant. And in the next moment¡ª THUD¡ª He collapsed, face-first, onto the floor of the carriage. Twitching. Unconscious. "...Haa." Raye sighed, rolling his shoulders. He barely even tried. This guy was nothing. His gaze flickered down at the bandit''s beaten-up sword. The rusted, chipped blade lay uselessly by his side. "...Seriously?" Raye muttered, shaking his head. "Haaaaaa..." After a brief pause¡ª Fwip¡ª Raye grabbed the bandit by the collar, effortlessly lifting him up with one hand. Then, without hesitation¡ª FWISH¡ª He threw him out of the moving carriage! FWOOSH¡ª The bandit''s body flipped through the air. Then¡ª CRASH¡ª!!! ¡ªhe landed somewhere in the bushes. "That should do it." Raye dusted off his hands. Then, without another word¡ª He sat back down. "..." Closed his eyes. Fwooosh~ And resumed meditating. "...Haaa." ''What a waste of time.'' Raye thought with a frown on his face as he remembered what just happened earlier. ***** The second day of travel passed uneventfully. Nothing happened. Aside from the lone bandit incident... Anyway¡ª 11 hours in¡­ Raye and the others arrived at their second destination. Before them stood a vast, bustling city. Stone walls stretched high, standing as a sturdy defense against the wilderness beyond. Guards patrolled the entrance, keeping a watchful eye on the steady flow of merchants, travelers, and adventurers coming and going. The air buzzed with the chatter of people, the clatter of horse hooves, and the distant sounds of market vendors calling out their wares. This city¡ª This was where Raye, Pyro, and Zephyrus would part ways with the merchant group. And so¡ª As they passed through the gates and entered the city, the time for goodbyes had come. The merchant group, now gathered in the main plaza, turned to face Raye. "..." A moment of silence hung between them. Then¡ª One by one, they bid Raye farewell and good luck in his travel. Especially Ryan. "Take care out there, Sir... Let''s see each other again." He said. Ryan stepped forward, offering Raye a firm handshake. His expression was calm, but there was an undeniable sense of respect in his eyes. "It was good traveling with you." Ryan added, his voice steady. Raye shook his hand, nodding. "Likewise." He replied. "Stay safe." "You too." They exchanged a few words. The other merchants followed, expressing their gratitude in their own way¡ªsome with words, some with nods, and some with simple, appreciative glances. Raye, Pyro, and Zephyrus returned the gesture. And after all of that... ... Raye separated ways with the merchants... The merchant group continued on their journey, disappearing into the city''s busy streets, heading toward their next destination. Meanwhile¡ª "..." Raye stood still for a moment, watching them go. Then¡ª He turned his gaze toward the city ahead. This was where he would stay for the day. Chapter 192 - 192: 192 - A Familiar Face The next day¡ª "Haaaa..." Raye woke up with a deep yawn, stretching his arms as he sat up in bed. The morning light peeked through the small window, casting a soft glow across the modest room. And Raye, without wasting time¡ª "Hup..." He got up and began preparing to continue their journey. Meanwhile¡ª -hmnm¡­ -me¡­eep¡­ Zephyrus and Pyro were still sound asleep, curled up comfortably. Lately, they had been training until their mana was completely drained, so they had been sleeping much longer than usual. Raye glanced at them briefly before shifting his attention back to his preparations. ''Hmm¡­ I''ll probably just order breakfast downstairs.'' Thn with that thought, he grabbed his belongings and¡ª Creak¡ª Thud¡ª He stepped out of the room and shut the door behind him. The inn was quiet, with only a few muffled sounds coming from below. The guest rooms were located on the second floor, and down on the first¡ª It was a restaurant. ***** Raye made his way to the restaurant downstairs and ordered a simple breakfast. The establishment was cozy, filled with the aroma of freshly cooked food and the quiet chatter of early morning customers. He sat at a corner table, waiting for his meal in peace. Then, a little later¡ª -morning¡­ -meep¡­ Fwoosh~ A small gust of wind swirled as Zephyrus and Pyro fluttered down from upstairs, still looking groggy from sleep. They had finally woken up and instinctively followed after Raye. "Morning." Raye greeted them casually as they settled near him. Since they had just woken up, he went ahead and ordered breakfast for them too. And when their food finally arrived¡ª "Let''s eat." -Thanks for the food. -Meep! With that, the three of them began their meal. ... ... After finishing their breakfast¡ª "Thank you, we''re leaving now." "Thank you, dear customer! Take care!" The innkeeper bid them farewell with a warm smile as Raye stepped out of the inn, Zephyrus and Pyro floating beside him. And as they moved through the bustling streets¡ª -How are we going to travel now? -Meep? Zephyrus and Pyro questioned curiously, keeping pace with Raye in the air. "Meh." Raye simply shrugged his shoulders before answering¡ª "We''re heading to the city gate. Merchants traveling to different cities usually gather there to hire mercenaries for protection. We can pay them to let us tag along too." He declared. -Ohh¡­ So we''re heading there now? Zephyrus asked, intrigued. And after that, casually¡ª "Yep." Tap- tap- tap¡ª Raye started walking toward the city''s gate, weaving through the morning crowd. -Meep! Pyro, who didn''t quite understand the plan, simply grinned and followed after Raye and Zephyrus, happy to stick with them regardless. ***** T A P¡ª After a few minutes of walking, Raye, Zephyrus, and Pyro arrived at the city''s gate. -Where are the merchants? The carriages? Zephyrus scanned the area, only to find nothing but the massive wooden gate in front of them. "Calm down¡­ They''re outside the city, just behind that gate." Raye answered, his gaze settling on the towering 20-foot-tall wooden doors, tightly shut. -Meep! Pyro suddenly chirped. He didn''t add anything to the conversation¡ªhe just wanted to be included. Anyway, just then¡ª "Hello, Sir. How can I help you?" A city guard, clad in full-plated armor, approached Raye and inquired. Fwish¡ª Raye turned his gaze toward the guard. Then, opening his mouth¡ª "I want to leave the city." He stated plainly. "Oh? And why is that?" The guard asked. And without hesitation¡ª "I''m a traveler. I don''t live here. I just stopped by yesterday to rest." Raye answered. "Ah! Then there''s no problem and complicated papers to do then." The guard replied with a nod. Fwish¡ª Then, pointing toward the left side of the gate¡ª "Just head over there and tell the same thing to the guard stationed there. They''ll open a small door for individuals leaving and entering." He explained. "Thanks." Raye replied simply. And without waiting for further responses¡ª Tap- tap- tap¡ª He started walking in the direction he was pointed to. Meanwhile¡ª -Things are going way too smoothly and calmly¡­ I bet something''s going to happen soon. Zephyrus whispered under his breath. -Meep¡­ Pyro nodded in agreement. And Raye, hearing them¡ª ''Don''t jinx it, idiots!'' He scolded them internally as he continued walking. ***** TAP¡ª The moment Raye stepped out of the city gate¡ª "Going to the Vera City!" "Come here, were hiring mercenaries!" "We''re finding someone who wants ti tag along and can fight well!" He was greeted by a lively, bustling scene. Merchants were scattered around the area, some standing by their carriages while haggling with potential clients, others tending to their goods and making final preparations before departure. Groups of mercenaries roamed about, seeking employers willing to hire extra protection for the journey ahead. Travelers, much like Raye, were moving from carriage to carriage, hoping to secure a spot with a merchant headed in their direction. The air was filled with overlapping conversations, the occasional clinking of coins, and the creaking of wooden wheels as carriages were loaded and readied for travel. -Where do we go now? Zephyrus asked, hovering beside Raye as his gaze swept over the scene. And Raye¡ª "No idea." He admitted that bluntly. -Huh? -Meep...? A brief silence followed. Zephyrus and Pyro turned to him with slight frowns on their faces, clearly unamused by his answer. -Meep¡­ Pyro let out a tiny sound of disapproval, his little fiery body flickering in response. Raye simply shrugged. "We''ll figure something out. Let''s roam around and see if we can find someone headed our way." He suggested. And so¡ª Without wasting any time¡ª "Let''s go." -Meep! -Ugh, fine... The three of them started wandering through the crowded area, scanning the merchants and carriages, listening in on conversations, and looking for any signs of a caravan traveling in their desired direction. It was a hassle for them. After all, this was their first time doing this. But then¡ª As Raye was looking around carefully¡ª "Huh?" He suddenly halted in his tracks. His sharp eyes locked onto a familiar figure among the crowd. A man, looking somewhat ragged, with a tense posture and a nervous aura. And Raye immediately recognized whi it was! It was the lone bandit from yesterday! And just as Raye saw him¡ª "Wha¡ª?!" The bandit''s eyes landed on Raye too! The moment realization struck, his face twisted in shock. His entire body stiffened. A bead of sweat rolled down his temple! And in panic¡ª "Shit!" He cursed under his breath, his fight-or-flight instincts kicking in immediately! And choosing the latter¡ª ''I need to escape!'' He turned on his heels, attempting to run! But before he could even take a proper step¡ª "[Flash]" Raye muttered that under his breath. And in an instant¡ª FWISH¡ª He vanished from his spot! "...!!!" And reappeared right in front of the bandit! "Gah?!" The bandit let out a startled yelp. BAM! His legs buckled, and he fell backward onto his bottom in sheer surprise. His eyes darted up, trembling, as he stared at the figure towering over him. And looking down at him¡ª A shadow cast over Raye''s face. His expression unreadable. Then, suddenly¡ª A smile crept up on his face. "It''s nice to see you again." Raye spoke, his voice light, almost friendly. And opening his mouth again¡ª "I need a little help, you see." He added, tilting his head slightly. And looking at that unsettlingly calm smile¡ª Gulp¡ª The bandit swallowed hard, his throat dry. His entire body tensed. He had a very, very bad feeling about this. ***** After capturing the lone bandit, Raye wasted no time and got straight to the point. "What are you doing here?" He asked, his sharp gaze fixed on the man. The bandit, still tense from their sudden encounter, raised his hands slightly as if to show he meant no harm. "I was hired by a merchant group..." He started, his voice carrying a hint of nervousness. "They couldn''t afford to hire a real mercenary, so they took me in instead. I swear, I''m earning clean money! Don''t hurt me!" He added quickly, as if pleading for his life. Raye remained silent for a moment. "...?" He tilted his head slightly, processing the information. A bandit getting hired as a caravan guard? That was¡­ unexpected. But more importantly¡ª Something deep inside him, an instinct, kept nagging at him. It told him he should meet the merchant group that had hired this guy. Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. He couldn''t quite explain why. But his gut told him this was the answer to his current problem. And so, trusting that feeling¡ª "I want to meet your employer. Lead the way." Raye commanded firmly. The bandit flinched, realizing he had no room to argue. So with a defeated sigh¡ª "Ugh¡­ Okay." He reluctantly complied. ... ... With the bandit leading the way, Raye, Zephyrus, and Pyro followed closely behind, weaving through the crowded area filled with merchants, mercenaries, and travelers. It didn''t take long before they arrived at a small merchant group with a few carriages and supplies stacked neatly. And once they were there¡ª The bandit turned to Raye. "Stay here. I''ll call my employer." He said before walking off. Raye simply nodded, standing still as he watched the bandit disappear into the small camp. -... -... Zephyrus and Pyro were quiet too, just looking around the area. And at that moment¡ª Swoosh~ A strange feeling washed over Raye. It was subtle at first. But as the seconds ticked by, the uneasy sensation only grew stronger. Then¡ª "He''s here." The bandit returned. And with him¡ª "Huh?" Raye''s eyes widened slightly as he laid eyes on the merchant standing beside the bandit. A fat merchant. A familiar fat merchant. One Raye recognized. "Huh?!" The merchant''s reaction was just as shocked as Raye''s. His face paled, his eyes widening in disbelief. -MEEP?! Even Pyro flinched in surprise. Because this merchant¡ª This greedy, lying, backstabbing pig¡ª Was the very same merchant who had employed Raye before. The same merchant who had employed Timmy and Reggie! (Chapter 42.) Raye''s mind went blank for a second. Then¡ª ''FUCKING PIG, I''VE BEEN SEARCHING FOR YOU!!!'' A silent but furious exclamation echoed in his head as the memories came rushing back. Chapter 193 - 193: 193 - The Destination "FUCKING PIG!!!" Raye''s voice thundered with pure rage the moment he laid eyes on the fat merchant. And without the slightest hesitation¡ª "W-Wait!!!" BAM! A solid punch landed straight on the merchant''s face! He had tried to stop Raye¡ªbut of course, he failed. THUD! "GAH!!!" The merchant crashed onto the ground, his massive body slamming hard due to his own weight. "Huh?!" The lone bandit''s eyes widened in shock at the sudden violence. "Hey¡ª!" He turned to confront Raye. "Huff...!" But when his gaze met Raye''s furious expression¡ª "...!" His words immediately died in his throat, he shut up pretty quickly and decided to not interfere. Anyway¡ª -...? Zephyrus blinked, confused. -... But when he glanced at Raye and Pyro¡ª S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Their serious, burning expressions told him everything he needed to know. -''Guess they have history with this guy.'' So with that thought, he kept quiet and simply observed, keeping an eye on the unfolding situation. Meanwhile¡ª "P-Please¡ª!!!" The fat merchant raised his hands in a pitiful attempt to shield himself. But Raye didn''t care. TAP! He climbed on top of him, straddling his wide stomach, and without hesitation¡ª BAM! He launched another punch! "GHUAK¡ª!" His head snapped back, but Raye grabbed his collar and pulled him back up. "You left us to die back in the Misty Forest!" Raye roared, his voice laced with fury. BAM! A fist slammed into the merchant''s cheek. "We were trying to protect you guys¡ª!!" BAM! "You ran like a fucking coward¡ª!!" BAM! "You abandoned us¡ª!!" BAM! "Timmy and Reggie... THEY DIED BECAUSE OF YOU!!!" BAM! BAM! BAM! Each word was punctuated with another punch, his knuckles turning red from the merchant''s blood. The fat man couldn''t even scream anymore¡ªhis lips were busted, his face was swelling, and blood dribbled down his nose and mouth. And yet¡ª "..." Nobody stopped Raye. Not the nearby merchants, who merely glanced over before minding their own business. Not the mercenaries, who were used to seeing bloodshed like this. Not the travelers, who simply whispered among themselves before continuing their own conversations. A brawl was happening too just a few meters away, after all. This? This was just another daily occurrence. And in fact¡ª Based on what they were hearing from Raye... They figured the fat bastard deserved such a beating. "..." Even the lone bandit had no intention of stepping in. He took a step back, sweat dripping down his forehead. ''M-My employer is going to die...!!'' He gulped. But then his eyes flickered toward Raye¡ªtoward the carnage he was delivering¡ª And fear gripped his soul. ''But if I try to stop him¡ª'' He saw the murderous glint in Raye''s cold, burning eyes. ''¡ªthat guy will kill me too along with him!!!'' His knees almost buckled. So instead of making a move¡ª He just stood there, silent. Because right now¡ª Stopping Raye was the last thing he wanted to do. BAM! Another punch. Raye''s breath was ragged, his chest heaving. His knuckles stung, but he barely felt it. His rage drowned out the pain. His fists trembled as he grabbed the merchant''s collar, lifting his bloody face. "You left us¡­" Raye''s voice was hoarse, his anger barely contained. "You fucking left us to die¡­!" The merchant could barely keep his swollen eyes open, his lips quivering as he struggled to breathe. "You ran away while we were fighting for our lives!!!" BAM! Another punch. And then¡ª A memory flashed in Raye''s mind. The Misty Forest. The agonized screams of his comrades. And then, after that¡ª Silence. Their bodies lying still, not even fully intact. FWIP¡ª His grip on the merchant tightened. "Haaaa... haaa... haa.. a.. aa..." His breathing grew erratic. His mind spiraled further. That wasn''t the end of it. Because back then, after their encounter with the Orc¡­ after losing everything¡­ He himself¡ª Raye fell into the shit hole. He fell deep into that hellish hole. The underground old mansion dungeon. He could still feel it. The crushing darkness. The suffocating air. The rooms filled with fucking monsters lurking in them. He remembered his own blood dripping onto the cold stone floors The hunger. The exhaustion. The loneliness. He could''ve died there. He would have died there. But he crawled his way out. With Pyro and Zephyrus. And just after losing someone special to him too... Ivan Wallace¡ªhis master in swordsmanship... Anyway, returning back to the present¡ª "Gurgh...!" Raye clenched his teeth, his whole body trembling. "Because of you¡­" His voice came out in a low growl. His fingers tightened around the merchant''s collar, nearly choking him. "Because of you¡ª!!" His fist cocked back for another punch¡ª BAM! And then he hit the fat merchant in the face again. Raye was annoyed. His friends died¡ª BAM! But this fat bastard was alive and thriving. BAM! Raye continued punching him. BAM! He didn''t stop. BAM! He did this¡ª BAM! Until he was able to calm himself even for a bit. ***** Raye stood in front of the battered merchant. "Fuuuu..." His breathing was steady now, but his eyes were still burning with fury. On the other hand¡ª "... grrrgh... rgh..." The fat man was laying there on the ground, barely conscious. His face was swollen beyond recognition. Even with the high-quality potion his group had forced into him, he was still in agony. "Gahk...!" His body trembled with every shallow breath he takes, and his mind was clouded with fear! And looking down at him¡ª "You should be grateful." Raye muttered that coldly. "..." The merchant barely moved his eyes to look at him. "I could''ve killed you right there and then. You''re lucky we were in front of a city¡ªlucky there were too many eyes watching." Raye followed. "...!" The merchant shivered at those words. He believed him. He knew that if this had happened in the middle of nowhere, he''d already be dead. "Tch¡ª!" Raye clicked his tongue and turned away from the fat bastard. He needed to leave. The longer he stayed near this fucking pig, the harder it became to restrain himself. And so¡ª Without hesitation¡ª "I''ll be taking this." He took one of the carriages from the fat merchant''s group! "Wha...?!" "That guy!" "WHAT?!" The members of the merchant group were shocked by his bold action. But¡ª Nobody tried to stop him. They didn''t even dare to! Not after seeing what he had just done! "I''ll take some of these too, you didn''t pay us back then for our service." FWISH- Raye said as he also helped himself to a generous amount of valuables from their supplies. Gold coins, provisions, and a few equipment. And again, this time¡ª "Gurgh..." Nobody stopped him. They didn''t even speak, just weak grumbling noises. Then, after all of that¡ª "Be my coachman." FWIP¡ª Raye suddenly said that and grabbed the lone bandit by the shoulder! "HUH?!" The bandit''s eyes widened in shock, he was scared! And before he could even process what was happening¡ª "I''ll pay you too, so just shut up and work for me." FWUMP¡ª Raye threw him in front of the carriage that he just took! THUD! "Urgh...?!" The bandit landed hard on his knees, blinking rapidly in shock. "L-Look, man¡­ Can''t you find someone else¡ª?" The words barely left his mouth before he saw Raye''s face. His expressionless but unwaveringly sharp gaze. A gaze that held no room for argument. Gulp- The bandit''s soul nearly left his body. And then, at that moment¡ª "Let''s go." Raye said that. "...!!!" The bandit stiffened. And immediately¡ª "O-Okay, Boss!!!" His mouth acted before his brain could. And just like that¡ª "HIYAAAA!!!" -NEIIIGH!!! They left with the carriage. Raye immediately climbed inside the tented carriage as soon as it started moving. Fwoosh¡ª Pyro and Zephyrus flew in, following after him. ... ... Clop- clop- clop¡ª The carriage rolled steadily along the dirt road, the rhythmic clatter of wheels filling the silence. "Brrrr... Cold..." The lone bandit sat outside, gripping the reins tightly. He was alone. Driving the carriage. Trembling. His body was still stiff from fear, his nerves refusing to settle. He had no choice but to obey Raye. But there was one problem in his mind right now¡ª ''Where the hell are we headed?!'' He asked in his head. He didn''t know their destination! And he was too afraid to ask Raye! But after a few more agonizing minutes¡ª He realized he had no choice. ''Fuck it, whatever¡­!'' And so, after cursing his luck¡ª He forced himself to calm down, inhaling deeply before opening his mouth. "Fuuuuu..." Then finally¡ª "B-Boss? W-Where are we headed?" The bandit asked that. His voice came out loud enough for Raye to hear from inside the carriage. But seconds passed¡ª "..." And he received no answer. "..." Only silence. Swooosh~ Thump- thump- thump¡ª! The bandit''s heartbeat quickened. ''D-Did I mess up?!'' He asked himself, trying to remember everything that he did today. But then¡ª After a few more agonizing moments¡ª "Our destination is the City of Dravenhold." Raye suddenly went and declared that, answering his question! And to be more specific¡ª "... In the center of the Alvah Dukedom." He added that! Chapter 194 - 194: 194 - Addict City of Dravenhold. The capital. The center of Alvah Dukedom. That was where Raye was headed. In short¡ª He was going straight into Alvah territory¡ªthe domain of the very family that had disowned him the moment he was transmigrated into this world! ''I don''t know any of them personally.'' Raye thought to himself as he sat comfortably inside the carriage, his arms crossed, his gaze fixed on nothing in particular. He was, of course, referring to the Alvah Family. There was no anger toward them. No hatred. Not even the slightest attachment. To him, they were nothing more than strangers. Not family. Never were. He doesn''t even know them personally! The only thing Raye knows about them¡ª ''Is that Leon would definitely fight them.'' Why, you ask? Because in the game¡ª ''Leon had discovered the truth... That the Alvah Family had turned their backs on the poor commoners...'' That the slums¡ªoverflowing with suffering and despair¡ªhad been left to rot by those in power. That the Alvahs, rather than lifting a hand to help, had been taking advantage of them instead. ''Leon had learned this after graduating from the Academy, right as he set off on his journey.'' A journey to save the people. A journey to defeat the Demon King. ''So, obviously¡­ after learning about the situation in Dravenhold, he stepped up¡ªlike the hero he was.'' Raye muttered in his head as he recalled the events from the game. There wasn''t much else to do, anyway. Traveling like this¡ªsitting idly in a carriage¡ªwas beyond boring, I can''t blame him. The only real way to pass the time was to meditate... but Raye had done that dozens of times now, just for today! Training? Practically impossible. The only chances he got to do anything meaningful were when they stopped to set up camp for the night or rested in cities to restock supplies. And by now¡ª Raye had been traveling for a week, his situation had been like this fir a week now! So, looking around¡ª ''Hmm¡­ what should I do?'' Raye asked in his head. -me... eeep¡­ -Hm.. nmnh¡­ He saw Zephyrus and Pyro curled up beside him, fast asleep. Exhausted. They had burned through all their mana while training earlier. "..." Raye smiled slightly, seeing them. ''They''re getting stronger.'' That thought alone made him feel at ease, happy even. And so¡ª Opening his mouth¡ª "I should probably just continue my training too." Raye mumbled that to himself. And with a simple flick of his fingers¡ª Snap! Fwish¡ª Three bluish pills materialized in front of him! They were from his spatial ring. Fwip¡ª Raye grabbed them immediately. These were the last pills given to him personally by the Headmaster, Bryan Blackwood. Their effects? It refines one''s mana! The pills makes the mana flow smoother, purifies it, and even enhances one''s body! That''s right¡ª These weren''t just any enhancement pills... They were high-grade and top quality! "Man¡­ he''s really generous. Must be nice to have that much money to spare." Raye muttered to himself, his gaze fixed on the three bluish pills resting in his palm. Then, before he got started¡ª "Hey, Joseph!" He suddenly called out, raising his voice. And from the outside¡ª "Y-Yes, Boss?!" The lone bandit, Joseph, immediately responded, startled. "I''m going to be in deep meditation. Drive carefully, more smoothly, and whatever happens¡ªDon''t come in... Unless I tell you to." Raye emphasized every word. And then¡ª "Or else, I''ll fucking punch you." He added casually, like it was a natural consequence. Anyway, hearing his words¡ª "G-Got it, Boss!!" Joseph replied in an instant. No complaints. No hesitation. No arguments. He wasn''t about to test his luck. And so, with that all settled now¡ª "Fuuuuuu¡­" Raye let out a deep sigh, steadying himself. And once again¡ª His gaze dropped to the pills in his hand. ''Welp¡­ time to take drugs again, I guess?'' He thought with a slight frown on his face. Then, without hesitation¡ª GULP¡ª! He swallowed all three pills at once! And immediately¡ª SWOOOSH¡ª!!! A violent surge of mana erupted inside his body, coursing through his veins like a storm, running rampant! "URGH?!!" Raye groaned, his body instantly heating up from the sheer intensity. But after going through this process more times than he could even count with his hands¡­ Raye reacted instantly¡ª Swoosh~ "Huuuuu¡­" A deep, steady exhale. And with absolute control, Raye began guiding and redirecting the overwhelming mana flow, spreading it evenly throughout his body! Whooosh¡ª!! The pain remained. His skin still burned. Sweats still poured down his face. Bloods still trickled from his nose, mouth, and ears. But Raye¡ª "..." He endured it all. Calmly. Unwavering. After all¡ª His pain tolerance had skyrocketed after taking a lot of pills in the last five months! At this point, Raye was already used to the absorption part of the enhancement pills! ''Hmm... I should probably buy stronger pills next...'' Raye thought as he meditated. (He lowkey sounds like an addict...) ***** Raye''s journey continued. And the next time that they stopped by a city¡ª He went straight to the best alchemist he could find. "Give me the strongest enhancement pills you have." Then he demanded that. That was all he said. And in the end¡ª It cost him over a hundred gold coins. A ridiculous amount of money¡­ but Raye didn''t even hesitate. (Yep, he''s an addict now.) He had one goal. To get even stronger on his way. And so, once again_ Swooosh~ He resumed his drug training. Raye is doing it inside the carriage. Every two days, he took one pill. His body burned. His mana raged. But he endured it all. And whenever they made stops¡ª He trains his body physically. No excuses. No rest. No breaks. Raye didn''t stop. He kept moving. Pyro and Zephyrus also put the same effort in their training after seeing him do his best. And just like that¡ª Before they even realized it¡ª It had been two weeks since the three of them left the academy. And finally¡ª T A P¡ª! Raye, Pyro, and Zephyrus reached their destination. The City of Dravenhold. In the middle of the Alvah Dukedom. "C-Can I go now...?" Oh, and Joseph was still with them... S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 195 - 195: 195 - Shopping Raye let Joseph go as soon as they arrived in the City of Dravenhold. But before parting ways, he tossed him a few tens of gold coins¡ª It was actually way too little for two weeks of work. But Joseph? He didn''t care about it. He didn''t even try or think about complaining... "Good bye, I promise I''ll be good from now on!" He said with a big smile on his face before leaving. And the moment Raye gave the word¡ª BAM! FWOOSH¡ª Joseph bolted out of his sight. And so, just like that¡ª "..." -... -... Raye, Pyro, and Zephyrus were now all left alone in this massive city. -This is a lively place... Zephyrus muttered as he hovered beside Raye, taking in the sights around. It was packed with people and it was noisy. -Meep... Pyro agreed to Zephyrus. He''s currently perched comfortably on top of Raye''s head. -Wouldn''t we get lost here? Zephyrus then asked next, glancing at Raye. -Meep...? Even Pyro looked a little concerned about that. But Raye¡ª With a shrug¡ª "Nah, don''t worry about it." He just said that. Raye was this confident, after all¡ª ''I have this entire city memorized.'' He declared in his head. After all those hours he spent in the game, running around in this one stage... There was just no way that Raye would get lost. And so, without wasting any more time¡ª "Let''s go." Raye muttered that. TAP¡ª And then he calmly took a step forward, without a hint of hesitation. And seeing him go¡ª -Meh, whatever... -Meep! FWOOSH¡ª Zephyrus and Pyro followed after him, trusting in his confidence. ... ... ***** Meanwhile¡ª As Raye made his way toward a local inn to rest and gather important supplies... Somewhere within a grand estate, inside a lavish office adorned with priceless decor¡ª "Hmmm..." A man sat behind a massive, elegant wooden desk. It was Lucian. (Raye''s biological father.) Fwip- And in his hand was letter... "..." His piercing blue eyes scanned through the letter''s contents. Then, after finishing the last line¡ª "Heh..." A weak chuckle escaped Lucian''s lips as a subtle smile formed on his face! Then, after setting the paper down his table¡ª "Huuuu..." He took a deep breath before speaking. "So he''s finally here, huh." Lucian murmured, his voice carrying a hint of amusement. He had been informed the moment Raye set foot inside Dravenhold! And even now¡ª His spies were watching him! Lucian was already aware that Raye, his disowned son, was here in the Dravenhold City! And that he broke the rule of not setting foot in this land again! S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "I should probably meet and have a talk with him later." Lucian whispered to himself, reading through the papers about Raye again for the second time¡ªthen slightly smiling afterward. ***** After securing a room at the local inn¡ª -Ugh, finally, a comfortable bed after days of sleeping in the carriage... -Meep! Raye, Zephyrus, and Pyro finally had a place to rest for the day. Thanks to Raye''s sharp memory, they didn''t get lost even once, effortlessly navigating the bustling streets of Dravenhold. Zephyrus and Pyro, amazed by this, couldn''t help but express their awe¡ª -How do you know this city''s layout, have you been here before? Zephyrus asked as he perched on Raye''s right shoulder. -Meep¡­! Pyro chirped, perching on top of Raye''s head again. "Meh..." Raye just shrugged casually. "I played around this city too much before. It''s basically burned into my head." He said. And at his words¡ª -Hnmm... So you''ve been here before when you were a child, huh. -Meep... Zephyrus and Pyro muttered that. "Yeah, something like that." Raye just responded with that, not wanting to explain any further. Then after settling into the inn¡ª "Anyway, let''s go." -Oh, okay. -Meeeep! Raye wasted no time and immediately headed out again. ... ----- ... Getting out to the City if Dravenhold¡ª Raye, Zephyrus, and Pyro did some exploring, buying supplies, then preparing. Because this time¡ª Raye''s next move wasn''t going to be easy. So for the next few hours, he carefully stocked up on everything he needed. And his total spending? More than a hundred gold coins! He bought some expensive herbs, high quality potions, and materials that he could use in magic engineering. And by the time the three returned to the inn¡ª Swooosh~ The sun had already begun to set. ... Creack¡ª Thud- "Hmm, finally home." The three entered their room. And as soon as they got there¡ª -Let''s start, Pyro. -Meeeep!! Zephyrus and Pyro resumed their training. Their training for today focuses on meditating and refining their mana. And so, just like that¡ª WHOOOSH~ The two of them sat on the wooden floor and started circulating mana in their small bodies. Raye on the on the other, was going through the items that they bought. Then¡ª As the atmosphere grew calm and silent... BOOM!!! A sudden explosion erupted beside Zephyrus and Pyro! -?!?! The two immediately opened their eyes, they widened in shock! Fwish¡ª They immediately turned toward the source of the explosion¡ª And there¡ª SWOOOOOSH~!!! Standing amidst a dense storm of swirling mana¡ª Was Raye. His expression was stoic, eyes closed. But his entire body was trembling, his veins glowing with power¡ªwith mana. And as Zephyrus and Pyro felt the sheer density of mana building around him¡­ They realized it instantly. He took enhancement pills again! They''re right about this. And Raye, he did not just take one or two. Those are for weaklings, for newbies. No¡ª He took five pills at once! -Ugh... He''s getting reckless with this after finding out his hidden talent. Zephyrus grumbled, looking at Raye with a slight frown on his face. -Meeep... Pyro chirped, he was worried about Raye. Then, without needing to exchange words¡ª Fwoosh¡ª Zephyrus and Pyro moved. They know what they need to do at the moment. Protect Raye. Guard him. Make sure he succeeds in absorbing the essence of the pills. Because this wasn''t just hardcore training anymore¡ª This was Raye''s battle against his own limits. "URGH...!!!" Raye groaned in pain, blood dripped down from his nose and mouth. But knowing that he was getting stronger from this¡ª WHOOOSH¡ª!!! Raye just bit his lips and endured everything. Chapter 196 - 196: 196 - Bright "URGH..." Swoosh~ Raye gritted his teeth, enduring the searing pain coursing through his body. He sat still, forcing himself to meditate through the storm of raging mana. -... -... Zephyrus and Pyro, seeing his condition, halted their own training. Instead, they focused on guarding him. And so, time passed¡ª Seconds turned to minutes. Minutes turned to hours. One hour became two. Three. Four¡ª ... ... ... Until finally¡ª FWASH! A final surge of energy rippled outward as Raye''s body stabilized. Five whole hours. That''s how long it took for him to fully absorb the pills'' essences! And the moment he did¡ª "Ugh... eyes... hea...vy..." Thud¡ª He collapsed, passing out instantly. -... -... Zephyrus and Pyro stared at his limp body. -Bruh... This is basically a routine for him now. -Meep... The two sighed, unfazed. They were used to Raye passing out now. And then¡ª -Whatever. Let''s just start. -Meep! They immediately got to work. Cleaning. A large, foul-smelling pool of blood had formed beneath Raye''s body, staining the bed and furniture as well. His sweat was everywhere too. It was the usual aftermath whenever Raye consumed multiple high-grade enhancement pills or strong herbs. And as always¡ª Cleaning up after him had become Zephyrus and Pyro''s job. They don''t find it hard nor disgusting so they never once complained about it. After after tidying up the place¡ª -Let''s start again. -Meep! The two returned to their training. ***** The Next Day¡ª "Ugh..." Raye''s eyes fluttered open. He was lying on the bed¡ªplaced there carefully by Zephyrus using wind magic yesterday after he passed out. ''I passed out again, huh.'' He thought to himself before slowly sitting up on the bed. "Hm?" He turned his head and saw Zephyrus and Pyro sleeping beside him. A small smile formed on his lips. "Thanks." He muttered, reaching out and patting them gently. Then, after stretching his sore body¡ª "I should get breakfast for us." He stood up and headed out, making his way to the inn''s restaurant to order food. ... ... ... After sharing breakfast with Zephyrus and Pyro¡ª "Time to go." Raye wasted no time and immediately set out with the two. A single day of rest was enough for him to recover his stamina and strength. ''Lucian already knows that I''m here¡­ and I know too that he sent some spies. I can feel their gazes.'' Raye thought, keeping a poker face. Lucian miscalculated Raye''s abilities right now and sent spies that are weaker than him in skills. Anyway, it wasn''t surprising that he was showing interest in Raye. Lucian had his reasons. But Raye wasn''t interested in playing along. So for now¡ª "..." He decided to act ignorant. To avoid escalating things any further. And with that¡ª Tap- tap- tap¡ª He strode toward his destination, keeping a steady pace. -We''re being followed. -Meep. Zephyrus and Pyro whispered to him. And Raye, without even glancing back¡ª "Ignore them. They''re just perverts." He muttered that. And with that, he picked up his pace. ***** After A While Later¡ª ''Hmm? Looks like I lost them.'' Raye thought, no longer feeling any eyes on him. -They''re gone, huh. Even Zephyrus seemed to notice that. Regardless¡ª "We''re here." Raye declared that. And hearing his words¡ª -...? -??? Zephyrus and Pyro tilted their heads, confused. Because before them¡ª Was nothing but a dense forest. A lush, overgrown woodland on the eastern side of Dravenhold City. Except for its size of being slightly bigger that the Misty Forest, it''s nothing special. -''Even the mana surrounding it is weak...'' Zephyrus thought to himself. -Are you sure there''s a dungeon here? Then he asked Raye that, skepticism in his tone. -Meep... Even Pyro seemed a bit doubtful about the idea. But Raye, his confidence unwavering¡ª "Of course. Just follow me." He responded without hesitation. And that''s right¡ªthey were here for a dungeon. And unexplored one! Raye had been planning this raid for five months now. Back then, he knew it was too risky, it was basically impossible for him. But now¡ª ''I can do it.'' His eyes burned with certainty. Raye had grown stronger. His gear had improved. His skills had expanded. And so¡ª ''Time to test everything in a real fight.'' This dungeon would be his proving ground. Though, of course he was planning to take something too in the dungeon that he was looking for. He''s not just here to get experience. ***** Setting foot inside the forest¡ª Tap- tap- tap¡ª Fwoosh~ The trio pushed forward, deeper and deeper. They were searching. Minutes turned into an hour. An hour turned into two. Then three. And still¡ª Nothing. -... Zephyrus and Pyro were getting impatient. Slowly, a thought crept into Zephyrus'' mind¡ª -''How would he even know there''s a dungeon here¡­ if supposedly no one has ever entered it?'' He asked himself. It just made no sense for him. S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Tap¡ª "..." Yet Raye kept walking. His every step was firm. Confident. Certain. Zephyrus hesitated, then he finally opened his beak¡ª He was about to tell Raye that they should head back. But before he could even try to¡ª SWOOOSH¡ª!!! -Huh?! -Meep?! A sudden distortion rippled through the air! The world around them shifted. Twisted. Warped! And the next thing they knew¡ª "We''re here. Get ready!" Raye''s voice rang out. And then¡ª SWAAAAAAAHHHH¡ª!!! Their vision was flooded with pure white! They couldn''t see. They couldn''t move. They couldn''t even breathe. -... -... Zephyrus and Pyro were confused, they don''t know what to do. Until¡ª -...? -Meeep...? Their sight returned not long after. Their bodies loosened. And as they opened their eyes... -... -... They became speechless. After all¡ª They were no longer in the forest from before. Well, they were still in the forest, but it''s completely different from where they were before. How do they know? Well... First of all, the trunks of the trees are blue-green and their leaves look like cottons that are colored purple! Second, the grass below them is the color red, as if it was stained with blood! Then finally, third¡ªThe sky is bright pink with no clouds! It looks like they were trapped in a drawing of a three year old child! -This hurts my eye... -Meep... Zephyrus and Pyro grumbled with a frown on their faces. On the other hand¡ª "We''re here!" Raye was celebrating, happy. Chapter 197 - 197: 197 - Fuse (Raye''s POV) "We''re here!" I exclaimed with excitement, my eyes scanning the surroundings. Everything around me was vivid¡ªalmost too vivid. ''It hurts my eyes¡­'' Still, I couldn''t help but feel a surge of relief. I finally found it. The rift dungeon. In the game, this was the dungeon that Leon stumbled across while being chased by city guards, under Lucian''s orders. Leon was seen as a threat¡ª He was rallying people, convincing them to rise up against Lucian¡ªagainst the Alvah Family. And then, by what seemed like pure coincidence, Leon ended up in this forest. Though, it wasn''t just any forest. As he ran, desperately fleeing¡ª ''He felt a sudden wave of intense mana¡­ then everything went white.'' And when his vision returned¡ª He was here. Inside this dungeon. It was where Leon trained, and where he got significantly stronger. Because¡ª Time here flows twelve times slower. "A year of training here will be just a month outside." I clenched my fists, whispering to myself. Though to everyone else, it''ll look like I''ve only been gone a month¡ª ''For me, an entire year will pass.'' Me, Pyro, and Zephyrus... We''d be isolated here. Far from the outside world. Focused solely on getting stronger. I already explained everything of this to them before. No secrets. No surprises. And now¡ª -... -... Zephyrus and Pyro were quiet. Probably mentally preparing themselves for the long haul ahead. ''I''ll let them be for now.'' I thought. But just as the silence settled¡ª BOOOOM!! -GRAAAAAHHHHH!!! A monstrous roar tore through the air. -...?! -Meep?! Zephyrus and Pyro were surprised. "?!" My eyes snapped open, head turning instinctively toward the sound¡ªBehind me. And there¡ª -GRAAAHHHHHH!!! I saw it. A towering, three-headed Petalvex Hydra. Its massive form loomed over us¡ª Each head blooming from a massive, carnivorous flower. The petals shimmered with unnatural colors. Each of its head released a different magical effect, sleep, paralysis, frenzy, hallucination, and many others. And the worst part? The more heads it has, the stronger it gets. Cutting one off only causes two more to grow back¡ª Unless it''s scorched with fire. Fortunately¡ª "I''m great at handling fire." I whispered, pouring mana into [Celestria]¡ª FWISH¡ª The ring shifted, transforming into a beautiful white gun. "[Blaze]" I muttered. SWAAAAHHHHH¡ª A violent flame roared to life, dancing along the length of my gun. Fwip¡ª I raised the gun, gripping it with both hands and aiming straight at the Hydra. -GRAAAHHHHHH!!! The beast shrieked and charged, its flowered heads flailing wildly, reacting to the fire in my hand. I stayed calm. I held my ground. "..." I aimed straight at its huge body¡ªright into the carnivorous flower. And then¡ª Click¡ª I pulled the trigger. SWOOOSH¡ª A thin, concentrated beam of fire shot out of its muzzle. PSH! It pierced the center of the Hydra''s body with surgical precision. And as soon as it did¡ª B O O O M¡ª!!! The impact ignited the monster completely. SWAAAAHHHHH¡ª The flames erupted, devouring its entire body. -KIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEE¡ª!! The Hydra shrieked in pain. BOOM! BAM! BOOM! It flailed and smashed around, desperately trying to put the fire out. It crashed into trees and rocks, but¡ª ''My fire''s not that weak.'' I declared silently, watching the chaos. And then, soon¡ª THUD! Its colossal body collapsed. Dead. Still burning. SWAAAAHHH¡ª The intense fire clung to its corpse, refusing to die out. And seeing that¡ª I turned to Pyro and Zephyrus. "Let''s get out of here. The noises it made and the smoke will attract more monsters here." I said. I looked straight into their eyes. ''They''ve already made up their minds.'' I muttered in my head seeing their resolved look. -Got it. -Meep! Zephyrus and Pyro responded without hesitation. And with that¡ª "Let''s go." T A P¡ª We vanished into the dungeon''s depths. Our year of isolation and training had begun. ***** Tap¡ª tap¡ª tap¡ª "..." The three of us moved deeper into the forest dungeon, our footsteps light but deliberate. Thick vines curled along the ground, and vibrant blue moss glowed faintly beneath our feet. As we walked¡ª ''Let''s see¡­'' My eyes flicked to the bluish system window floating in front of me. ===== Achievement: Discovered an unexplored dungeon! ----- Reward: +5 points to all stats! ===== "Nice." I muttered under my breath, a slight smile tugging at my lips. That stat boost¡ª It might not look like much, but it''s the equivalent of using five high-grade enhancement pills. After reaching an overall rank of [B-], raising my stats had become noticeably harder. So yeah¡ª This was definitely a good thing. -I''m sensing four monsters heading toward us. At terrifying speed. Zephyrus then spoke suddenly, his voice calm as always. He was perched on my right shoulder, his small form steady despite our movement. He had been spreading his wind magic out like a radar, scanning every living thing around us. "Which direction are they coming from?" I asked, glancing at him. And without pause¡ª -East. Fwish¡ª I instantly turned toward the direction he indicated. "Pyro." I called. -Meep! Pyro chirped, already knowing what I was about to ask. Fwip¡ª I gripped the white gun, [Celestria], in my left hand and inhaled. Then, opening my mouth¡ª "[Fuse]" I muttered that. -Meep! Pyro let out a cheerful sound¡ª Whoosh~! Then his small, fiery body disassembled into dozens of glowing orbs! Each one radiates warmth and light! Swish¡ª The orbs circled around me in graceful patterns. And then¡ª WHIP! They surged into the gun! S§×arch* The Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Fwish~ And it started transforming again! SWAAAHH¡ª The gun was engulfed in calm, flickering flames. The sleek white design morphed into dark red metal, with glowing ember lines etched across the surface. Small flares of fire flickered along its frame, the barrel now resembling a roaring flame. And even though I''d seen this a few times while traveling¡ªwhen Pyro and I practiced this¡ª "..." I was still speechless. It still looked insanely cool. But then, as I was admiring my weapon¡ª BAAAM!! -GRAAAAHHHH!!! -GRRRRR!!! A monstrous rumble echoed out¡ª Four Glimmerfang Basilisks charged through the thick brush, heading straight for us. They were large, lizard-like beasts, their bodies covered in crystalline scales that shimmered like diamonds. Their eyes glowed unnaturally¡ª One glance, and you risked temporary blindness or hallucinations. Fwip¡ª I raised my gun calmly as a response after seeing them, my breathing steady. ''I need to kill them before they get close.'' I thought. And with that¡ª Click¡ª I pulled the trigger. PSH! -KIEK?!! A thin, high-speed beam of fire shot from the muzzle, piercing straight through the first basilisk. THUD- It dropped immediately, its body collapsing with a dull sound. Then following that¡ª PSH! PSH! PSH! I fired three more times in rapid succession! There was no delay, no chanting, no cooldown! Just fast, clean, precision firepower! -KIEEEEEEEKK?!!! Each shot found its mark! And just like that¡ª THUD! All four Glimmerfang Basilisks were down. Their bodies lay still. Burned, silent. I lowered my gun slightly. "Hmm, that was easy." I whispered to myself, my voice quiet in the now-still air. When I fuse Pyro with [Celestria], the weapon''s normal attacks become like laser shots¡ª Fast. Precise. Deadly. Sure, the firepower isn''t as explosive as when I use [Blaze] But the speed and consistency? Still terrifying. And if I load stronger fire spells as bullets¡ª They get enhanced even further. "Hmm, I should try stronger spells next time." I mumbled. Chapter 198 - 198: 198 - Uninvited Guest Me, Zephyrus, and Pyro continued traveling. Oh, and Pyro was still merged with [Celestria]. See, the spell [Fuse] takes a huge amount of mana from the both of us to activate. So whenever we do use it¡ª S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. We don''t cancel the spell right away. Why? Because once it''s active, it doesn''t drain any more mana, unless I attack or cast something. So Pyro can chill inside [Celestria] for as long as he wants. We just both need to have enough mana at the start to sustain the merge. Anyway¡ª "Have you seen something?" I asked. -Nope, nothing near us. Then Zephyrus replied, perched casually on my right shoulder. Right now, the two of us were scanning for a good place to set up camp. After all¡ª We''re in a forest-type dungeon. That means monsters are hiding everywhere. And we can''t just build a camp anywhere we feel like. Pick the wrong spot, and we''ll wake up as a monster''s midnight snack. ''We need a safe zone.'' I thought, narrowing my eyes as we kept moving. Meanwhile¡ª SWAAHHHHH¡ª The fire inside my gun flared suddenly. It was Pyro¡ªtrying to communicate with us. This was his new way of "chirping." And somehow¡ª ''I can still understand him.'' He just wished us good luck with the search. "Thanks, Pyro. We definitely need it." I mumbled, smiling slightly. SWAAAAAH~ The flames flickered again, more playful this time. Pyro was happy. ***** A few hours passed by¡ª Zephyrus and I continued our search. Walking. Scouting. Stopping every now and then to rest or rethink our path. And, of course¡ª We ran into monsters on our way. I avoided fighting when I could. After all, we still hadn''t found a base. Wasting stamina for unnecessary battles when we don''t even have a safe place to recover? That''s just stupid. But now¡ª -GRAAAAAHHHH!!! A Glimmerfang Basilisk lunged out from a bush, trying to ambush me. I can''t avoid fighting it. Though¡ª -Yeah, that one had been following us for a while now. Zephyrus had sensed its presence long ago. He''d already let me know. So, calmly¡ª "What a stalker." I muttered. Fwip¡ª I raised my gun. PSH! And fired. THUD! The basilisk''s body collapsed, a clean hole through its head. It was dead. -Nice shot. Your accuracy''s getting better and better. Zephyrus complimented, still resting on my shoulder. With a casual shrug, I responded¡ª "Well yeah, that one was easy." SWAAAHHHH~ Pyro agreed, the flames in my gun dancing proudly. Then, I narrowed my eyes slightly and said¡ª "Anyway¡­ the number of monsters we''re running into is decreasing." -Yeah, this guy was alone too... These types usually travel in packs of three to five. Zephyrus replied, his small head nodding thoughtfully. And at that moment¡ª We both had the same realization. "We''re getting close to the safe zone¡­" I mumbled. "A place where we can finally set up camp and build a base." -Yeah, I think so too. Zephyrus and I exchanged hopeful looks. We were excited. Honestly, I was exhausted. I just want to set up the tent and lie down already. And from the way Zephyrus stayed quiet, and how Pyro''s flames pulsed calmly¡ª I could tell that they were feeling the same. So, without wasting another second¡ª Tap¡ª tap¡ª tap¡ª We kept moving, heading deeper into the forest. ''If only Leon didn''t find the safe zone in a damn cutscene in the game¡­ We wouldn''t have to wander around so aimlessly.'' I grumbled mentally, letting out a frustrated sigh. ***** We delved deeper into the forest dungeon. And except from the last one that I killed¡ª "We have encountered no monsters so far." I muttered, disbelief was apparent in my voice. "Any monsters around us?" I asked Zephyrus. And shaking his head¡ª -None, all clear. He answered. He looks pretty shocked too that there''s nothing. "..." -... The two of us silently looked at each other. And then¡ª "Hah..." -Heh... We smiled. "Let''s set up the base here." I suggested. -Alright, I have no issue about that. Zephyrus replied. And with that¡ª FWOOOSH¡ª I took out all of the camping equipment from my spatial ring storage. THUD! They fell onto the ground loudly, but they''re durable so it''s fine. "Pyro, you can cancel the spell now." I said, looking at my gun. And after that¡ª SWAAAAHHHH¡ª The flames burned brightly. Then¡ª POOF! -Meep! Pyro appeared and the gun returned to its previous appearance. -Meep! Meep! Meep! Pyro was excited that he could fly around again. "Sorry for trapping you in here." I said, pertaining to [Celestria]. Fwoosh¡ª I transformed it back into a ring and made it slither on my left hand index finger. -Meep! Pyro said it was fine and that he''s just happy he could help. "..." I swear he''s just the sweetest kid I know. "Thank you, Pyro." I said to him. Then¡ª -Hey, let''s start... I want to rest. Zephyrus suddenly said that. "Yeah, I agree... let''s start before it gets dark." I followed. -Meep! Zephyrus too. And with that¡ª We started setting up the camp. ... ... ... Because we only need to set up one big tent to share¡ª "We''re all done." -Finally... -Meep! It only took us half an hour to finish doing it and starting a camp fire. Pyro was controlling the fire and Zephyrus was controlling the smoke so we won''t give out our location to monsters. And now that we have a base¡ª "I''ll cook dinner now, it''s getting dark." It''s time to replenish our stamina. The pink sky is turning crimson red now, getting dark... It''s an indication that the day is coming to an end. During this time of the day, some of the monsters get more active and stronger. But most of them go to sleep. So it''s safe to say that this is the perfect time to rest too. ''The three of us wasn''t able to eat lunch... I''ll just cook more for our dinner.'' I thought. I was roasting deer meats. Kyle gave it to us. He actually gave us a lot of meat before we left. It was enough to last for a while. ''Maybe a week or so.'' Because of that, we wouldn''t need to worry about hunting for food right now. -Mhm, is it done yet? Zephyrus asked. -Meep? Pyro added. They''re both behind me, inside the tent. And without glancing at them¡ª "Hmm, it''ll be done soon." I just said that. -Grrrrowl...? Then I received a weird reply. "What was that Zephyrus?" I asked, still cooking. -Hmm? I''m controlling the smoke from here. Do you need something? He asked back. ''Hmm, is it not him that replied?'' "Pyro?" I called. -Meep? Then he answered. ''Ah, right... He could only say meep.'' So¡ª If it''s not Pyro and Zephyrus that I heard... ''Who was it?'' I asked in my head. Then¡ª "!!!" My eyes quickly widened in panic! Fwish¡ª I turned my head back¡ª And there, behind the tent¡ª "For fuck''s sake... Let us eat first, at least..." I saw a massive gorilla covered in glittering moss¡ªtowering about 10-meters-tall! I recognize it¡ª It was a Glittermaw Ape! One of the mini bosses of this dungeon! Chapter 199 - 199: 199 - Planning Glittermaw Ape. One of the three mini-bosses of this rift dungeon. It had a stunning roar, explosive fruit grenades, and worst of all¡ª It was stupidly fast and agile in this forest terrain! It probably avoided being detected by Zephyrus'' wind magic because he was busy controlling the smoke... And that damn gorilla was moving through the trees! Anyway¡ª "Zephyrus! Pyro! Get here!!" I yelled that the moment I locked eyes with the Glittermaw Ape. -Hm? -Meep? The two both turned their heads toward me, confused by my urgent tone. Fwish¡ª Their eyes followed my line of sight. And when they saw what I was looking at¡ª -...! -...! Their eyes widened, and they instantly flinched! In that moment¡ª -GRAAAAAAAWWWWWLLL!!! FWOOOOOSH¡ª!!! The Glittermaw Ape roared and launched a massive horizontal swing with its left arm¡ª That thing was the size of my entire body! And it was heading straight for the two! ''Shit!'' I cursed in my head, instincts kicking in. Fwish¡ª [Nyx] appeared in my right hand, taking out from my spatial storage. And without hesitation¡ª "[Flash]" S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. I muttered that. SWISH¡ª!! The world blurred in my eyes. Fwip¡ª And when it cleared¡ª "..." I was already in front of the gorilla''s incoming fist! "[Blaze!]" I roared. SWAAAAHHHH¡ª!!! [Nyx] ignited into a roaring blaze! And with it¡ª "GRAAAHHH!!!" SWOOOOSH¡ª!!! I swung my black sword in a wide arc¡ªfrom left to right! Then¡ª B O O O M¡ª!!! My flaming blade clashed with the ape''s gigantic fist, erupting in a blast of heat and shockwaves! SWOOOOOSH~!! "URGH...!" I groaned as pain exploded in my right arm. ''It felt like something cracked.'' I thought in my head. "Gurgh...!" But I gritted my teeth and pushed through the pain. And opening my mouth¡ª "DISTRACT HIM!!!" I exclaimed thay as loud as I could. And right on cue¡ª -On it. -Meep! SWAAAAAAASSSSHHH¡ª!!! A violent tornado made of fire was blasted from behind me! It was a combined attack from Zephyrus and Pyro! And that flaming tornado¡ª B O O M¡ª!!! It struck the Glittermaw Ape square in the face! To be exact, in its eyes! -GRAAHHHH?!! The beast groaned in pain, smoke rising from its head. T H U D¡ª!! The gorilla crashed onto the ground, landing on its butt with a loud thump! Fwish¡ª I quickly turned toward Zephyrus and Pyro. They met my eyes¡ª And without thinking¡ª "LET''S RUN!!!" I shouted that with everything I had. -...?! -...?! They were stunned by my panicked voice¡ª But they trusted me. FWOOOOSH¡ª!! They immediately turned and took off, flying away from the stunned mini-boss! SWOOOSH¡ª!! I didn''t waste a second too. I spun around and began grabbing everything I could, shoving it into my spatial ring at top speed. My hands blurred¡ª Tent pegs, tools, food¡ª All in. All except¡­ the tent. -GRAAAAAAAAWWW¡ª!!! The Glittermaw roared again, louder than before. And hearing that¡ª "...Fuck it." BAM!! I kicked off the ground and sprinted away, as fast as I could. I didn''t need the damn tent. I needed to escape. ''Too early¡­ I''m not supposed to fight the strongest mini-boss yet...!'' SWOOOOSH¡ª!!! I thought as my body blurred, leaving behind a trail of afterimages as I bolted through the trees. The Glittermaw Ape¡ª It has three monster phases when you fight it, and all of it was difficult as fuck in the game! We''re lucky it approached us out of curiosity before. Because if it ambushed that¡ª ''We''d all probably be done for by now....'' I frowned we I thought of that. ... ... ***** Zephyrus, Pyro, and I. Tap- tap- tap¡ª The three of us kept running. Putting as much distance as we could between us and that massive gorilla we just escaped from. We didn''t look back. Not until we were sure it wasn''t chasing us, and that we lost it. And then¡ª TAP¡ª I came to a sudden stop, feet digging into the earth. P A T¡ª Zephyrus and Pyro fluttered down and perched on my shoulders. "Haaa... Haaa..." I exhaled sharply. "..." I looked back. Swoosh~ "..." It was silent. "Zephyrus?" I called without looking at him. And with a slight shake if his head¡ª -It''s not chasing after us. He declared that. Zephyrus had improved his wind magic detection now, scanning even above us. So it''s safe to say¡ª ''We got away.'' We''re safe now. "Hasaaaa..." I let out a long sigh. Thud¡ª Then I slumped down onto the ground, letting my back rest against the trunk of a nearby tree. "We lost our tent, huh." I muttered quietly, staring up at the leaves above. -Meep... -... Pyro let out a soft sound, while Zephyrus remained silent. He probably felt responsible. After all, he was the one in charge of keeping an eye on our surroundings. And seeing him like that¡ª "Don''t worry. I already considered the possibility of losing¡ªor having our tent destroyed." I stated calmly. Then, with a casual flick of my hand¡ª "I have extras stored in my spatial ring." I added with a small grin. -...! -Meep! Both Zephyrus and Pyro widened their eyes in surprise. I just shrugged. "I came prepared. No big deal." Then I glanced around the forest, letting my body relax just a little more. "Let''s rest for now. After that, we''ll search for a better spot to build our base." I muttered. Then, raising my left hand¡ª FWIIISH¡ª Three pieces of roasted deer meat suddenly appeared out of thin air, floating slightly before slowly descending. I had stored them in my spatial ring earlier before we fled. A smart move, in hindsight. -Meep! -Ah...! Both Pyro and Zephyrus lit up with excitement the moment they saw the food. And without a second of hesitation¡ª FWIP¡ª They each grabbed one piece, leaving the last one to gently fall into my hands. Pat¡ª It landed perfectly in my palms. And with a small smile¡ª "Let''s eat." -Meep! -Hmnh... We all began our quiet dinner under the trees. ... ... As I chewed on the meat, my mind wandered back to that earlier encounter with the Glittermaw Ape. And honestly¡ª ''If I had gone all out¡­ I probably could''ve beaten it.'' I thought to myself, taking another bite. The Glittermaw Ape is an [A-] rank monster. Just one rank above me. With my enhanced skills and combat experience, I was confident I could take it down. If I fought it alone, that is. The reason I chose to run wasn''t because I was scared. It was because of that damn ability¡ª [Roar Stun]. Just like the name suggests, that monster could stun enemies by letting out a thunderous roar. I was fairly certain I could resist it. But that roar wasn''t just for stunning¡­ ''It''s also a signal¡ªto summon the other two mini bosses under it to help.'' If I had fought the Glittermaw Ape right then and there... There was a high chance I''d end up facing all three mini bosses at once. That would''ve been stupid. I would probably lose and die. Which is exactly why I said it was too early to fight that beast. ''I need to deal with the other two first. One by one.'' I declared firmly in my head. And so, with those thoughts circling in my mind¡ª "Hmm..." Nom¡ª I continued eating, now calmly planning how to eliminate the other two mini bosses before taking on the Glittermaw Ape again. Chapter 200 - 200: 200 - More Training! After we finished our dinner¡ª The three of us began searching for a new place to set up camp. And luckily¡ª We found a decent spot not too far away from where we were. And just before the sun completely vanished from the horizon too. Anyway¡ª Fwoosh~ I immediately pulled out one of the spare tents from my spatial ring and began setting it up. It wasn''t as big or sturdy as the first one we lost, but it would do. Still¡ª ''I can''t believe we lost our main tent¡­ and we''ve only been here for less than a day.'' I sighed inwardly. ''We really need to be more careful.'' And with that thought lingering in my mind¡ª "It''s done, let''s go rest." Zephyrus, Pyro, and I huddled inside the tent and settled in for the night. ... ... ... We took turns sleeping and keeping watch. It was exhausting, sure¡ª But it was also necessary. We couldn''t afford to let our guard down. Not in a dungeon like this. ***** The next day¡ª "Ugh..." I sat up even before the sun had a chance to rise. -Hmn... -Meep... Zephyrus and Pyro were already awake too. None of us really slept well. The entire night, we kept hearing unsettling noises¡ªlow growls, rustling from places where nothing should be moving. ''But every time we checked¡­ nothing was there.'' Paranoia? Maybe. But in a forest-type rift dungeon like this, with monsters capable of ambushing from any direction at any time¡ª Can you blame us? Every creature here could kill us the moment we slipped up. They weren''t just weak goblins or low-tier beasts. No. The average monsters lurking in this place were between [B-] and [B] ranks. Just one and two step below my rank. ''Every damn thing here could kill me if I''m careless.'' Yeah, I''ve grown stronger over the last five months¡ª But still... ''It''s not enough.'' "I''m still weaker than that bastard." I muttered under my breath. That demon¡ª The high-rank one I faced five months ago during the invasion. The one that nearly destroyed everything. "I''ll kill that fucker..." I whispered with anger, each word was filled with fury. Fwish¡ª Then, turning my gaze to the right¡ª "Hm?" I saw Zephyrus staring at me. -... He stood silently on the red grass, balancing on his two thin legs. Just watching. "...What is it?" I asked, meeting his eyes. -... He didn''t answer right away. Just stood there. But then, after a moment¡ª He opened his beak. -You''re talking about the demon that got us five months ago, right? He asked, voice low. "Hmm, yeah." I answered simply, trying to keep my expression calm. But¡ª Fwip! My hands clenched into tight fists. So tight, my knuckles cracked. Anger flooded my chest like wildfire, burning behind my eyes. That fucking demon¡­ What it did to Old Man Rey¡ª To Kyle¡ª To Zephyrus and Pyro¡ª The way it laughed. The way it toyed with me during our fight. It made my blood boil. My heart was thudding against my ribs like a war drum. "What about him?" I asked, more coldly now. I wasn''t expecting what Zephyrus said next. -I just think you two deserve to know this. He muttered, pertaining to me and Pyro. "...?" I tilted my head, confused. -meep...? Even Pyro, who was trying to sleep more, turned his head to Zephyrus after hearing that. But before we could even try to speak¡ª -The demon that got us... -It was the same demon that caused the downfall of the Wallace Family. Zephyrus declared that with a weakening voice. (The Wallace Family¡ªIvan Wallace''s family, from the underground mansion dungeon.) "...!" My body froze. "Huh?" I muttered, my mind racing to catch up with what I''d just heard. ''What¡­?'' I stared at Zephyrus. His expression¡ª Dead serious. ''He''s not lying.'' The realization slammed into my chest like a hammer. And with it¡ª "..." My calm mask shattered. "...!" My eyes widened, trembling with rage. FWIP¡ª My fingers curled so hard, my nails dug into my palms, drawing blood. "Grgh...!" A guttural sound escaped my throat as I tried to hold in a scream. My whole body was shaking. My heart was thundering now, screaming for vengeance. My teeth gritted so hard it hurt. And as my lips parted¡ª "I''ll really kill that bitch..." I whispered that, every syllable was laced with poison. It wasn''t just a goal anymore. It was a promise. -... -... Zephyrus and Pyro remained silent, looking at me. They didn''t need to say anything. The three of us¡ª We knew Ivan.. He was my master in swordsmanship¡ªhe trained me. He was a friend. "..." I remembered the underground mansion dungeon. I remembered the Wallace Family''s twisted fate¡ªwhat the demon did to them. I remembered what happened to the corpses of Ivan''s dead families. I remembered how Ivan had been cursed¡ªdoomed to slowly turn into a monster, not being able to leave the room that he was bound to. He endured so much. And that demon... ''That fucking demon was the one behind it all...!'' I thought my hatred had reached its limit that day, five months ago¡ª But now? It had doubled. Tripled. It felt like a firestorm inside my chest. ----- ..... After a few deep breaths, I managed to calm slightly myself. But my resolve? It burned brighter than ever. "I need to get stronger¡ª" "Strong enough to kill him." I said. No hesitation. No doubt. Just cold, burning purpose. It wasn''t a matter of "if" anymore. It was "when". And so with that¡ª I continued with the plan that I had came up to last night. What is it, you asked? Well¡ª It is to hole up in our base and start training. "Meh." Just like how I always do it back in the cabin. Fighting the mini bosses? It''s not on my list right now. ''I''ll be here for a year with Zephyrus and Pyro.'' I realized that I don''t need to speed run this dungeon. I can take it slow, progressing one at a time in clearing it. And as I was pushing that aside¡ª "Let''s start." -Let us... -Meep! Zephyrus, Pyro, and I¡ª S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. We''ll be training all the time. Chapter 201 - 201: 201 - A Month Raye, Zephyrus, and Pyro continued their routine of daily training. Raye focused on building his physical strength through rigorous workouts. He studied magical engineering, expanding his understanding of enchantments, circuits, and arcane tools like artifacts. He honed his control over spirit magic¡ªpushing his limits, refining his mana flow, and testing new techniques. He did all of this in a single day¡ª And repeated it again the next. Zephyrus and Pyro trained together as well. They sparred relentlessly, each clash sharpening their instincts. They meditated side by side, stabilizing their mana cores and enhancing their spiritual connection. They tested their abilities, explored new ways to combine attacks, and worked on increasing the potency of their skills. They were all serious. Every day, they gave it their all. None of them strayed far from the base camp they had set up. They didn''t go out looking for monsters to fight. Because that wasn''t their goal! They weren''t here to gain combat experience or prove their strength! They were here to grow. To train. To prepare. They didn''t need to hunt for food either. Raye''s spatial ring was stocked with preserved meat and supplies¡ªgifts from Kyle before their departure! So, they stayed within their territory. Resting only when needed. Eating only when hungry. S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Their focus was simple and absolute¡ª Make use of the rift''s time dilation¡ªwhere one day inside was twelve times slower than the outside world¡ªand use that advantage to train in peace. And so, the three of them did exactly that. Day after day¡ª In silence. In repetition. In growth. They trained... And trained... And trained... Until finally¡ª ... ... A full month had passed. ***** Thirty long days of relentless, disciplined training. The three didn''t take breaks. They didn''t complain. They pushed themselves without pause. And now¡ª "We''re out of food." Raye''s voice broke the quiet as he looked at the now-empty storage in his spatial ring. The meat and supplies Kyle had given them had all been consumed. In short¡ª "We need to hunt." Swoosh~ Raye stood up, cracking his knuckles as he declared it. It was time to step out of the quiet¡ª And into the wild. ***** (Raye''s POV) Tap- tap- tap¡ª Swoosh~ "..." The three of us left the safety of our camp. We ventured out into the colorful forest dungeon, hoping to find something to eat. We searched for a while¡­ Carefully weaving between trees that shimmered with unnatural hues. Leaves glowing purple with mana, flowers pulsing like veins, and vines that moved ever so slightly when you weren''t looking. The deeper we went¡ª The louder the sounds of the forest became. Though, no monster was in sight. We need to search manually because Zephyrus can''t spread out his wind detection magic, it might scare the preys that we are looking for. So we just walked and walked... I mean, I was walking, but the two were flying. And then¡ª As we were getting deeper into the forest dungeon¡ª RUSTLE¡ª SNAP¡ª RUSTLE¡ª! We heard something moving not far away! The three of us immediately turned toward where the sound came from and approached in that direction slowly. And soon¡ª "Found them." I muttered, narrowing my eyes toward the clearing up ahead. There, just behind the weirdly colored bushes¡ª -SssSSsstTttT...! -TssssSSsss... -Sssssssshhh` A pack of monsters slowly walked in a single file, their lean bodies brushing against the glowing grass. There were five in total. Their bodies were lanky and covered in scales that shimmered like glass. Their legs were long and slender, each step they took oddly quiet. A thin membrane stretched from their arms like wings, but they weren''t flying. Their heads were triangular, with long tongues flicking out to taste the air. I know what monsters they are¡ª [Prismstalk Lizards] A native monster just in this certain dungeon. They blend into vibrant trees and bushes, lying in ambush. In the game, they were mostly passive and stupid unless provoked¡ª But more importantly... "They''re edible." I said, keeping my voice low. Fwish¡ª -huh? -meep? Zephyrus and Pyro immediately turned to me. And opening my mouth¡ª "They''re called Prismstalk Lizards. Their meat''s safe to eat once cooked properly." I explained that. The two just looked at me for half a second. Then¡ª Without a word¡ª FWOOSH¡ª!! They blasted forward in a sudden gust of wind! Zephyrus soared with glowing white energy trailing behind him, eyes cold and locked onto the center lizard! Pyro zipped in from the side, a blur of flickering flames¡ªhis small body brimming with focus! Their eyes¡ª Calm. Sharp. Unwavering. They trusted me. They didn''t need confirmation. They didn''t need questions answered. They just moved. ''They''re so fast.'' I thought, watching the two rush in like twin comets. I felt like doing something in this too. And so¡ª Fwoosh~ [Celestria] quickly turned into a white, elegant gun. Fwip¡ª I held it with my left hand. And after raising it¡ª PSH! PSH! PSH! I shot three times without stop. And after that, with a light sound¡ª Thud¡ª Three bodies of the Prismstalk Lizards fell onto the ground. "..." Fwip~ I quickly turned back [Celestria] into a ring and wore it on my left hand, ring finger. Then, at the corner of my eyes¡ª FWOOOOOM¡ª!!! I saw a blazing torrent of fire erupted from Pyro''s tiny body! -SssSSTTT?!! His target had barely turned its head before¡ª BOOM! It was hit by Pyro''s attack and was engulfed by fire. -SHIIIIEEEKKK!!! The Prismstalk Lizard let out a shrill screech¡ª But it didn''t last long. THUD! The creature collapsed, its scales glowing orange from the heat, smoke rising as embers danced in the air. Then, at the same time¡ª SHHHHHHK¡ª!! A sharp blast of wind tore through the air like a blade¡ª SLASH¡ª!!! Zephyrus''s spell hit cleanly. The Prismstalk Lizard he aimed for was split from shoulder to gut in a single strike! Blood splattered onto the grass, and the creature dropped with a lifeless thud. We killed all of our preys in a matter of seconds. It was indeed a fast time. Though... Pyro''s kill was half-charred. Zephyrus''s had lost so much blood the grass beneath it was soaked red. We kind of failed our goal. But still¡ª "Pfft¡­" I let out a short laugh. Zephyrus turned to me, flicking a bit of blood off his feathers. -Too much? "Haha, maybe." -Meep! Pyro spun midair with pride, clearly unbothered by the overkill. We all just laughed it off. No need to stress about it. In the end, we gathered all the corpses¡ªburnt, bloody, and intact alike¡ª And brought everything back to the camp. ***** Later¡ª SWISH¡ª I unsheathed a short field knife and began preparing the meat. I skinned what I could, separated the charred and bloody parts, and salvaged the best chunks. Zephyrus helped keep the fire steady with his wind, while Pyro lit the flames with his natural sparks. Before long¡ª Bubble- bubble- A simple pot of broth simmered quietly over the fire. Chunks of Prismstalk Lizard meat bobbed inside. The smell was surprisingly good¡ªlike rich chicken mixed with herbal notes from the forest flora I threw in. "Alright¡­ It''s ready." I muttered, wiping sweat from my brow and handing out portions. -Meep! -Ah... They took their bowls, eyes sparkling like I just gave them treasure. Sitting on the grass, the three of us dug in. The warmth of the broth hit instantly. Simple. Savory. Satisfying. After all the training, all the silence, all the battle¡ª This small moment of rest¡­ Felt like a reward. And for now¡ª That was enough. Chapter 202 - 202: 202 - Hunting Now that they don''t have stocked meat and food¡ª A new routine had been added to the trio''s daily life. In the morning, as soon as they woke up. The three of them would eat breakfast. And after resting for just a little bit¡ª "Let''s go." -Yeah. -Meep! Raye, Zephyrus, and Pyro would leave their camp to explore and hunt monsters. They didn''t hunt too many, since they couldn''t process all the corpses fast enough for meat. The dead bodies of monsters would attract others, and their location would be revealed. So every day¡ª The three of them hunted only a few monsters, just enough for the day. They''d simply repeat the same tomorrow. And aside from that¡ª Their other routines and their goal remained the same as ever. Not a single thing had changed. They still trained all day with little rest¡ªonly pausing to eat, meditate, and sleep. They were still aiming to become far stronger than they already were. It was almost surprising that none of them had gone insane yet, considering how things were going. And although none of them spoke about it¡ª "..." -... -... Raye, Zephyrus, and Pyro missed the others. Raye especially miss Jerusha. But even so¡ª Their life continued like this. The three of them trained, hunted, trained again, then hunted again. Again. And again. And again... That''s just how things went. ... ... ... And just like that¡ª Another month passed. ... ... ... Then another. And during their third month in this dungeon¡ª Raye began taking drugs (Enhancement Pills and Herbs). He had bought a bunch of them beforehand. Now, Raye took anywhere from one to five pills daily. He pretty much looked like an addict at this point. Though in truth, Raye wasn''t actually addicted to using the pills... He didn''t like their taste, nor the process of absorbing them. The only reason he kept using them¡ª "URRRGH...?!!" Was because of their effects. It was the only thing left that could still make him stronger. Because officially¡ª "..." ''My body is done.'' Raye had reached the limit of what his body could achieve through training alone. ... ***** ... More time passed. And now¡ª It had been exactly five months now since Raye, Zephyrus, and Pyro entered the Forest Rift Dungeon. And today¡ª "Fuuuu..." -Haaaa... -meeeep... They stood together in silence, gazing into the thick misty woods that had become their base. Five whole months of relentless training. Five months of surviving, adapting, and growing stronger in isolation. They had bled, bruised, and broken themselves over and over again. But now, finally¡ª They decided it was enough. The grind had served its purpose. Their bodies were sharper, faster, harder. Their instincts were honed to a terrifying degree. Their teamwork had reached a level where words were rarely needed. Each of them knew what the other would do. Each step, each breath, synchronized. It was time to stop holding back. Time to take the next step. Finally¡ª ''It was time to hunt down the mini-bosses.'' Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Raye declared in his head. No more hiding in the shadows of the dungeon, no more playing it safe. The trio had spent months building themselves up for this moment¡ª And now, they would begin tearing their way through the dungeon''s hierarchy. Each mini-boss was a powerful monster that ruled a territory within the forest. Strong, smart, dangerous. But Raye, Zephyrus, and Pyro weren''t the same people who first entered this place. They were hardened now. Prepared. And hungry. "Let''s eat first before leaving." Raye muttered, cracking his neck, eyes dark and cold. -I agree. Zephyrus replied, blades humming faintly with energy. -Meep! Pyro chirped, his small form already sparking with flame. They didn''t need a detailed plan anymore. They were the plan. And starting today¡ª The dungeon would remember who walked its depths. One mini-boss at a time. The hunt had officially begun. ***** After eating¡ª Tap- tap- tap¡ª Fwoosh~ Raye, Zephyrus, and Pyro began their search for mini-bosses. The only problem? None of them really knew where to find one. So they just kept moving everywhere. Wandering. There were no signs, no markers, no patterns to follow¡ªjust endless trees, twisted paths, and monsters lurking in the shadows. They took their tent with them, packed and ready. They weren''t planning to go back to their original camp every night. Not when their search might lead them far, deep into unfamiliar territory. This wasn''t just a hunt. It was a journey. And maybe even a bit of a gamble. Just then¡ª PSH! PSH! PSH! "..." Raye pulled his trigger three times¡ªsmooth, calm, without hesitation. Each shot echoed like a snap of thunder through the dense woods. And right after¡ª Thud! Thud! Thud! Three monsters collapsed to the ground, lifeless. A single hole pierced the center of each of their eyes. Clean, perfect shots. They were called Needle Fangs¡ªskittish, fast-moving pack monsters with thin limbs, pink body, and sharp mouths designed to pierce armor. Usually hard to catch, harder to kill. But now¡ª They lay dead. And what''s more surprising¡ª Each of them was over a hundred meters away from where Raye had fired! More than a hundred meters...! In a forest filled with thick trees, winding roots, and obstacles everywhere. And yet¡ª Each bullet had found its mark like it had eyes of its own! Raye''s accuracy had reached an abnormally high stage after training it for a whole five months! -... Zephyrus was silent. A frown crept onto his face as he sensed the moment those monsters died¡ªone after another. So fast. So far. So precise. Meanwhile¡ª -Meep! Pyro chirped, confused but excited. He didn''t fully understand what had just happened¡ª But he supported Raye anyway. He always did. Moving on, after that¡ª They kept moving, deeper into the dungeon. The further they walked, the more dangerous the air felt. Something out there was watching. Waiting. The hunt for the mini-bosses was on. And something told them¡ª They were getting close. Though... ... ... ... They searched for a week and found no mini boss at all. "Where the fuck are they?" Raye asked, brows furrowing as he roasts a monster meat. -On our first day, we say one... And now that we''re searching for them, we can''t even see a trace of them. Zephyrus stated, confused. The monsters just kept getting stronger as they went deeper the dungeon. -Meep! Pyro just chirped, telling Raye to cheer up. Chapter 203 - 203: 203 - Roar "What the hell, are they avoiding us?" Raye asked to himself, his brows furrowing. He knows that it''s not easy to find the mini bosses. But searching for a week and not finding even a trace is something. ''Are we the problem here?'' Raye asked to himself. ''Are we doing something wrong?'' He followed, looking at Zephyrus and Pyro perched on each of his shoulders. "Hmm..." Raye racked his brain. He tried to remember information from the game about this place¡ªabout the mini bosses. . . . But even after doing that for a good couple of minutes¡ª "Fuck..." Raye found nothing. He played [Brave Hearts] many times before. And while he was in this part of the game¡ª He just encountered the mini bosses randomly without cutscenes or anything! They weren''t in order too, finding them were all totally by chance! ''Can we really do nothing but search all of the forest dungeon?'' Raye asked in his head. "That''ll take us at least another year to do so." He grumbled. -What are we going to do now? -Meep? Zephyrus and Pyro asked, looking at Raye. "..." Raye glanced at them for a few seconds. Then, after a while of silence¡ª "We have no choice but to search everywhere and hope we find them soon." He declared that with a frown on his face. The thing is¡ª They can''t get out of this dungeon unless they kill the final boss. And the final boss of this dungeon¡ª It only comes out after defeating the three mini bosses. So essentially, they''re currently trapped inside this rift! And realizing that¡ª Tap- tap- tap¡ª Fwoosh~ Raye, Zephyrus, and Pyro continued their journey for searching. ''Ugh, I hope it doesn''t take us long to find them.'' Raye thought. -... -... Zephyrus and Pyro were thinking the same thing as him. ***** The three continued traveling, searching for the mini bosses. They do it like this¡ª They''ll search for one day, camp that night, then the next day, they''ll stay in camp to train. They''ll continue their travel the next day. They do it alternately. Raye decided to do this so they can still train and not just waste time searching. Even if the search was long and uncertain¡ª At least their bodies were still improving. Their skills were still sharpening. Their time wasn''t being thrown away. On travel days¡ª They''d walk through the forest cautiously, alert, checking every unusual sound, every strange aura. Fighting whatever monster appeared along the way. Raye would scout from a distance with his gun. Zephyrus stayed close, his wind magic spread out, senses sharpened. Pyro floated above or perched on Raye''s shoulder, acting as a lookout too. And when the sun began to set¡ª They''d set up camp, eat, recover. And on training days¡ª They''d go all out. Pushing their limits. Testing new techniques. Meditating, sparring, channeling mana. Trying to squeeze out every last drop of strength they could find within themselves. Raye was taking the last remaining few enhancement pills on him. This routine¡ª It worked. It gave their days a rhythm. A balance between searching and growing. But still¡ª No mini bosses. Not yet. And with each passing cycle¡ª The hunger for progress kept growing stronger. And so, they moved on. Day after day. Week after week. Until¡ª A month passed... "Haaa..." -... -meeeeep... And still nothing. ... ... ... Or so they thought¡ª -GRAAAAAAAWWL¡ª!!! They suddenly heard a loud growl from not far away! "Huh?!" -Wha...! -Meep! Raye, Zephyrus, and Pyro immediately turned their heads toward the sound. "..." -... -... They all looked at each other for a while. And after that, without saying a word¡ª BAM! FWOOSH¡ª They all rushed toward where they heard the growl! ***** Raye, Zephyrus, and Pyro stealthily approached the source of the loud roar earlier. They hid their presence and carefully got close. And upon getting near, they saw the source of the roar. It was... The Glittermaw Ape. ''I knew it, the growl sounded way too familiar.'' Raye thought. The Glittermaw stood still for a moment, its heavy breathing echoing through the trees. It was clearly agitated, restless, like it had sensed something was off. ''It knows that someone''s watching it.'' Raye narrowed his eyes. Fwish~ Zephyrus lowered his body, his wings quieting the air around him. -... Pyro floated silently, sparks gently flickering from his small body. "...We finally saw a mini boss, but it''s the glittermaw again." Raye muttered under his breath. He remembered its skill to call the other mini bosses. But despite that¡ª ''Whatever, might as well defeat them all at once today.'' Raye just shrugged it off! He was confident enough now with their strength. He thinks that they could face all of the mini bosses! "..." -... -Meep. The three looked at each other¡ªno words needed. This was what they''d been waiting for! Months of preparation. They''ve already spent half a year here! And now¡ª It''s time to test their strength! ***** (Raye''s POV) Fwoosh¡ª I immediately transformed [Celestria] into a gun and gripped it tightly with my left hand. "Get ready, guys." I whispered, my eyes locked on the Glittermaw Ape. -Got it. -Meep. Fwoosh~ Zephyrus and Pyro replied. I felt the mana in their bodies shift carefully. And opening my mouth once again¡ª "Let''s kill that one at least, before he calls the other two." Fwish¡ª I declared as I took out [Nyx] from my spatial storage and held it in my right hand. "[Blaze]" I muttered right after. SWAAAAAAAA¡ª! Flames burst to life, engulfing both my gun and sword in wild fire! -Grrrr...? Fwish¡ª The Glittermaw Ape turned around, sensing my mana. And the moment it saw me¡ªsaw the violent blaze in my hands¡ª -?!! Its eyes widened in shock. But I didn''t care. Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Instead¡ª "Bang." Click- SWOOSH¡ª I fired my gun, aiming right at its head! PSH¡ª BOOM! -GRAAAAHHH?!! The Glittermaw Ape was struck dead-center in the forehead, and my shot exploded on impact! Its head snapped back violently from the force! And without wasting that opening¡ª "Let''s go!" BAM! FWOOSH¡ª Me, Zephyrus, and Pyro rushed toward the Glittermaw Ape. -GRAAAAHHHH¡ª!!! It recovered fast, it wasn''t hurt that much. And seeing us approaching¡ª -GAAAAAAR!!! SWOOOSH¡ª It swung its right hand into a big, heavy hook to greet us! "Zephyrus!" I exclaimed. And immediately¡ª -[GUST!] Zephyrus cast a spell! FWOOSH¡ª A strong wind blew us upward! SWISH¡ª And the Glittermaw Ape''s fist missed us because of that! I didn''t waste that moment. Now that I''m in front of the Glittermaw Ape''s face¡ª Fwip- I tightened my grip on my flaming sword. And then¡ª SLASH¡ª I slashed the monster''s left eye with a horizontal swing! -GRAAAAHHHH¡ª!!! It roared in pain. Though, at that moment¡ª "?!!" I felt my whole body stiffened! And immediately¡ª ''He used the [Roar Stun]!'' I realized that. Chapter 204 - 204: 204 - Back up! (Raye''s POV) -GRAAAHHHHH¡ª!!! The Glittermaw Ape roared in pain. And in that moment¡ª "...!" I felt my whole body stiffen! ''It''s the [Roar Stun]!'' I exclaimed in my head. "Urgh...!" Fwip! I was able to immediately resist the stun. But that wasn''t my concern! So, opening my mouth¡ª "Zephyrus, Pyro¡ªlet''s kill that guy fast!" I shouted out the command. And because I had already told them before about the Glittermaw Ape''s skills¡ª -GOT IT! -MEEEEP!! Zephyrus and Pyro immediately responded, fully understanding the gravity of the situation. -GRAAAHHHHHHHH¡ª!!! The Glittermaw Ape was still screaming. Fwoosh~ I instantly wrapped my legs with violent gusts of wind. "[Hold!]" FWIP¡ª Then, using the telekinesis I learned from the headmaster, I held myself suspended in the air for a moment! And in that second¡ª B O O M¡ª!! I blasted the wind on my legs and launched myself forward¡ªstraight into the Glittermaw''s face! And without a second of hesitation¡ª "SHUT UP!!!" FWOOSH¡ª I thrust [Nyx] forward, aiming right between its brows! Swish¡ª Phuck! But the Glittermaw Ape raised its left hand, using it to block my attack! Yet I didn''t stop¡ª "[BLAZE!!!]" I pushed more mana into the skill and into my sword! And in doing so¡ª SWAAAAHHH¡ª!!! The fire around [Nyx] surged violently and began burning the monster''s hand from the inside! -GRAAAAWWWHHHL¡ª!!! The Glittermaw Ape shrieked. F W O O S H¡ª "?!?" Then it swung its left arm hard¡ªtrying to fling me away! S W I S H¡ª! "Fuck...!" I cursed as my body was hurled through the air at terrifying speed. WHOOSH! I produced a strong wind from my feet and used it to do a flip and recover mid-air. BAM! I landed hard on the ground¡ªbut at least I landed on my feet. And not giving me time to catch my breath¡ª -GRAAAAAAWLL!!! SWOOSH¡ª The Glittermaw Ape swung a hammer fist straight at me with its right hand! "...!" I saw it coming. And while my eyes locked onto its massive fist¡ª "[Flash]" I muttered that. FWOOOSH¡ª!!! A violent blast of wind exploded from my legs, and I shot forward like a missile¡ªdodging the incoming blow in a blur! B O O M!!! The ground behind me exploded into rubble, the force of its fist cracking the earth open! But I was already gone there. FWOOSH¡ª! Bam! I zipped up the side of its arm in the blink of an eye and kicked off its shoulder, flipping back into mid-air! And with my lips parting¡ª "[Flare Shot]!" I cast that! Click- PSH¡ª And then I used it as a bullet and fired [Celestria] directly at the back of the Glittermaw''s neck! B O O M! SWAAAAAAH~!!!! It exploded widely, lighting up the nearby trees like a flare! -GRAAAHHH?!! The Glittermaw roared and staggered feeling the hot sensation on his back¡ª But I know this wasn''t done. "PYRO!" I called out. -Meep!!! FWOOOSH¡ª Then Pyro launched himself from above, descending like a fireball! THEN¡ª FWOOOM! He collided with the Glittermaw''s chest! BOOOM¡ª!!! -GUUURGRAAHHHH¡ª!!! And he exploded into a burst of searing flames! Now the monster was burning in front and back of his body! "ZEPHYRUS!" I called again. And this time¡ª FWOOSH~ The air turned sharp and wild. And in an instant¡ª -[Cleave]! SWIIISH¡ª!!! Zephyrus released dozens of massive wind blades! S L A S H¡ª! Slashing across the Glittermaw''s body! -GRAAARRGHHHH!!! The Glittermaw flailed, blood pouring from its wounds¡ª But I was already in motion again. Tap- I landed on its nape. "..." And without hesitation or second thought¡ª SWISH¡ª PHHHCK! I stabbed the flaming [Nyx] deep into its neck! -GRAAAAAAARGH¡ª!!! The Glittermaw shrieked, but still refused to fall. Though¡ª I already knew it would hold on. And so, calmly¡ª "[Spark]" I said that. Then¡ª BZZZZZT¡ª BZOOOOM¡ª!! The Glittermaw Ape''s entire body was shocked by electricity! -GRRGH¡ª?!!!! Its whole body froze because of that. But just a second after¡ª -GRAAAHHH!!! BOOM¡ª!!! It smashed the ground beneath us with both fists, unleashing a shockwave! Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Gugh?!" Bam! I leapt off its back¡ª But it was only the beginning. SWOOSH¡ªTHUD¡ªCRACK¡ªBOOM!!! The Glittermaw Ape went berserk. It smashed trees, swiped madly in all directions, pounded the earth with its fists like thunder¡ª And then¡ª WHIIISH¡ª!! A huge backhand came flying toward me! But I¡ª "[Flash]" FWOOOSH¡ª!! A gust of wind burst from my legs, and I zipped through the air just in time, avoiding the strike by inches! BOOM!! The force of the attack shattered a massive boulder behind me¡ª But I didn''t stop moving. FWIP¡ª I flipped mid-air, wind twisting around my limbs. "Try this, fucker." [Celestria] flared in my left hand, pointed at the Glittermaw. Then¡ª Click¡ª BOOM! I fired a ray of fire from the barrel, hitting the monster square in the side of his head! -GARGH?!! It wasn''t as hurt as I thought it would be. FWISH¡ª The Glittermaw turned toward me. And to greet it¡ª SLASH¡ª I slashed the monster''s thigh! SWISH¡ª I slashed at its arm! PHUCK¡ª! I stabbed at its ribs¡ª! Cutting, firing, dodging, again and again¡ª I was a blur, dancing between its rage. -GRRAAAAAAWWLL!!! The Glittermaw was furious. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! It started smashing and destroying anything around it just to catch me. It was completely focused on me... And that''s just what I wanted. "Heh... that''s right. Look at me." I whispered, a smirk forming on my face while glancing at my right side. Because the truth was¡ª They were ready. They''ve been ready for a few seconds now. And so with that¡ª "NOW!!" I shouted while the Glittermaw has its both arms raised¡ª "PYRO! ZEPHYRUS!!" -MEEP!!! -ON IT¡ª!! And from behind the bright colored trees¡ª FWWWWOOOOOOMMMM¡ª!!!! A massive blast of fire and wind surged forward! It was a combined spell, cast in secret from the very beginning of the battle after the two weakly attack the Glittermaw to make it think that they''re not much big of a threat! -FLARE TYPHOON!!! -MEEEEP! BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMM¡ª!!!! The combined magic tore through the clearing. A flaming tornado that crashed into the Glittermaw with devastating force¡ª SWAAAAAAAHHHHH¡ª!!! Flames and blades of wind consumed the monster! SWOOOOOSH~!! The earth trembled. The air screamed. And at the center of it all¡ª -GRAAAAAAAAAAARGGHHHHHHHHHH¡ª!!!!! The Glittermaw was being obliterated! "Haha..." I smiled at that sight. Though, just then¡ª BAM! BAM! I heard two loud sound falling just behind me. "Huh?" Fwish¡ª And when I looked back... "Ah..." I saw the two other mini bosses, just standing a few tens of meters away from me. -... -... And with my eyes slightly widened¡ª "Fuck." I cursed out. Chapter 205 - 205: 205 - Versus The Three Mini Bosses [1] (Raye''s POV) "Fuck." I cursed in shock as I stared at the two mini bosses behind me. The first one is the Chromaworm¡ª It''s a giant centipede with glowing rainbow plates. It has the ability to change the colors of his scales¡ªand based on the colors, it changes its resistances! This monster also vomits prism acid that melts most of the things, and it can burrow and travel underground really fast! The other one is called the Verdant Maul¡ª It''s an enraged Treant with a green-blue trunk-like body, blooming with cursed flowers. It slams the ground with massive root fists, summons spiked branches, and emits toxic pollen clouds. That are its abilities! These two were massive as well, not losing to the Glittermaw Ape! Anyway¡ª Bam! FWOOSH¡ª!! I immediately jumped back, flipping through the air to gain distance! And while still mid-air¡ª "PYRO! ZEPHYRUS! TWO MORE MINI BOSSES APPEARED!!" I shouted, warning the two without wasting a breath. But just then¡ª BOOOM¡ª!!! Out of the blazing fire vortex created by Pyro and Zephyrus¡ª -GRAAAAHHHH¡ª!! The Glittermaw Ape burst out with a roar, leaping after me¡ªhis body covered in scorched wounds and raging fury! "Shit¡ª!!" My eyes widened when I saw him. He was just behind me¡ªboth of his massive fists raised high! And then¡ª WHOOSH¡ª!!! He brought them down with murderous force, aiming straight at me! ''He really wants to kill me, huh.'' I thought. And right before the blow landed¡ª FWOOOSH¡ª!!! I blasted strong winds from my feet and flung myself to the side, while also yanking myself with telekinesis! WHOOOOOM¡ª!!! B O O O M¡ª!!!!! The Glittermaw''s fists smashed nothing but the earth¡ª SWOOOOOOSH~!!! His attack created a mini earthquake and it sent cracked chunks of the ground flying everywhere! "Haaah¡ª" I grunted, barely stabilizing myself midair¡ª But before I could even try catch my breath¡ª BOOOOOM¡ª!! The Chromaworm burst out from beneath the ground¡ª The exact spot I jumped toward! "Shit again¡ª!!" Its shining, rainbow-colored body uncoiled violently and lunged at me! SWOOSH¡ª! I twisted my body midair, barely avoiding its prism-coated mouth¡ª Drip- SWAAAAHHHH¡ª!!! The acid dripped and hissed against the dirt below me. Bam! I ignored it and just jumped back, away from the two. But just when I thought I''d already escaped¡ª SWHIP¡ª!!! I heard vines getting whipped out behind me¡ª "The fuck¡ª?!" I snapped my head back¡ª And just as I expected... I saw that the Verdant Maul was already there¡ªright behind me! WHOOSH~!! Its massive root arm swung straight at me! I couldn''t dodge this one! "Tch¡ª!!" I clenched my teeth and clicked my tongue in frustration. I poured mana throughout my body! Swish~ My whole right arm flared with violent flames! And in just a matter of milliseconds¡ª SWAAAAAHHHH¡ª!!! My spell¡ª[Blaze] engulfed my simple but cool looking black sword, [Nyx]! And with that¡ª FWOOOOSH¡ª!!! I swung the flaming blade upward, intercepting the root fist with everything I had!! BOOOOOOM¡ª!!! Fire and wood collided in a blazing, cracking explosion! I can''t believe I can''t cut through a wood. The sheer force of the hit sent tremors through my bones! "AGHH¡ª!!" Shiiiiik¡ª I skidded back, feet tearing through soil, heat flaring from my body as I stabilized. But I didn''t fall. I blocked it. Just barely. "...Fucking hell." Three mini bosses. All at once. And they weren''t holding back at me. ***** B A M¡ª! "FUCK!" SWISH¡ª! Raye continuously dodged as the three mini bosses began hunting him down like a pack of predators. -GRAAAAAWL¡ª!!! -KIEEEEEEK¡ª!!! -GAAAAAAAARL¡ª!!! They were massive¡ªtowering creatures with devastating strength and weight behind every swing, slam, and strike. But Raye¡ªhe was faster. Much faster than them. FWOOSH¡ª! He zipped past the Verdant Maul''s incoming roots. WHOOSH¡ª! Then ducked under a tail swipe from the Chromaworm, its rainbow-colored scales glinting under the dungeon light. BOOM¡ª! And sidestepped the Glittermaw Ape''s fist, dirt exploding beside him. "Gurgh...!" He gritted his teeth, breath sharp, muscles taut as he kept moving. Step after step. Dodge after dodge. "Keep... coming..." He muttered to himself through clenched teeth. Meanwhile¡ª A few meters away, Pyro and Zephyrus stood still. -... -... Silent. Watching. Not moving a muscle. They were waiting. Waiting for Raye''s word and signal. Waiting for the right moment. And they trusted him completely. But... The three mini bosses were learning. S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Adapting. And slowly but surely¡ª SWISH¡ª FWOOSH¡ª! WHOOOOOOSH¡ª!! Their movements began syncing! Their attacks began coming in tighter rhythms! They were more precise now. More coordinated... -KIEEEEEE!!! -GRAAAAAAAAH!!! The Chromaworm slithered low while the Glittermaw took the front. -GAAAAAARL¡ª! FWIP! The Verdant Maul blocked possible escape routes with summoned vines and spiked branches. "Haa... haa... haa.. haaa...aa..." Raye''s breathing grew a bit heavier. Even with his speed and reflexes¡ªit was getting harder to avoid everything. BAM¡ª!!! A root fist slammed down just inches from him. Then¡ª SWWIIP¡ª "Ghk¡ª!" He groaned in pain as a razor-sharp vine grazed his side, tearing through his shirt and skin just slightly! Blood trailed in the air. His body rolled midair, recovering fast¡ªbut the sting was real. "Shit..." Bam! Raye landed again with a grunt, boots digging into the dirt. Still alive. Still moving. But he was starting to feel it now. ''Their pace was picking up.'' They were trying to corner him. Raye kept dodging¡ª Side to side. Rolling. Jumping. Dashing with wind-enhanced speed. But it was clear now¡ª He was struggling. His movements were slowing. His breathing, heavier. And more and more¡ªhe was forced to meet the attacks head-on. CLANG¡ª!! Sparks flew as he deflected a crushing root strike with his flaming blade. CRASH¡ª! He used [Nyx] to parry the Chromaworm''s tail, his arm shaking from the impact. "Ghk...!" He groaned, gritting his teeth again. One blow after another. Even with his agility¡ªhe was making almost no progress. No real damage to any of them. They were relentless. And he was getting tired. He needed to end this. Soon. Then¡ª "Fuuuu..." He exhaled. Eyes sharp. Body tense. Mana surging. "ZEPHYRUS! GET READY!" He shouted, voice echoing across the battlefield. -GOT IT!! A response came, loud and sure, from somewhere distant. But Raye didn''t turn. Didn''t look. He didn''t need to. He trusted them. Fwooooom¡ª Raye poured a massive wave of mana into [Celestria]. And then¡ª Fwish¡ª The gun shimmered and morphed in his hand. Swoosh¡ª It shifted and wrapped around his arm like liquid light. Then spread further¡ªclimbing over his shoulder, chest, back, waist¡ª Fwoosh~ More and more. Until¡ª SWIIIIIISH¡ª!!! [Celestria] had transformed. No longer a weapon. But a full-body armor. From his toes to the base of his neck¡ª Raye now wore a sleek, elegant white armor, glowing faintly with mana! Like a divine knight reborn! BAM! "GURGH¡­!!!" Raye grunted loudly as the Glittermaw Ape came down hard with a hammer-fist. But he was ready. He crossed his arms and took the hit. CRACK¡ª! The ground beneath him cracked. But he didn''t fall. He held firm. The white armor glowed fiercely under the pressure. And then¡ª "[FUSE!!!]" He roared that word with fire in his lungs. Chapter 206 - 206: 206 - Versus The Three Mini Bosses [2] "[FUSE!!!]" Raye roared from the bottom of his lungs after blocking the Glittermaw Ape''s hammer fist. And as soon as he did¡ª -Here I go! Fwoosh~ Zephyrus'' entire body disintegrated into countless tiny orb-like particles! WHOOSH¡ª All the orbs immediately surged toward Raye. And as soon as they reached him¡ª FWIP¡ª They began merging with the elegant white armor covering his body! Though, just then¡ª -GAAAARL¡ª!!! FWISH¡ª! The Verdant Maul suddenly appeared from Raye''s left side, summoning a razor-sharp vine lashing toward him! It was trying to stop Raye before he could complete whatever he was planning! ''I can''t dodge it...!'' Raye cursed in his mind, still pinned under the Glittermaw Ape''s crushing weight. Luckily for him¡ª -MEEP!! Pyro, who had been standing by, noticed the Verdant Maul''s move¡ªand reacted immediately! SWAAAAAAAAAASHH¡ª!!! He launched a massive fireball toward Raye without hesitation. Pyro knew that Raye and Zephyrus wouldn''t get hurt by his flames. But the evil Treant¡ªVerdant Maul¡ª SWAAAAAAAAAA¡ª!!! Its summoned vine got caught in the raging fire! The flames quickly spread from the vine back to the Verdant Maul''s main body, setting it ablaze! -GRAAAAAAWL¡ª?!! The Verdant Maul let out a distorted roar as its wooden body was mercilessly burned! But Pyro didn''t stop there. -MEEEEP¡ª!! SWAAAAAAAASHH¡ª!!! He unleashed another fireball, this time directed at the Chromaworm, who was planning to sneak closer to Raye! -KIEEEEEE¡ª?! SWISH¡ª The Chromaworm twisted its massive body and dodged the fireball, avoiding a direct hit. But that was enough! Pyro made it go back and he gave Raye time! ''Thanks, Pyro.'' Raye thought, sweating under the Glittermaw Ape''s enormous fist¡ªbut smiling nonetheless. And seconds after that¡ª FWOOOSH~!! FWOP¡ª Zephyrus successfully fused with Raye''s white armor! SWOOOOOOOOOOOSH¡ª!!! -GRAAH?! A violent gust of wind exploded out from Raye''s body! The powerful blast blew away the Glittermaw Ape''s massive fist and sent it stumbling backward! Dirt and debris flew everywhere, kicking up a thick dust cloud. And as the dust slowly settled¡ª Fwip- "..." They saw him. Raye, still standing exactly where he was. But he looked different now. Whooosh~ The armor that covered him gleamed with a brilliant, ethereal white¡ªlight-looking, yet overflowing with intimidating power. Its surface had intricate flowing patterns that shimmered faintly, like rivers of silver running across his body. And from his back¡ª FWOOOSH¡ª A pair of magnificent wings, made entirely of pure, raging winds, stretched outward! They beat the air with a quiet but overwhelming pressure, making the ground at his feet crack a little! The elegant white armor gave him the appearance of a sovereign knight¡ªuntouchable, domineering, and free! And in his right hand¡ª Fwip¡ª There was [Nyx], the black blade, burning violently with wild flames. The blade''s deep darkness contrasted sharply against the holy brilliance of his armor, making the entire figure look even more surreal, like a calamity wrapped in divinity. FWOOOOOOOSH~!!! The wind howled around Raye. SWAAAAAAHHHH¡ª!! The flames danced at his side. And Raye¡ª "..." Swish¡ª He raised [Nyx] up and pointed at the three mini bosses. The battle wasn''t over. It was just beginning. ***** (Raye''s POV) Looking at my armor¡ª "..." I was... Honestly amazed by the appearance of my armor. ''This is cool as fuck...'' I thought, my heart racing a little. This fusion¡ª It was something Zephyrus and I came up with before. But... I hadn''t actually tested it out until now. Still¡ª I didn''t let any of that show on my face. "..." I kept my eyes locked onto the three monsters in front of me. The Glittermaw Ape. The Chromaworm. The Verdant Maul. The three of them grew tense, wary of me, their bodies stiffening slightly. They could sense it. The power surrounding me now¡ª It was dangerous. It was different. They didn''t attack immediately. Instead, they stood there, observing me cautiously. And seeing that¡ª "Heh..." A small smirk tugged at my lips. ''Guess I should try this power out.'' I thought. And without wasting another second¡ª BOOM!! I kicked off the ground with all my strength! FWOOOOOSH¡ª!!! The wings of wind behind my back blasted downward, propelling me into the air like a bullet! SWISH¡ª S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. I glided forward, slicing through the air with terrifying speed! -...?! The Glittermaw Ape reacted first¡ª -GRAAAHHH!!! FWOOSH¡ª It roared and swung its massive fist toward me! But¡ª S W O O S H¡ª!! I easily twisted my body midair, letting the attack narrowly pass beneath me. And without even giving it time to recover¡ª "[Bang!]" PSH¡ª!! I fired a searing ray of fire from my left hand straight into its shoulder! BOOM!! -GAH?! The Glittermaw Ape stumbled backward, smoke rising from its burned flesh. But I didn''t stop¡ª FWOOSH!! I used the winds again to dive down toward the Chromaworm! -KIEEEE¡ª! FWISH¡ª The massive centipede screeched and tried to whip me with its rainbow tail. CLANG¡ª!! Sparks flew as I slashed at it with [Nyx], parrying the blow! And then¡ª SWISH¡ªPHUCK!! I counterattacked, slicing one of its glowing plates and leaving a deep burning wound on its side! -KIEEEEEK!!! The Chromaworm shrieked, retreating slightly, its scales shifting colors rapidly in panic. "Not done yet...!" FWOOM¡ª!!! I pushed off the ground again and shot toward the Verdant Maul. -GAAAAWL! WHIP¡ª The giant Treant tried summoning sharp vines to stop me, but¡ª SWISH SWISH¡ª!!! I cut through them like paper with flaming [Nyx]. And with one final burst of speed¡ª BOOM!! I shot right at its main trunk and slammed my fist into it, enhanced by gale-force winds! BAM!! -GRWWWWRRRGH!!! The Verdant Maul staggered backward, pieces of bark and cursed flowers flying everywhere. Tap¡ª "Fuuuu..." Panting slightly, I floated above the ground, the winds swirling violently around me. -...! -...?! -... The three mini bosses glared at me with bloodshot eyes. "..." I smiled under my armor. ''Yeah... This power''s gonna work just fine.'' Swish¡ª I thought as I flew backward, away from the three monsters. "..." I just stared at them from afar. And opening my mouth¡ª "Pyro, get ready to support me." I muttered that. And from behind me¡ª -MEEEP!! Fwish¡ª Pyro appeared, more than ready to fight. Chapter 207 - 207: 207 - Versus The Three Mini Bosses [3] (Raye''s POV) BOOM!! I shot forward like a missile, my body wreathed in blazing winds. FWISH¡ª The air cracked violently with my speed, the heat of [Nyx] leaving a wild trail of flames chasing after me¡ªlike a comet tearing across the battlefield. -GRAAAHHH¡ª!! The Glittermaw Ape, regaining its footing, roared furiously and slammed both fists into the ground¡ª B O O O O M¡ª!! "...?!" The earth shattered and shook, forcing me to slow down a little. Then from the belt-like fur around its waist, the ape yanked out a weird, spiky fruit¡ª WHOOSH! And it threw it straight at me with terrifying force! It was one of its skills¡ªexploding fruit! And knowing what was coming¡ª "No you don''t." FWOOOSH!! SLASH¡ª!! I twisted midair and cut the explosive fruit in half with a clean swing! BOOM¡ª!!! It exploded midair, sending a shockwave rippling outward! WHISH¡ª I used my wind wings to maneuver through the blast, minimizing the damage, but still¡ª Tonk- "Ghh...!" A few burning fragments slammed against my armor. I grunted, feeling a sharp sting under the plating. The armor absorbed most of it, but the ache still pierced through. "Tch¡ª" I couldn''t afford to slow down. And so¡ª SWISH¡ª!! I dove faster toward the Glittermaw Ape! And with [Nyx] being engulfed by a violent fire¡ª SLASH¡ª!! I delivered a precise cut across the its massive forearm! -GRAAAARGH¡ª!! Blood sprayed from its wound as it let out a guttural roar. But as the ape howled¡ª KRK-KRK¡ª!! Suddenly, the ground beneath me bulged¡ª! -KIEEEEEEEE¡ª!! FWISH!! The Chromaworm burst out from below, its rainbow scales now flashing red¡ªsignifying resistance against fire! ''Shit!'' Its huge jaws opened wide, aiming to bite me in half! BOOM!! I slammed my foot on the air itself, using the wind magic concentrated in my boots, and launched myself upward just in time! CHOMP¡ª!!! The Chromaworm''s jaws snapped shut below me, missing by inches. ''Close one.'' I thought, frowning as I glared down at it. Swish¡ª I spun midair, then dove back down. And using my momentum¡ª SLASH¡ª!! I slashed downward with [Nyx], leaving a burning cut along the top of the worm''s armored head! -KIIIIIIIIIIIEEE¡ª!! THUD! The Chromaworm screeched and immediately dove back into the ground, disappearing like a snake into water. It was fast. Then at that moment¡ª BAM!! The Verdant Maul, still smoking from Pyro''s earlier fireball, smashed its fists into the ground! KRRRRK¡ª The earth trembled. SHLURK¡ª!!! And all around it, massive poisonous vines burst from the soil, shooting up toward me like spears! "...!" SWISH¡ª!! FWOOSH¡ª! I darted through the air, dodging narrowly between the strikes! But¡ª TINK¡ª!! sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. One vine grazed my side, slamming into my armor with enough force to knock me off balance! "Grhk¡ª!!" The impact rattled my bones, a dull ache spreading through my ribs despite the armor. But I didn''t fall. ''Fuck...!'' Gritting my teeth, I caught my balance midair¡ª Whoosh¡ª I dove lower, then¡ª SWISH!! FWISH!! I sliced apart the vines with two sharp arcs of [Nyx]! Vine chunks rained down around me. Swoosh¡ª I zipped sideways to avoid being caught in them. But as I was doing that¡ª "?!" I felt a presence behind me! -KIEEE¡ª!!! It was the Chromaworm again! BAM! It erupted from the ground, jaws wide open! ''Shit...!'' I started to twist my body to counter, but then¡ª -MEEP¡ª!! BOOM!! I saw a massive fireball slammed into the worm''s side! "...!" My eyes widened slightly¡ªI caught a glimpse of Pyro, smiling confidently at me. -KIEEEEEK¡ª!! The Chromaworm howled, staggering from the blast. THUD!! It crashed onto the ground it loved so much. And looking at Pyro¡ª ''Thanks, Pyro!'' I shot a quick thought his way. Though, as I was distracted¡ª -GRAAAAAHH¡ª!! The Glittermaw Ape roared in rage and unleashed another stunning sonic wave! BOOMMMMMM¡ª!! "Gugh!" The sound hit me like a hammer, rattling my skull, blurring my vision. "Fuck...!" FWOOM¡ª I bit my tongue hard and blasted my wings desperately, forcing myself to stay airborne. If I fall now, I''d het caught by them...! FWOOSH¡ª I shot upward, gaining distance, gulping down sharp, burning breaths. I rested for a few seconds away from them. And looking below me¡ª I saw the three monsters regrouped, snarling and glaring up at me. "..." I narrowed my eyes. Their bodies were covered in small cuts and burns now¡ªclear signs I was wearing them down. Pyro had been constantly annoying them with small fireballs too. But they weren''t backing off. The Chromaworm''s scales shifted again¡ªthis time to a dull brown, boosting its defense. SHIIIK¡ª! The Verdant Maul summoned more vines, wrapping them around its body like armor. -GRRRR... And the Glittermaw Ape pulled another explosive fruit from its belt, ready to throw. Looking at them¡ª ''They''re adapting fast...'' I thought of that. But so was I. "Hah..." I smiled a little. And after that¡ª BAM! SWOOOOSH¡ª!! I dived back down like a falling star! B O O M¡ª!! The ground cracked hard under my landing! S W O O O O S H¡ª!!! -GURGH...?! -KIEK...!!! The impact sent a gust of wind blasting outward, knocking the monsters back slightly! And without hesitation¡ª BAM!! I went straight for the Chromaworm, gliding low across the ground with terrifying speed! -KIEEEEE¡ª!! WHOOSH¡ª The worm lunged for me, its jaws flashing, trying to bite me again¡ª FWIP¡ª But I sidestepped at the last moment, spinning low¡ª SLASH!! And carved a deep wound into its softer underbelly as I avoided its mouth! -GIIIIIIIIEEEK¡ª!! The Chromaworm writhed in agony, flailing wildly. BAM! BAM! BAM! It smashed into the ground violently! I moved to follow up and finish it¡ª But then¡ª FWISH¡ª!! A vine shot at me from the side! "?!" Fwip¡ª I raised my arm just in time. THUNK!! Then the vine slammed into my forearm, sending a painful jolt through my bones! "Keuk¡ª!" SHHHICK¡ª I slid backward across the ground, but I stayed on my feet. "Tch." The armor could tank hits, but I still felt every damn one of them. At that moment¡ª -GRAAHH!! FWOOSH!! The Glittermaw Ape charged at me, tossing the explosive fruit at point-blank range! And it exploded immediately¡ª BOOM¡ª!! "...!" Swish¡ª I crossed my arms and braced against the explosion! "GAAH!" The shockwave hurled me backward, my boots skidding across the ground! BAM! "Ugh?!" My back crashed into a tree once. Swaaa~ Smoke billowed around me. But as it cleared¡ª Fwip¡ª I stood tall again, armor scorched slightly, but still intact. "..." My lungs burned. My muscles ached. I frowned. But my blood pumped harder than ever. ''I''m getting used to the armor''s abilities now.'' I thought. And just then¡ª -GRAAAAAH!! -KIEEEEEK!! -GAAAAWL!! The three monsters snarled, coordinating without words. The Chromaworm coiled, ready to strike. The Verdant Maul readied another wall of vines. The Glittermaw Ape pounded its chest, building up for another stunning roar. They''re planning to end it all in the next clash. ''Good.'' I said in my head. Because so was I. And without hesitation, while staring straight at the three mini bosses¡ª BAM!! FWOOSH¡ª!! I flapped my wings hard and surged forward, leaving a trail of fire and wind behind me! SWAAAAAA¡ª!! My sword burned brighter. THUMP- THUMP- THUMP¡ª My heart roared louder. -GRAAAAHH! -GAAAAWL! -KIIEEEEEK!!! And as they all glared at me, ready to meet my charge¡ª I opened my mouth, then¡ª "[Flash]" I muttered that. S L A S H¡ª!! My whole vision blurred as I swung [Nyx] in a single, devastating horizontal line. And when my senses came back in a split second... Tap¡ª I landed lightly behind the three monsters. As simple as that. Fwish¡ª "..." I looked back over my shoulder. The Glittermaw Ape. The Chromaworm. The Verdant Maul. All three stood frozen. And then, a second later¡ª SWAAAAAAAAA¡ª!!! Their bodies caught on fire at once, engulfed in violent flames. I stared at their burning silhouettes, my hands trembling slightly from the recoil of my last attack. And looking down on my sword¡ª "Guess that was too fast." I whispered, frowning slightly at the sharp pain gnawing at my arms. It hurt like hell. THUD¡ª The three bodies of the mini bosses fell on the ground all at the same time. Chapter 208 - 208: 208 - Cores (Raye''s POV) THUD! I watched as the three burning bodies of the mini bosses fell to the ground with a loud crash. "..." My face winced as a sharp pain shot through my arms. I had gone too fast earlier, and the recoil from my last attack slammed through my body. Though¡ª ''It''s not that bad.'' I just shrugged off the pain and ignored it. "You can come out now, Zephyrus." I said. Then right after that¡ª SWOOSH¡ª The wings made of wind behind me flared loudly. It was Zephyrus answering. And just a second later... WHOOSH¡ª! A bright orb shot out from my armor. And from there¡ª -Fwaaaah¡ª!! Zephyrus appeared. -That was mana draining... He mumbled weakly. And looking at him¡ª ''You said it.'' I silently agreed, nodding slightly. Fwip¡ª [Celestria] then shifted back into a normal white armor, the wings of wind vanishing. Its design turning a bit bland. This was because the [Fuse] with Zephyrus had ended. FWISH¡ª I dismissed the armor anyway, transforming [Celestria] back into a ring and slipping it onto my middle finger. ''Moving with it is too restraining.'' Even though it looked light, it had been pressing down on my body the whole fight. Which would''ve been bad for me if I hadn''t used [Fuse] with Zephyrus. Just as I thought that¡ª -MEEP! Zephyrus and I heard a loud chirp behind us. And without even looking¡ªwe already knew who it was. -Meep! Fwoosh¡ª Pyro appeared from behind and landed neatly on my left shoulder. "Thanks for the help earlier." I said, smiling and turning to him. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. -Meep! He replied cheerfully. -What are we going to do now? Zephyrus then asked me that. "Oh." I muttered dumbly. I looked at the three burning monsters on the ground. And opening my mouth¡ª "Let''s set up our camp here and rest." I just said that. ***** Pyro and Zephyrus were pretty tired, so they immediately agreed to settle here. I took out our tent from my spatial storage and set it up not far from the mini bosses. Then after that¡ª "Let''s eat, guys." I made us some dinner and we started eating. -Ugh, I''m hungry... -Meep... Zephyrus and Pyro muttered as we each took a bite of our food. We didn''t have to worry much about monsters now because of the bodies of the mini bosses. Their smell spread throughout the area, marking this place as their territory, and warding off the weaker monsters. So finally, after a very long time¡ª "Haaaaa..." -Fuuuuuu... -Meeeeep... Zephyrus, Pyro, and I got to relax and laze around. ... ... ... After resting for a while¡ª "It''s still burning, huh." I checked the bodies of the mini bosses. The flames engulfing them had weakened, but they hadn''t died down yet. "Blow the fire off, Zephyrus." I said, turning to my right. And there¡ª -Hmm, sure. Zephyrus nodded his fluffy head. Fwoosh~ He flew above my head. Then, opening his small beak¡ª -[Gust] He mumbled. S W O O O S H¡ª!!! A violent wave of wind burst forth from Zephyrus. And with that¡ª SHHHH¡ª!! He killed off the fire from the mini bosses'' bodies. Just like that. "Thanks." I told him. -No biggie. Fwish~ Zephyrus casually replied as he landed back onto my left shoulder. -Meep meep! Pyro chirped on my other shoulder, complimenting Zephyrus too. -Hmm... Zephyrus just smirked smugly and shrugged his wings. Meanwhile, me¡ª Tap- tap- tap¡ª I ignored the two and started walking toward the burnt monsters'' bodies. I walked until I stood right on top of the Glittermaw Ape''s burnt body. -Hmm? Zephyrus tilted his head from my shoulder. -What are you looking for? He asked, his voice curious. On my other side, Pyro mimicked him, tilting his small round head too, clearly having the same question in mind. I just smiled slightly and answered them without looking back¡ª "It''s just something that''ll help me." I said casually. Then without hesitation¡ª Tap- tap¡ª I stepped down from the ape''s chest and made my way toward its stomach area. Fwoosh¡ª Zephyrus and Pyro stayed perched on my shoulders, still curious, watching my every move. And then¡ª Fwip¡ª I took out [Nyx] from my spatial storage ring. Its black blade gleamed faintly under the dying light. And without a moment''s pause¡ª SLASH¡ª! I swung it down. The blade of [Nyx] easily sliced through the burnt flesh of the Glittermaw Ape''s stomach! SHLICK¡ª!! A nasty squelch echoed out as the blade carved open a line across the ape''s abdomen. A foul, steamy stench immediately burst into the air, thick and heavy. "..." I squinted slightly, waving a hand to clear the smoke-like fumes. Smells like shit. -MEEP¡ª!! Pyro squealed, his face scrunching up at the horrible smell. -Ughh... what the hell is that... Zephyrus complained, gagging a little and burying his head into the back of my neck. I just let them be. Fwoosh¡ª I knelt down slowly om one knee. Squish¡ª I reached my hand into the cut. Warm, sticky fluids clung to my hand, but I ignored the disgusting sensation and dug deeper. Though, my frown is getting deeper and deeper. -Tch... gross... Zephyrus muttered from behind me, shivering. Even Pyro puffed up in distress and looked away. ''Ugh, if only I can see it... I''ll use telekinesis to avoid doing this.'' I grumbled internally. Then, not long after¡ª "Ah...!" My hand felt something round. "...Found it." I murmured with a grin. And in the next moment¡ª Fwish! I pulled something out from inside the Glittermaw Ape''s body. It was¡ª A small, dark red crystal, about the size of my palm, pulsing faintly like a living heart. -Huh? -Meep? Zephyrus and Pyro peeked over my shoulders, curious once again. "This." I said, holding it up to eye level. "This is what I was looking for." The faint heartbeat of mana thrummed from the crystal, vibrating against my palm. It wasn''t just any crystal. It was a [Core]. A monster''s crystallized mana heart. Only named and strong monsters have them. And the reason I was looking for it was because¡ª ''In the game, after defeating the mini bosses and finding this, Leon later learned that he could absorb their essence. And after doing just that... his strength and mana skyrocketed.'' That''s right. I''m planning to take this for myself. And not just this¡ª "I need to get the other cores from the two mini bosses too." I mumbled, shifting my gaze toward the Chromaworm and Verdant Maul lying on the ground. Chapter 209 - 209: 209 - Endure (Raye''s POV) S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. S L A S H¡ª!! I cut open the stomachs of the Chromaworm and the Verdant Maul too. And after that¡­ Fwish¡ª ''Got them.'' I successfully retrieved the two other cores. -How are you going to absorb them¡­? Zephyrus asked, his tone laced with curiosity. "I''m going to swallow them whole." And I responded without a hint of hesitation. -WHAT?! -MEEP?! Zephyrus and Pyro both shrieked in disbelief, their heads whipping toward me violently. -Are you serious?! Zephyrus shouted. And immediately¡ª "No I''m not lol." I said it flatly, not even bothering to look at them. -¡­ -¡­ They fell completely silent after that. I could still feel their glares though¡ªyeah, they''re definitely annoyed. ''These two are too gullible. Of course I can''t swallow the cores. Each one is the size of my palm.'' I thought to myself. The actual method of absorbing the cores¡ª "I just have to meditate while holding one with both hands. And after channeling mana into it, I search for the leftover essence inside the core... then slowly draw it into my own mana core¡ªmy heart." I explained with a casual shrug. -Oh... -Meep... Zephyrus and Pyro finally responded, a little quieter now¡ªbut at least they understood. And with that cleared up¡ª "I''m going to start now. Absorbing even one of these can take days. Please protect me." I said firmly, glancing at them both. -What¡­?! -Meep?! They were clearly caught off guard by the fact that it would take that long. "Haha, sorry for not mentioning that sooner." I chuckled as I sprinted toward the tent. Tap¡ª tap¡ª tap¡ª -Hey, wait...! -Meep! Zephyrus and Pyro tried to stop me with words, still perched on my shoulders. Tap¡ª But as soon as I stepped inside the tent¡ª Thud¡ª I dropped immediately into a sitting lotus position. "You can eat the bodies of the Chromaworm and the Verdant Maul. Just be careful when roasting the vines from the evil trent¡ªthey''re poisonous." I told them. They were now floating in front of my face, midair. -... -... Both of them stared at me in disbelief. "I''ll get stronger. You two will too. Don''t slack off." I mumbled, smiling. Zephyrus frowned¡ª -We wouldn''t, idiot. He replied flatly. "Is that so?" I asked with a small smile. -Meep! Then Pyro responded as well, a determined expression shining in his eyes. Looking at them both¡ª "Mhm." I nodded in satisfaction. "...I''m sorry for always making you two guard me." I whispered, not really expecting a response. -Don''t be... We''re all partners here. -Meep! They both replied instantly, and just like that¡ª They made me smile again. Fwish¡ª Watching the two of them¡­ "Take care, both of you." I said softly. -Don''t worry about us. Worry about yourself. -Meep! Meep! Meep! Zephyrus and Pyro replied. Pyro was saying he''d guard me no matter what. My smile widened. -By the way, which core are you going to absorb first? Zephyrus then suddenly asked with genuine curiosity. -Meep...? Pyro tilted his head, wondering the same. "Oh¡­" I murmured, then waved my hand casually¡ª "I''m planning to absorb them all at once." I declared. And hearing that¡ª -HUH?! -Meep? Zephyrus was stunned. Pyro just looked adorably confused. "Haha¡­" I just let out a quiet laugh, amused by their reactions. ***** After explaining to the two that I would try to absorb all three cores at once¡ª Zephyrus reluctantly gave his approval. He warned me it was dangerous, insisting I be careful and stop the moment something felt wrong. I just nodded and told him, "Okay." Pyro, on the other hand, immediately supported me¡ªmainly because he didn''t know how risky it was. I simply thanked him and wished both of them the best with their own training. And after giving a short farewell to the two¡ª "..." I closed my eyes. Zephyrus and Pyro left the tent, but I can sense their concerned gazes. The three cores were neatly arranged on my lap, my hands resting gently on all of them. ''Time to begin.'' And the moment that thought passed through my mind¡ª SWOOOSH¡ª!! I began circulating my mana. A surge of power shot up from within me, and I directed it toward my hands¡ªtoward the three glowing cores resting on my lap. Each one of them buzzed with a wild, unstable energy. And the moment my mana made contact¡ª Crackle¡ª! All three cores responded at once! The glow intensified, and I felt it. Pressure. Like my arms were dipped in lava! "Hrk¡ª!" My muscles twitched. My fingers curled on instinct. It felt like my veins were being filled with molten metal instead of mana! ''Shit¡­ this is worse than I thought...!'' Three cores. At the same time. It was madness, I know. My body screamed at me to stop. My mana pathways burned, and it felt like something inside me was on the verge of snapping. But still¡ª "GURGH...!" I clenched my jaw. I didn''t stop. I couldn''t. This was the only way I could get stronger fast enough. If I couldn''t handle this... then what the hell was I even doing?! F W O O S H¡ª!! The energy from the cores wasn''t syncing cleanly¡ªit was messy, violent. They were different beasts entirely, and my body didn''t know how to handle it all at once. My core started reacting too, trying to absorb the torrent of mana. It was expanding slightly, pulsing irregularly, like a heart struggling to keep rhythm. "Kh...!" I started shaking. My whole body started aching, especially my head! But I kept going. "Fu...uu..h..." I slowed my breathing, focused all my thoughts on just controlling the flow¡ªrestricting how much I took in. I couldn''t absorb everything all at once. I had to do it in waves. ''Little by little... I just have to... Endure...'' I thought to myself. ... ... ... Time passed. I didn''t know how long. But it felt like hours. "GRAAA...!!" Sweat rolled down my forehead and stung my eyes. My arms were numb. My core ached from the inside like it was being crushed and stretched at the same time. Zephyrus and Pyro were probably panicking around me seeing me like this. But I won''t stop. I couldn''t afford to. Not everyone can afford to fail and let go of opportunities. Because some of us can only get them one time. And if I pulled this off... If I endured... I''d come out the other side much stronger! And so¡ª ''Fuck this shit...!'' "GURGH...!!!" S W O O S H¡ª!! Gritting my teeth, I continued forcing the wild torrent of energy into submission. Again and again. Each second a struggle. Each breath a fight. I wasn''t done. Far from it. But this... This was just the beginning. Chapter 210 - 210: 210 - Hungry (Zephyrus'' POV) -... I stared at Raye inside the tent. He was still sitting in a lotus position, three monster cores on his lap¡ªraging with mana. SWOOOSH~! His face was all twisted up, pain clear on his expression. Beads of sweat were forming on his forehead, and blood was dripping down from his nose, ears, and tightly shut eyes. "Urgh...!" He would groan from time to time, even spit would fly from his mouth because of the strain. -''Kinda disgusting, not going to lie.'' I thought with a slight frown on my face. Anyway... Raye¡ª -''He''s been like this for over a week now.'' Or more precisely, ten days, ever since he started this. In the first few days, he struggled¡ªbadly. He was screaming nonstop, even after his voice was completely gone! His whole body was shaking violently too! I was ready to stop him, to snap him out of meditation if things got any worse. But on the fourth day¡ª The screaming lessened. The shaking calmed. He was still clearly suffering, but he was holding on. Enduring. And seeing that... I decided then to just keep watch and stay on guard. By the sixth day, his condition improved further. Though he hadn''t eaten in days, and the constant sweating made him thinner, weaker¡ª He was still going. And just yesterday... Raye got quiet. Really quiet. Now he only groans from time to time. I don''t know if he''s simply enduring better, or if he''s just too drained to even cry out anymore. His lips are cracked and dry. Every time they twitch, they tear and bleed. But his breathing... "¡­" It was steady. So once again¡ª I chose to stand guard and keep watch. And today... Raye still shows no signs of anything going wrong. -''Well, he''s still suffering¡ª'' But compared to the first few days, this was a huge improvement. Back then, I honestly thought he was going to die. Now, I''m sure he''ll successfully absorb those cores and wake up much stronger. -''I should train later too to recover my strength, I feel like I''m close to evolving once more.'' I mumbled internally. Anyway, while I watched from just outside the tent¡ª Fwoosh¡ª -meep... Pyro flew slowly around Raye, circling him quietly. His small flames barely made a sound, his gaze locked on Raye the entire time. Sometimes he would hover above his head, other times he''d land softly on the ground beside him, eyes scanning every inch of his body for danger or sudden change. -meep... He let out a soft chirp¡ªlow, concerned, and careful not to disturb Raye''s concentration. -¡­ I watched him in silence. He''s been like that since day one. Ever since Raye started absorbing the cores, Pyro hadn''t left his side. Not even once. He didn''t talk much. He didn''t sleep much either. Just quietly guarding. He still trains though. Always alert. Always flying. Always watching. -''He may be small and cheery most of the time¡­ but when it comes to Raye, he''s serious, huh.'' And honestly¡ª I admire the relationship between the two. ***** (Time Skip ¨C Days Passing¡­) The tent remained silent, save for the occasional rustle of wind or the faint hum of mana. Every second dragged by in quiet tension. Every hour ticked past like the slow drip of water echoing through a cave. And as the days stacked one over another, the world around the campsite seemed to hold its breath. [Day 11] Zephyrus soared into the skies. His wings glided above the treetops as he scanned the forest edge. They''d run out of the food they packed days ago, and hunting had become a daily necessity. He dived. FWOOSH¡ª! A wild yellow rabbit never saw it coming. And later, he returned with two more. Meanwhile, Pyro waited patiently near the tent. And as soon as Zephyrus dropped the prey, Pyro got to work. Swaaa¡ª A small ember formed at the tip of his head, and soon after¡ª CRACKLE¡ª! A gentle fire lit up. He cooked in silence, occasionally glancing toward the tent where Raye remained unmoving, meditating with the three cores resting in his lap. They didn''t speak much. Just worked. Trained. Guarded. [Day 14] Pyro spent the morning flying faster than usual, trying to increase his flight time and agility. Zephyrus meditated, sharpening his control of winds. Still¡ªthey never wandered far from the tent. Raye, inside, had changed. His skin had grown pale, his frame thinner. The sweat had stopped, but his body had weakened visibly. His lips were cracked, his clothes soaked and dried multiple times with blood and sweat. But his breathing¡­ steady. His aura¡­ stronger. And the mana swirling around the tent¡­ Swooosh~ It grew thicker by the day. [Day 19] Zephyrus had to fight off a mid-tier beast who had strayed too close. He won, but the wound on his side took a full day to heal. Pyro helped by roasting the beast, turning the threat into a meal. They shared the food quietly, never losing focus on the one they were guarding. Inside the tent¡ª Raye''s hands had become steady. His brows no longer furrowed. The cores, still resting on his lap, now pulsed in unison with his own heart. [Day 23] The sky had turned purple with the evening hue. Pyro flew low and gently brushed a leaf off Raye''s shoulder, then returned to his post beside the tent flap. Zephyrus had just finished another meditation session. His wind pressure had gotten stronger. More precise. They had grown too. Together. [Day 25] No more groaning. No more pain showing on Raye''s face. Just calm. He sat there in complete stillness¡ªlike a statue carved from quiet resolve. The three monster cores still on his lap, now glowing faintly. His aura no longer clashed with the wild energy of the cores. It embraced them¡ªslowly pulling them in. The storm was over. What remained was focus. Discipline. Growth. And the beginning of something stronger. ... ... ... [Day 29] The morning sun filtered softly through the dense forest. The air was thick with moisture and the scent of dew-covered grass. Outside the tent¡ª FWOOSH¡ª! FWIP¡ª! Zephyrus sliced through the air in a series of tight spins, practicing precision control with his wind blades. Just nearby, Pyro meditated in silence. They''d gotten used to this routine. Train. Hunt. Guard. Day by day. And then¡ª Fwoosh~ "..." A silence¡ªheavy, unfamiliar¡ªfell. -Hm...? -meep? Both Zephyrus and Pyro paused their training. Meanwhile, inside the tent¡­ "..." Raye''s eyelids twitched once. Then slowly¡ª Fwip- He opened his eyes. And in that exact moment¡ª F W O O O S H¡ª!!! A deafening wave of pressure exploded outward, pure mana bursting like a tidal wave across the clearing! B O O M¡ª! The tent tore apart instantly¡ªshredded into pieces midair! B A M!! The ground cracked beneath Raye, forming a shallow crater where he sat! -UGH?!! -MEEEP?!! Zephyrus and Pyro were thrown back several feet! Their eyes wide, both turned toward the source of the explosion. Mana still rippled from the spot¡ªhot and heavy like the air before a storm. But then¡ª -It''s Raye...! -Meep...! Recognition struck them! And from the dust, surrounded by torn canvas and broken wooden stakes¡ª Fwish~ A figure slowly stood up. Hair a bit longer. Skin pale but his body radiating mana, pulsing softly from within. "..." It was Raye! His eyes half-lidded, expression blank. Then¡ª Grrrrrr¡ª! A loud growl escaped his stomach. And with that¡ª S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "...I''m hungry..." He muttered with a tired voice. Chapter 211 - 211: 211 - What Changed? (Raye''s POV) Grrrrrr¡ª! My stomach growled the moment I opened my eyes. "Ugh..." I felt weak and lightheaded. "... I''m hungry..." I mumbled, a deep frown forming on my face. I honestly felt like I could pass out any second. Though, strangely¡ª "Hm...?" I also felt like I could do almost anything at the same time. It was weird. Confusing even. But before I could dive deeper into that thought¡ª -RAYE!!! -MEEP!!! I heard two familiar voices shouting from in front of me. And when I looked up... "Ah...!" "Zephyrus! Pyro!" I saw the two of them flying toward me at terrifying speed. And in a split second¡ª PSH¡ª! "Oof...!" They crashed into me. Pyro slammed straight into my chest, clinging tightly, while Zephyrus stopped just inches from my face, flapping his wings. I nearly lost my balance from the impact, my legs trembling from hunger. "Haha, I missed you guys." I whispered weakly, patting Pyro''s small head as he buried his face deeper against me. -Meep... Pyro let out a soft sound, clearly feeling the same. -... On the other hand, Zephyrus just floated there silently, not saying a word. "Hmm?" I tilted my head and looked up at him. And then¡ª -... I noticed that he was just staring at me. His eyes slightly widened. "What?" I asked him, confused. And Zephyrus¡ª -Umm... Ahh... He mumbled, his beak opening and closing like he was hesitating to speak. A small frown creased his fluffy face. Then after a moment of struggling¡ª -Ugh, whatever... I''ll just tell you later, it''s not that urgent. He finally decided to speak, shaking his head. -There''s something more urgent than that right now. He said seriously. "What is it?" I asked again, my head pulsing with a dull, persistent ache. I winced slightly. And as he scanned me from head to toe¡ª -You need to eat, you look like a walking corpse. Zephyrus declared that bluntly with a shrug of his wings. "..." I quietly looked down at myself at his words. Thin arms. Skin pale. Ribs slightly visible under the skin. "...You''re right." I mumbled to myself, half shocked, half amused. Then opening my mouth again¡ª "Do you guys have something to eat?" I asked, my voice awkward and a little embarrassed. But without missing a beat¡ª -Meep! -We have food... We''ll prepare it for you. Just rest there. The two of them replied at the same time, determination flashing in their eyes. ***** F W O O S H~ Tap- tap- tap¡ª Zephyrus and Pyro immediately flew toward the pile of supplies they kept nearby as I walked behind them. "..." I watched them silently, feeling a soft warmth bloom inside my chest despite how weak I was. ''These guys...'' They probably worked so hard while I was unconscious. I''m really glad to see them. Anyway, as I was thinking about that... Fwip¡ª Fwip¡ª -Meep! SWAAAA~ Pyro quickly started a fire using some dry wood and his spirit magic. He summoned a small, concentrated fire, just enough to ignite a spark. Meanwhile, Zephyrus grabbed some already prepared meat from their stash. -[Gust] FWOOSH~! Then he effortlessly made them fly toward the fire to cook them. ''Their control over their magic had increased.'' I immediately thought after seeing them work. -Meep! Pyro chirped proudly, puffing up his chest as he controlled the strength of the fire. -It''ll only take a while, rest for now. S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Zephyrus said, clearing his throat like he was trying to act cool and calm. "Is that so? Sure." I just smiled faintly, resting my aching body on a nearby rock as I watched them move busily. ... ... ... Not long¡ª Sizzle¡ª Sizzle¡ª The smell of roasting meat soon filled the air. GRRRRRR¡ª!! My stomach growled even louder. "Smells good..." I mumbled under my breath. Both of them perked up when they heard me. -Meep meep! Pyro chirped excitedly, hopping around the fire. Zephyrus, on the other hand, just snorted and looked away. -Of course it does. I''m a natural at this. He said that, smiling a little. ... ... And finally, after a few more minutes¡ª -Here. Zephyrus floated over and handed me a large piece of roasted meat wrapped in some big leaves they probably found somewhere. -Meep! Meep! Pyro followed right after, carrying a much smaller piece proudly with both his tiny hands made of fire! It was awesome and cute! Too bad I''m too hungry to talk about it at the moment. So moving on... "Thanks..." I said softly, accepting the food with both hands from them. And then¡ª Chomp¡ª! I immediately took a big bite without hesitation! And after tasting it... "¡ª!" My eyes widened. It was good! The meat was tender and juicy, seasoned just enough to bring out the flavor. "This is awesome!" I exclaimed between bites, a small but genuine smile tugging at my lips. "It''s so good." I added. And at my words¡ª -Meep meep meep!!! Pyro chirped loudly, jumping up and down, his small body vibrating with excitement. Meanwhile¡ª -... Zephyrus quickly looked away, his wings twitching a little. -It''s not a big deal. It''s just basic survival cooking. He muttered, but the tips of his feathers were trembling slightly. It was obvious he was trying to hide how proud he felt. "Pfft, right..." I just chuckled quietly, savoring the warm feeling building up inside me even more than the food. ''I''m lucky to have these guys.'' I thought. Chomp¡ª chomp¡ª Then I continued eating quietly. ***** After devouring the food they prepared¡ª "Haaa..." I leaned back on the rock behind me, feeling a little bit of strength return to my limbs. I closed my eyes for a second, letting the warmth from the fire, the food, and my two companions soak into me. "..." But then¡ª "Fwaaaaah...!" I opened them back up again not long with a good stretch of my body. And without further ado¡ª ''I need to check... what changed.'' I thought of that. FWIP¡ª Clenching my fist slowly¡ª "..." I could feel it. The mana flowing inside my body was denser. Thicker. Wilder. Stronger. It moved through my veins like a slow, powerful river, unlike the thin streams it used to be before. ''My control... it''s better too.'' I realized. I could feel even the tiniest strands of mana in my core now. Before, they used to slip through my senses like mist. Now, it was like holding water in my palms¡ªfirm, tangible, alive. Fwish¡ª "..." I shifted my gaze to my left and right. -... -... Zephyrus and Pyro were sitting quietly, still watching over me. "..." A small smile naturally tugged at my lips again. ''I''m not the same as before.'' I thought calmly. ''And soon...'' ''...I''ll be even stronger.'' I mumbled in my head. Then, opening my mouth again¡ª "Status." I muttered that. Chapter 212 - 212: 212 - The Last Tent (Raye''s POV) "Status." I muttered under my breath. And as soon as I did¡ª SWOOSH~! A transparent, bluish system window appeared in front of me. It was something I hadn''t seen in a long while... I barely even checked it these days. After all, the system doesn''t really do anything anymore except remind me how far I''ve come. I used to be excited every time it popped up, checking it constantly like a kid with a new toy. But now¡ª ''I''ve already grown out of it.'' Fwish¡ª I turned my head slightly toward the glowing window. And the moment my eyes fell on the words displayed¡ª "..." I went quiet. "Huh?" A dumb noise slipped out of my mouth. "...?" I blinked once. Then twice. Disbelief slowly crawling over my face. I turned to Pyro. -Meep...? He tilted his head, smiling at me innocently. Clearly, he had no idea what was going on. Fwish~ Then I turned to Zephyrus. -... And saw him already staring at me. -Surprised? He asked, tone calm but his eyes holding something else. And before I could even respond¡ª -Me too. I was just about to say it to you earlier. He added, his feathers ruffling ever so slightly. "..." I just stared at Zephyrus for a moment, still confused. Then after a while... Swish~ I looked back at the system window. Slowly. Carefully. As if blinking might make it disappear. And after looking and going through the contents of my status again¡ª "..." The corners of my lips twitched. ''Is this for real...?'' My fingers trembled slightly as I reached toward the display. Not to touch it¡ªbut just to make sure it was still there. I leaned closer. And again... I took a proper look on it. ===== Name: Raye Alvah Age: 19 Year Level: 2 Race: Human ----- Stamina: 106 Intellect: 122 Mana: 100 Strength: 115 Speed: 121 Talent: 120 Luck: 126 ----- Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Wind Element [II]: Level 1 (8%) Fire Element [I]: Level 3 (6%) Spirit Magic [I]: Level 2 (90%) Magic Engineering: Level 39 (6%) Bow: Level 33 (50%) Dagger [I]: Level 1 (0%) Sword [I]: Level 16 (8%) Cooking [I]: Level 1 (91%) ... ... ----- Overall Grade: A Growth Rate: S++ ===== "Haha..." A small laughed escape my mouth. I ranked up two times since the last time I checked. ***** After staring at the system window for a while longer... I slowly exhaled. "Haaah..." Then, finally closing the status window¡ª Fwish~ ¡ªI looked around and noticed something. "...Wait." I furrowed my brows. "What happened to the tent?" I asked, blinking in confusion. Our tent was nowhere to be seen. And when I turned to the two... -... -meep... Both Zephyrus and Pyro just stared at me with completely blank expressions. Their silence made it even more suspicious. "...?" I tilted my head, not getting it. And then¡ª -You blew it up. Zephyrus answered bluntly, staring straight at me like it was the most normal thing in the world. "..." I froze after hearing him. "...Huh?" My eyes slowly widened as I processed his words. And opening my mouth¡ª "You serious...?" I asked that weakly. -Dead serious. -Meep. And the two immediately replied with no hesitation. "..." I just stood there, mouth slightly open, absolutely speechless. "...Damn." A very awkward smile crept onto my face. "Haha... my bad." I muttered, scratching the back of my neck. Then¡ª FWISH~ I pulled out another tent from my spatial storage ring! It was noticeably smaller than the previous one... again. But it was still enough for the three of us. "Well... this is the last one I brought." I said with a sigh. "I really hope nothing happens to this one." I whispered. -Meep... Pyro followed, chirping. Zephyrus just stared at me, unimpressed. -Hope isn''t a plan, you know. "...Yeah yeah..." I replied, slumping my shoulders a little. And with that¡ª We began setting up our final tent. ... ... After setting up the tent... Fwish, fwish¡ª Me, Pyro, and Zephyrus quickly settled in. It wasn''t as spacious as before, but it was enough. Cozy, even. We just need the tent to sleep on and rest anyway. -meep! Pyro immediately plopped down on my lap, looking satisfied, while Zephyrus floated to my side, wings gently folding in. And with a deep breath¡ª "Haaaaa..." I finally relaxed. "...So, what happened while I was out?" I asked the two curiously. Zephyrus turned to me first. -We took turns training and guarding. When food ran out, I hunted... and Pyro cooked. -Meep! Pyro nodded proudly, puffing his little chest out. "And you guys were safe the whole time?" -Yeah. -Meep. They answered. -We kept everything away. Weak monsters didn''t even come close because of the smell of those mini bosses, just like what you said... but we still stayed alert. Then Zephyrus added that. "...Phew, I''m glad. Thanks for guarding me, guys." I mumbled, sincerely. A small smile curling on my lips. And with all that... -Meep! -You''re welcome. The three of us sat close to each other inside the tent. Then suddenly¡ª -So, what''s our next move now? Zephyrus asked that. "Hmm?" I turned to him when I heard that. And seeing that he''s serious about the question... I turned serious too. And with my lips parting¡ª "I think it''s time." I mumbled that. -...Time? -Meep? Zephyrus and Pyro repeated, asking. "Yeah." I looked at both of them, calm but resolute. And without hesitation, casually too¡ª "We''re hunting the boss of this place. It''s time to get out" I declared that. -... Zephyrus'' eyes narrowed, he was silent. -meep... Pyro was confused at what''s happening. (Same Pyro, same...) But nevertheless¡ª We didn''t need to say more. It was a quiet agreement. After everything, it was the natural next step. But before that¡ª "Let''s rest." I laid my back down on the mat inside the tent. "You two should too. We''ll start moving at dawn." -Meep... -...Alright. They agreed. But still¡ª As always, we took turns guarding through the night. The night was calm. Outside, the wind whispered softly through the trees, brushing past the fabric of our newly pitched tent. Inside, warmth lingered¡ªfaint but comforting. I could hear Pyro''s soft breathing as he curled up beside me, already drifting off. Zephyrus floated just above the tent''s entrance, silent, but alert as always. "..." I stared up at the ceiling of the tent, my arms behind my head. ''I wonder how the others are doing...'' I thought to myself. Soon... I''ll leave this place. My eyes slowly shut. For now¡ª It''s rest. It''s peace. Tomorrow... We hunt. Chapter 213 - 213: 213 - Preparing to Fight The next day... Zephyrus, Pyro, and I packed up our things and began our search for the boss monster. -Do you know where to find the boss? Zephyrus asked, glancing at me with low expectations. Pyro was just flying ahead, seemingly carefree and unbothered. Anyway, this time... "Yeah, I know where it is." I answered plainly. And as soon as those words left my mouth¡ª -What?! Zephyrus burst out, clearly surprised. His voice cracked a little, which made me frown¡ªnot going to lie. "..." -Sorry for being surprised, but ever since we came here... we''ve just been wandering around without a clear plan, really... Zephyrus mumbled as he quickly calmed down after seeing my reaction. -You didn''t know where the rift was when we first arrived, so we roamed the forest in the outside world for hours. Then, once we entered here, you told us there was a safe zone¡ªbut instead, we stumbled into the Glittermaw Ape''s territory. -And when we finally started hunting the mini-bosses... You didn''t know their exact locations either so we searched for so long. That''s why I''m surprised now, hearing you suddenly say you know where the boss is. He followed up with a longer explanation, all while flapping steadily beside me. "..." I went silent at his words. He... had a point. My frown deepened. -Meep! Pyro chirped brightly, glancing back over his shoulder mid-flight to check on me. His little expression told me to cheer up. "Don''t worry, Pyro. I''m not feeling down or anything." I said with a casual shrug. -Meep meep! He nodded excitedly, then turned forward again, humming in his own way. After that... -So, where''s the boss...? Zephyrus asked again, this time more curious than doubtful. "Hm?" I looked at him as he flew to my right side. Then, casually opening my mouth¡ª "We''re already heading toward him. We just have to keep walking in the direction of the rising sun, and we''ll eventually reach the boss''s location." I replied, my eyes lifting to the bright, green-colored sun above us, squinting slightly from its glow. And with that... Tap- tap- tap¡ª F W O O O S H¡ª We continued on our way. ***** Yes, we know where the boss is. The problem is¡ª -Haaaaaaah... -Meeeeeeep... He''s too far away from our current location. "Ugh... Let''s settle here and camp for the night." I mumbled. -Meep. -Yeah, let''s do that. Pyro and Zephyrus quickly agreed. Fwish¡ª I immediately took out the tent, and the three of us began setting up everything we needed for the night. It was already dark, and some monsters would be much more active at this hour. And now that we no longer had the bodies of the mini-bosses with us, we had lost even that bit of passive protection¡ªnot even weaker monsters would hesitate to approach now. Pat¡ª "Fuuuuuuu..." I sat down inside the tent and let out a tired sigh. -We still have stock monster meat. Pyro and I will cook it outside for dinner. -Meep. Zephyrus and Pyro said that before heading out. "Mhm, thanks." I told them, and they immediately got to work. It was their turn to cook¡ªit''s something they do once a week. "..." I silently watched the two from inside the tent, resting. Then, with my brows furrowed slightly... ''This is a big ass dungeon rift.'' I grumbled that inside my head. Zephyrus, Pyro, and I¡ªthe three of us... We''ve been walking in the direction of where the sun is rising for over a week now! And no sign of the boss! ''In the game... There was just a cutscene and after that¡ªthey plopped Leon right in front of the boss'' temple. No traveling, nothing.'' What a load of bullshit. I wish that happens to us too right now. Though... I do remember a time skip was mentioned. And if I''m remembering it right¡ª ''It took Leon roughly half a month to reach the temple.'' Meaning... "Just a few more days and we''ll reach it too." I whispered to myself. Hoping that that''s really the case. ... Anyway... Zephyrus and Pyro finished roasting the monster meat not long after. And as soon as they got back in the tent¡ª We started eating. I also told them that it''ll take a few more days of traveling before we reach the boss. And they seemed pretty cool with that. And so, after dinner... We trained a little bit¡ªjust to keep our bodies in shape¡ªand then we rested for the night. ... ... ***** It''s been 8 months since the three of us entered this dungeon rift. And finally... after traveling for over two weeks¡ª T A P¡ª Zephyrus, Pyro, and I arrived in front of the temple where the boss resides! It took us longer than we expected because we stopped for days to train and hunted for our food, fighting off monsters along the way. -Phew, finally... Zephyrus said, gazing up at the towering ancient temple in front of us. Weird, multi-colored vines and moss were growing all over its crumbling stone walls, the old carvings and designs already fading with time. ''Still cool looking though.'' I thought. -Meep... Pyro let out a relieved sigh too, then turned to look at me. -Meep? He asked me what we were doing next. "Hmm..." I looked around the area. Then I looked down at myself. I''m pretty tired from all the walking, but aside from that... I feel good. And so, opening my mouth¡ª "Let''s rest for a while and recover our stamina. We''ll enter later." I said that. And at my words... -That''s nice, I need a good rest. -Meep! Zephyrus and Pyro immediately agreed. ... If I had to guess, it was only afternoon, so¡ªwe cooked some monster meat for lunch after setting up the tent. We rested, but truthfully, the three of us were actually meditating, regaining our stamina while continuing our training. Too bad I already hit my limit on getting stronger just by training... I can''t feel any more changes in my body. ... ... And then finally, after a couple of hours¡ª "Everyone, ready?" -Meep! -Yeah, let''s do this. The three of us were good to go. Tap¡ª I stepped into the temple without further ado. Fwoosh~ Zephyrus and Pyro flew around me, checking the surroundings for any incoming trouble. Pyro was giving us light too in this dark temple, no sunlight was getting inside here. Tap¡ª tap¡ª tap¡ª We moved forward¡ªslow and steady. We were heading straight ahead. We stayed vigilant, eyes sharp, ears open, ready for anything. ... ... ... But¡ª Tap- We encountered nothing along the way. And now... "..." -... -... We''re standing in front of a massive double door made of solid rock. It was obvious that behind it was the boss. S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. -That''s weird, there''s nothing on the way. -Meep... Zephyrus and Pyro murmured, weirded out by how quiet the approach had been. "That''s true." I simply replied. I already knew that it would be like this. I''d encountered nothing on the way here either back when I played the game as Leon. I would''ve thought I was cursed if that changed. (That''s why Raye stayed alert the whole time¡ªeven knowing the path was supposed to be clear. He was prepared for any unexpected deviation.) Moving on... "I''m going to open the door now, get ready." I declared that, placing my hands on the doors. -I''m ready. -Meep. Zephyrus and Pyro answered in a resolute tone. "Mhm." I nodded at them. And with that¡ª GRRRREEEAAAAK¡ª! I pushed the double doors made of stone! It was loud as fuck! B O O M¡ª! Then they opened with a thunderous rumble! ''Stealthily getting inside was never an option, huh.'' I thought. "..." I saw a massive, circular chamber behind the doors, and unlike the hallway... It was properly illuminated with never burning torches. And in the center of this all¡ª -... There stood a humanoid monster, made entirely of green wood, motionless and silent. Swish~ Its jewel-like red eyes began glowing brightly¡ªstaring directly at me. It''s the boss... [The Hollowed]. Tap¡ª With a slight move, the boss turned his whole body to face me. And with its mouthless face¡ª -Come. It spoke, preparing to fight! Chapter 214 - 214: 214 - Weakness -Come. The boss monster said, its voice low and resonant, its crimson jewels eyes shone as it stared at Raye. And Raye¡ª "Hmm, you want to finish this quickly, huh..." He muttered that under his breath, a small smirk forming on his lips. Fwish¡ª With a flick of his wrist, he took out [Nyx] from his spatial storage and gripped it tightly in his right hand. "Me too." Raye declared, voice calm and composed. And as he and the boss monster¡ª[The Hollowed]¡ªlocked eyes... FWOOSH~ Raye summoned [Celestria] into his left hand and swiftly transformed it into a gun, liquid-like mana swirling around the weapon. And without wasting a moment¡ª "[Fuse]" He muttered that. -Meep! SWOOSH¡ª! Pyro immediately responded, bursting into bright red orbs of light before merging into the gun, enhancing [Celestria] and transforming it into a blazing red firearm infused with Pyro''s fiery essence. And with his weapons ready... "Assist me if you see me in trouble." Raye instructed without turning around. Then from behind him¡ª -Got it. Zephyrus responded simply, his tone firm and prepared. And while all of this unfolded... -... The Hollowed remained motionless¡ªsilent and patient. It just stood there, staring at Raye, waiting for him to strike. It decided to observe for now. And after confirming that Raye does plan on fighting him¡ª -Kehehe... A weak laugh escaped him. ***** "..." Raye stood still, unmoving, just a few tens of meters away from the boss monster. -... The Hollowed remained in place as well, utterly motionless¡ªstill waiting for Raye to make the first move. Swoosh~ The dim, eerie light that filtered through the cracks above made the atmosphere even more intense, casting long shadows on the mossy stone floor. Silence wrapped the room like a heavy cloak¡ªno wind, no footsteps, no breath. Just stillness. -... Even Zephyrus was getting uncomfortable with the atmosphere. Then, after a moment of focused thought. Raye opened his mouth... "[Flash]" He muttered, voice low but clear. And In the next instant¡ª BAM! He kicked off the ground with explosive force! SWOOSH¡ª! Raye''s figure blurred, vanishing in a flash of light! And then¡ª FWISH¡ª He reappeared behind The Hollowed with silent precision, like a phantom in the wind! His sword was already raised high in the air, poised for a lethal strike. So without hesitation¡ª SLASH¡ª! Raye swung [Nyx] downward with full strength, aiming for a decisive blow! Though... -Hm? The boss monster sensed Raye''s attack coming from behind him, and immediately¡ª He twisted his entire torso without restriction, as if he had no spine! Fwish¡ª! His wooden arms warped and reshaped themselves, transforming into long, sharp wooden blades in an instant! And with those¡ª TANG! He parried Raye''s strike with a loud metallic clang that echoed through the stone chamber! Raye''s eyes narrowed. "Tch... Aren''t you supposed to be made of wood?" He grumbled. And after that, without slowing down¡ª CLANG! CLANG! FWISH¡ª!! TING! TUNK¡ª! Raye and The Hollowed exchanged a flurry of blows! Raye''s blade moved like a black streak through the air, trying to break through the Hollowed''s defense, but the boss matched him blow for blow with inhuman flexibility! Then suddenly¡ª BAM! Raye jumped back, flipping midair as he extended his left arm! And with his eyes locked onto the boss monster¡ª PSH! He fired a shot from his transformed gun¡ª[Celestria] blazing with Pyro''s flames! But¡ª FWOOSH¡ª!! B O O M!! -... The Hollowed bent backward at an impossible angle and dodged it cleanly, the shot hitting the far wall behind him and exploding in a fiery blast! "Ugh, that guy''s almost as fast as me..." Tap- Raye muttered, frowning as he lands lightly on his feet. But before he could even ready himself¡ª CRACK¡ª! The Hollowed''s legs suddenly thickened and split, reshaping into a whip-like coil of wooden tendrils! And those tendrils¡ª BOOM! They launched the boss monster forward like a spring! F W O O O S H¡ª!!! The Hollowed charged in to Raye at terrifying speed! "Fucker...!" FWIP-! Raye raised [Nyx] to block! And in an instant¡ª TIIIIING¡ª!!! Sparks flew all around them as their blades collided violently! "UGH...!" Raye groaned as he felt the force behind the attack that was enhanced by the speed of the boss monster. And not only that¡ª The Hollowed''s arms split again, branching out like growing roots, forming multiple wooden tendrils tipped with jagged edges! WHIP¡ª! They lashed out at Raye from every angle! And seeing that¡ª "Shit." Raye cursed out. SWOOSH¡ª WHAP! SLASH! CRACK! He moved like lightning, parrying two tendrils, dodging the third, and leaping back before the fourth could pierce his shoulder. "Grgh...!" Raye gritted his teeth. "This guy''s way more durable than it looks..." He whispered to himself. The Hollowed stood tall again, its body slowly shifting¡ªnow even its back reshaped into sharp spikes. -... The Hollowed didn''t speak this time. It only stared¡ªexpressionless, waiting for Raye to come again. And Raye¡­ FWIP¡ª He tightened his grip on both weapons. Tap¡ª Then the moment his two feet touched the ground... BAM! He kicked off with explosive force and dashed straight at the boss monster again! And responding to that¡ª -...!!! GRRRRRRR!!! The Hollowed growled lowly and slammed its wooden hand into the ground! CRACK¡ª! Suddenly, massive thick pillars of vines erupted from beneath the cracked floor, tearing through stone as they surged upward! And with a powerful flick¡ª F W O O S H¡ª!!! The Hollowed extended its left arm and hurled the writhing vines at Raye like living spears! They shot toward him with terrifying speed and force! But Raye... "..." He didn''t slow down. His gaze was firm. And just as he and the vines were about to collide¡ª S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "[Blaze]" He muttered that. SWAAAAAAAA¡ª!! And [Nyx] was immediately engulfed in wild, roaring flames! The heat surged out, distorting the air around him. And with it¡ª S L A S H¡ª!!! Raye cut straight through the vines with a blazing arc of fire! "No matter how tough you are..." He muttered under his breath as he advanced¡ª "Fire is still your weakness." FWOOSH¡ª!! More vines whipped at him like angry beasts¡ªbut they were no match. SLASH! FWISH! SWISH¡ª! Raye cleaved through them one after another, his momentum not slowing at all! His feet barely touched the ground as he blitzed forward, closing the distance in mere seconds. And seeing that¡ª -...! The Hollowed''s glowing red eyes shook ever so slightly. It was caught off guard! And not long after¡­ TAP! Raye was just a few steps away from the boss monster! Though¡ª WHOOSH~ The Hollowed quickly raised both arms and summoned a massive wall of thick, interwoven vines between them! BAM! Then it leapt back, retreating to gain distance. -... The Hollowed stared at the wall it conjured, imagining Raye just behind it. It now considered him dangerous¡ªespecially with his fire-element attacks. But as its glowing gaze remained fixed on the wall¡ª Slash- A single, straight horizontal line suddenly appeared across the center of the vine wall. -hm? The Hollowed tilted its head in confusion. And then, without warning¡ª SWAAAAAAASSHHH!!! The wall split clean in half, torn apart and lit ablaze by searing fire! -?! The Hollowed flinched, clearly caught off guard. And before it could even brace itself¡ª FWOOSH¡ª Raye stepped through the curtain of crimson flame, completely unfazed! "..." His calm eyes locked directly onto the boss monster. His left arm was stretched forward, steady. And with a low, clear voice¡ª "[Blaze]" He muttered that. BOOOOM¡ª!!! A piercing beam of fire burst forth! The Hollowed barely had time to react. It tilted its head at the last second¡ª But not fast enough. SHHZZZK¡ª!!! Half of its wooden face was scorched and blown apart, one of its glowing red gem eyes shattering into sparks! -?! The Hollowed''s body trembled for a moment as smoke rose from its head. Its remaining eye flickered in disbelief. And seeing that the boss had survived¡ª "Tsk." Raye clicked his tongue, a trace of disappointment flashing across his face. Chapter 215 - 215: 215 - Hot Air Tap- The Hallowed landed on the ground. And with its wooden left hand¡ª -... The boss monster silently held the left side of its face. It was empty. Half of The Hollowed''s head was blown away along with one of its red gem eyes! And realizing this... The Hollowed''s remaining eye shone fiercely¡ª -GRRRRRRAAAAAHHH¡ª!!! Then it let out a deep, guttural roar that echoed throughout the entire room! And after that¡ª BOOM! The ground beneath it cracked as The Hallowed lunged forward in a burst of fury! FWOOOOOSH¡ª!!! Its arms shifted, reshaping rapidly¡ªone into a jagged axe-like blade, the other a massive spiked hammer of twisted roots and stone. And after getting in front of Raye¡ª FWHAM!!! The hammer came down like thunder! "Hm?!" Fwish- Raye sidestepped, narrowly avoiding the blow¡ª B A A A M¡ª!!! The floor where he once stood split and crumbled. And following that¡ª TANG¡ª!! Raye blocked the axe swing from his left side with [Nyx]! SHIIIIIKKK¡ª Sparks scattered around as the force sent him skidding back! But Raye didn''t get intimidated by this, and instead¡ª "DIEEE!!!" BAM! SWOOSH¡ª He rushed forward again! SLASH! SWISH! FWISH¡ª! Raye and the Hollowed collided! Blow after blow! Steel clashing against wood and stone! TING! CLANG! TANG¡ª!! Each hit was heavy and dangerous, and both of them are not backing down! WHOOSH¡ª The Hollowed''s body morphed constantly. Its arms becoming blades, whips, hammers, and even shields. It was adapting throughout the fight with frightening speed! But Raye¡ª "Fucking cheat monster...!" SWAAAAAHHH¡ª C L A N G!!! He was countering all of The Hallowed''s attacks with his black sword blazing with flames! FWOOSH¡ª His footwork was sharp and precise, cleanly dodging dangerous attacks! And when he saw a chance¡ª PSH¡ª! Raye fired with his left hand, the fiery gun [Celestria] glowing bright! Though¡ª WHOOSH! -... The Hollowed just twisted its whole body unnaturally, dodging the shot by bending its waist backwards like a coiling vine! "Tsk!" Raye clicked his tongue. BAM! FWOOOSH¡ª!!! Then he kept pressing forward! SLASH¡ª! Raye swung his flaming sword diagonally down at the boss monster. TING¡ª! The Hallowed easily blocked it with its left hand formed as a blade. The two of them were almost evenly matched. The Hollowed was fast¡ªshockingly agile... And its body was unnaturally tough. Even Raye''s fire wasn''t finishing it quickly. The Hollowed''s twisted wooden body was simply too dense. Too durable. It burned, but it didn''t break. ''Tch... this isn''t enough.'' ''I need to use Pyro''s fire instead to inflict serious damage.'' Raye grumbled in his head, brows furrowing as he took a sharp breath. And just then¡ª -GRAAHHH!!! FWOOSH¡ª The Hollowed roared and lunged again, getting in front of him immediately! Fwip- Its right arm morphed mid-attack into a long, spiraling drill of bark and thorns heading toward Raye''s face! But easily¡ª "..." WHOOSH¡ª!! Raye leaped to the side to avoid the deadly strike by a hair''s breath. CRAACK!!! The ground beside him was drilled into and blown apart. Then as a response to the attack¡ª Fwish¡ª Raye spun his body, flames swirling around his blade... "...!" And with his eyes locked onto the boss monster¡ª SWISH!! He slashed upward in a fiery arc, aiming at The Hallowed''s side! TANG!!! -...!!! The boss monster twisted unnaturally again and blocked the blow with its axe-shaped right arm! The two locked blades, sparks and embers clashing in the air! But The Hollowed wasn''t done¡ª -GRRRRAAAHHH!!! It suddenly morphed its left arm again, transforming it into a massive, brutal hammer! And then¡ª FWOOM!! The hammer came crashing down! "¡ª!" Raye frowned seeing that. Bam! He lightly kicked off the vine-covered floor and jumped upward¡ª BOOOOOOOM!!! The hammer smashed the ground where he stood. Chunks of stone and wood flew in all directions. The ground even trembled. But Raye had already risen above it¡ª Fwish~ His hair fluttered because of the shockwave produced by the attack. And while in mid-air¡ª ''This is becoming tiresome. I need to finish this now.'' Raye said that in his head. SWAAAAHH~! His sword glowed brighter than ever. Then... Fwip- Raye held the hilt of [Nyx] with both hands. The [Celestria] still in a form of a gun in his left. But after that¡ª FWOOSH~ [Celestria] started to change its form! The shape of it changed from a gun to a liquid. And while it was like that... FWIP¡ª It fully covered the [Nyx]''s blade and clung onto it, becoming its coating! "..." Raye stared at the boss monster below him¡ªThe Hollowed. A pulse of red light surged from [Celestria]. And with a calm expression on his face¡ª "[Blaze]" Raye muttered that. S W A A A A H H H¡ª!!! [Nyx] and [Celestria] roared as it ignited with his and Pyro''s flames¡ªraw, wild, and scorching red! The heat distorted the air around him! And opening his mouth again... "[Flash]" Raye followed. SWISH¡ª His figure blurred¡ª And then¡ª FWISH¡ª!!! He shot downward like a comet, flames trailing behind him! -?! The Hollowed looked up¡ªits one remaining eye shone brightly in surprise! It sensed danger incoming! WHOOSH¡ª The boss monster moved to defend itself, raising its arms¡ª!! But... It was too slow. S L A S H¡ª!!! Raye''s sword, blazing with violent flames, cut straight down with terrifying force and speed! FWSHHHH!!! The blade tore through the boss monster''s wooden flesh without care! Straight through its chest! And¡ª CRACK¡ª!! Straight through its core! The red gem embedded deep in The Hallowed''s body¡ª PSHH!!! It shattered to dust! -...!! The Hollowed froze after realizing that. Its body twitched¡ª Then¡ª SWAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH¡ª!!! It burst into a violent blaze!! The boss monster that was made from wood was engulfed completely, burning from the inside out with searing, raging flame! S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. And with it¡ª Fwooosh~ The air was filled with heat and silence. Tap- "..." Raye landed softly on the scorched floor, standing straight. Swaaaah~ His flaming sword lowered to his side. And with a calm expression on his face... "... Finally... Took me a while to catch it." Raye mumbled that. "Haaaaa..." He let out a sigh. Pat¡ª And then he sat on the ground, slightly tired. Chapter 216 - 216: 216 - Jackpot The Hallowed''s wooden body continued to burn¡ªuntil all that was left were ashes and charcoaled sticks. I just watched it burn in case some shit happened and it stood up again. Thankfully, that didn''t happen. -Woah, you took care of the boss monster alone, and he looked strong too. Zephyrus said as he landed on my left shoulder. -Meep! Pyro chirped proudly, puffing out his chest, clearly taking credit for the finishing blow as he rested on my right shoulder. I had already cancelled [Fuse] the moment I saw The Hallowed catch fire earlier. -Anyway, what was that last attack of yours when you combined your sword and Wallace Family''s artifact? Zephyrus asked suddenly, turning to look at me. He was probably talking about when I combined [Celestria] with [Nyx], coating them both with [Blaze]. I glanced at him for a second... "I did it on impulse. I knew only Pyro''s fire could deal serious damage to that thing, but the boss was too fast to be hit by a fire bullet, and I can''t use [Fuse] on my sword. So I combined the two instead to solve that." Then I explained simply. -Ohh... that''s smart... Zephyrus mumbled in awe, blinking a few times. -Meep! Pyro didn''t understand a word I said, but he was still cheering for me regardless. "Meh." I just shrugged at them, a small smirk creeping onto my face. Getting compliments from them lifts my mood up. ... ... ... After The Hallowed had completely turned to ash¡ª Tap- tap- tap¡ª I walked toward its remains and crouched down. Then, from the finely dusted coal¡ª Fwip¡ª "Got it." I picked up a red gem. It was one of its eyes. "Now off to find the other one. I hope I didn''t shatter it." I mumbled as I stood back up. Meanwhile, Zephyrus and Pyro were cooking dinner. They were using remnants of The Hallowed''s wooden body as makeshift skewer sticks for roasting meat. ... ***** It didn''t take me long to find the other eye of the boss monster. Probably just a few minutes of poking around. And fortunately¡­ It wasn''t broken. I let out a small breath of relief seeing it still fully intact. Anyway... "Here, take these, guys." I handed Zephyrus and Pyro each of The Hallowed''s red gem eyes. -Hmm? -Meep? They looked between me and the gems with confusion all over their faces. I could tell they were weirded out. "Haha, just take them, it''ll help you two." I said with a chuckle. "Do what I did with the mini-boss cores using them. These will help you both evolve to the next stage." Then I added with a confident smile. -?!! -!!! Their eyes shot wide open after hearing that. They each took a red gem from my hands quickly. The two kept glancing between each other and then back to me. They look really cute. "Just store them for now, let''s eat first. I''m hungry." I said to them as I plopped down. -... -... The two of them went quiet. But after a short moment... -I''m hungry now too. -Meep! They set the red gems aside, and we all dug into dinner that they made. "This was the boss monster''s territory, so no other monsters are around here. You could already tell on our way in." I said as I chewed. "Let''s use this temple as our base so we can all get a proper rest." I suggested. And immediately¡ª -Got it. -Meep! Zephyrus and Pyro replied in sync. No doubts and hesitation in their voices. ***** After dinner... -See you later. -Meep... Zephyrus and Pyro decided to begin using the red gems right away. "Good luck to the both of you." I told them, waving my hand slightly. "Don''t worry, nothing''s going to bother you. And if by chance something tries to¡ªI''ll handle it." I added to reassure them. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. -Meep... Pyro seemed hesitant, his big eyes staring at me with worry. He was clearly bothered about leaving me alone for a few days. I just shrugged at him, and with a confident smile¡ª "I trusted you both before, and you two survived, Pyro. Have some faith in me¡ªI''ll be fine." I told him firmly. -Mhm. Mhm. Zephyrus nodded along, backing me up without a word. And just then... -Meep. Pyro finally stopped looking at me with those sad eyes. Now, his gaze was steady. Determined. Seeing that¡ª -Looks like we''re both ready now. Let''s start. Zephyrus said with calm certainty. -MEEP! Pyro chirped loudly, declaring that he''ll miss me. "Me too. I''ll miss you both." I said softly. -... -... They both went silent. "I''ll be just right here, waiting." I declared. They nodded at me. And finally, after that¡ª -Let''s begin, Pyro. -Meep! S W O O O S H~!!! They closed their eyes and began meditating. The red gems floated in front of them, glowing brilliantly. "..." I just stood silently, watching over them. -... -... "..." The room became painfully quiet. "Looks like I''ll be all alone for a few days." It felt... kind of lonely. ***** I set up a tent around Zephyrus and Pyro for some extra protection. I quietly left them inside of it. I didn''t want to disturb them or risk breaking their focus. Instead¡ª "Time to get the reward for killing the boss." I made my way toward the far end of the room with that thought in mind. The tent wasn''t far¡ªstill set up at the center of the room. Anyway, to where I stood¡­ My eyes locked onto an old table made of stone at the end of the room. It was cracked. Crumbling. It had already collapsed into a pile of useless rubble. But¡ª I know this. I remember this from the game. There''s something under that wreck. So, gripping [Nyx] tightly in my right hand¡ª SLASH¡ª!! I swung horizontally straight weakly. BOOM! The old stones shattered on impact, blasting apart as my sword carved through them. A thick cloud of dust burst out instantly. Chunks of debris flew in all directions. I took a step back. Covered my mouth. "..." Then the dust eventually began to settle. And when the air finally cleared¡ª There it was. SHIIIING¡ª A gold scabbard lying in the middle of the shattered stone. It wasn''t empty either. A sword rested inside it. "..." My eyes gleamed. "Jackpot." I smirked and muttered that. Chapter 217 - 217: 217 - Relapse Awe washed all over me as I stared down at the golden sword in front of me. I remember it being gold to highlight it in Leon''s hands. Then, just as I was looking at it... Swoosh~ A system window appeared in front of me unexpectedly. ===== [Imperial Edge] -Increases wielder''s strength by five points. -Very compatible with mana and spirit magic. -Aesthetic Effect ====== It was displaying the effects and the name of the sword. "It''s the same as I remembered it in the game." I mumbled after reading the system''s content. I nodded in satisfaction, seeing that nothing changed in it. This sword was one of my main goals here from the start. In the game, this sword was often left unused. Because by the time Leon got here, he already had a much better weapon than this one. And not everyone picked swordsman as their class when playing the game anyway. But still, players took and remembered this sword very well, including me. After all¡ª "It''s a paid item that glitched." That''s right, this sword was supposed to be acquired only by buying it with real-world money in the game. The players didn''t know if it was intentional, like an easter event, or a bug, but after killing The Hollowed¡ªthis would appear here. It''s not a reward for killing the boss of this rift-dungeon. The rewards here are double exp for the player and the two red gems that I gave Pyro and Zephyrus. (Raye has double exp right now.) Also, this sword looks fancy, just like every item you can buy in the game using real-world money, they all look fancy as fuck. That''s why players take this sword even though they already have stronger ones. They use it as a cosmetic item. Because it doesn''t just look fancy too... "..." Fwip- I stored [Nyx] in my spatial storage and grabbed the [Imperial Edge]. Then while holding its scabbard with my left hand¡ª Shing¡ª I placed my right hand on its hilt and pulled it out. The pristine white blade of the sword shone even though the room was dark, only having torches as a source of light. It was blinding. The blade looked sharp and sturdy. Then, as I was holding it... Swooosh~ I was suddenly enveloped by a golden aura. It looked like I''m one of those super cyan aliens I watched when I was a kid. I know why this was happening... The cause of this was the [Aesthetic Effect] of the [Imperial Edge]. This is the reason why players took this sword and used it as a cosmetic. I was the same back then. But this time, it''s different... Because although it''s often overlooked in the game, the effects of it were actually good. It''s highly compatible with mana and spirit magic, which is exactly what I need. And it gives me plus five strength points whenever I use it. Now... This sword doesn''t mean I''m planning to change [Nyx] and [Celestria] as my main weapons. It''s just that, I still want to dual wield even when I''m using [Celestria] as an armor. Leon wouldn''t be able to find the [Imperial Edge] anyway without the player controlling him. And he would have a strong main weapon soon. He doesn''t need this. ''But I do.'' ***** I took the [Imperial Edge] and stored it in my spatial storage for now. And after that, I came back to where Zephyrus and Pyro were. "..." I just sat in front of them, watching the two. I was too tired to do anything else right now. It was already dark and I''m getting a bit drowsy too. So I decided to place a sleeping bag just outside the tent and I laid down on it. "..." I silently stared at the cracked ceiling of the room, thinking. It''s been eight months since we got here. Roughly twenty days had already passed in the outside world. Just two more... Just two more months and we''ll leave this place. Then, I''ll come back to school again. (Raye doesn''t plan to use up all the of the 12 months now, he already got everything he wanted in this dungeon.) "Haaaaa... I want to rest." I''m starting to get exhausted. Literally. I already forgot how much time had passed since I got transmigrated here in this world as Raye. I just know it''s nearing 2 years now, I''m not sure anymore. Everything became a mess when I got here. I can''t spend time quietly, I always get dragged into dangerous situations... I can''t rest. I can''t stop. ... I just want to survive... S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ''I wonder how the others are doing.'' I miss them. I hope Old Man Rey''s condition got better. I want to see Jerusha. "Haaaaa..." Being alone with your thoughts, especially at night, is really something. ''Zephyrus and Pyro weren''t even gone for a day and I''m already feeling lonely.'' Get a grip of yourself, me... I told them that I''m fine. I should be fine. And so, instead of just being depressed here¡ª "..." I closed my eyes. I let myself be consumed by drowsiness. And not long... I fell asleep. ***** "..." The next day, I woke up feeling physically refreshed. My mind is still in shambles from all the thinking I did last night. But I''m better now... Probably. I cooked and ate breakfast for myself. Then after that, I meditated too. But I''m far from Zephyrus and Pyro. I don''t want to accidentally absorb some of the essences of the gems I gave them. After meditating, I trained using swordsmanship with [Imperial Edge]. I''m trying to get used to its feel. I rested when I''m tired, cooked and ate when I''m hungry, hunted if I''m out of meat, meditated when I''m bored, and trained if I had nothing else to do to keep myself entertained. "..." It was a bland routine. I''m missing the technology back in the modern world. Magic is cool and all, but I want [UTube] too. But I know no matter how much I complain, nothing will change. So instead of throwing a tantrum like a fucking idiot... I just kept doing whatever to keep myself occupied. Just staying still for a while makes me bored as fuck and makes me think of the past. I don''t want to relapse for fuck''s sake. And just like that... ... ... A month passed. Chapter 218 - 218: 218 - Evolution It''s been a month since Zephyrus and Pyro started meditating. Being alone for a month is really more exhausting. I''m doing everything all by myself, and I don''t have anyone to talk to. It''s physically and mentally tiring. But still, this is the first time I had time for myself... Time to think about things. Time to think about myself. And slowly, I got quite used to it. I fully accepted being Raye... I found peace with myself. It''s like meditating, but instead of not thinking about anything, I''m thinking of everything and sorting them in my head. And honestly... It''s liberating. Now, I have everything I want and need to do sorted in my mind. "I''m excited to get out of this place." I mumbled as I was cooking three skewered monster meats for breakfast. Why three? Well, looking at Zephyrus and Pyro, and sensing the mana coming from them, I can feel it¡ª "They''re almost done." ... It took a few minutes to cook the meat. I even fastened the process by controlling the fire with spirit magic. And as soon as I got the meat in my hand... the room shook violently. GRRRRRRRRR¡ª!!! "..." S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. I remained calm as I knew where this was coming from. It was Zephyrus and Pyro. "They''re finally done." And just as I said that¡ª S W O O O O S H¡ª!!! A strong wave of mana burst out from them and exploded. I raised my hand in front of me and calmly opened my mouth¡ª "[Gust]" I muttered that. FWOOSH¡ª I cut the shockwave coming at me in half with a stronger gust of wind, so there... I just stood casually, holding the three skewered monster meats in my other hand. -Ugh... -Meep... I heard Zephyrus and Pyro groan. So with a smile on my face¡ªI started walking toward the tent. -Huh? -Meep? They were surprised to see me standing in front of them as soon as they opened their eyes. Even I was surprised... Their appearance changed with the strong explosion of mana earlier. Zephyrus¡ªhe looks like a majestic, elegant white bird now, with a highlight of green feathers for pattern. He still looks adorable to me though. Pyro, well... He looks the same, the only difference is that he has cute tiny arms and legs now. "I missed you guys." I said, looking at them. -... -... They became silent, looking at me with a smile too. I crouched down and handed them a skewered monster meat each. "Here, I know you guys are hungry. I''ll make more a bit later." I told them. -Thanks. Zephyrus simply replied, taking one. -Meep...! Thankies! Then Pyro followed, taking the other one. Huh...? "?!!" -?! My head violently turned to Pyro, the same for Zephyrus. The two of us looked at him. -...! He looked surprised too. And opening his small, cute mouth¡ª -I can talk! Meep! -I can finally talk! Meep! -I wanted to talk for so long, Meep! Pyro spoke again, looking at me. He looked really happy. "Haha..." A small laugh escaped my mouth. -... Zephyrus was smiling too, happy for Pyro. "Let''s talk and eat, guys. I''ll cook more monster meat for us." I said, and the two quickly agreed with me. -Good idea. -I want to talk, Meep! ***** The three of us had breakfast together. I cooked for all of us happily. Zephyrus was showing off his new form. He looks really proud and elegant¡ªlike the great wind spirit he claimed he was when we first met. On the other hand, Pyro was being super talkative. I just listened to him tell me how long he had waited to be able to talk with me properly and not just telepathically. -When are we going to see Mama Jerusha, by the way? Meep? Then he suddenly asked that. "..." -... Zephyrus and I froze in place when we heard that. The two of us looked at each other. -He knows... and he can talk properly now... Zephyrus whispered. "Bruh." I didn''t know what to do... "Erm... We''ll stay in this place for one more month. Then after that... we''ll leave and go back to the cabin where everyone is." So I just told Pyro that. "So while we''re here, let''s get stronger. Don''t get complacent, you two, just because you evolved." -I wouldn''t. I''m still an evolution away from my strongest form. -I wouldn''t! I want to help in the future! Meep! I nodded my head in satisfaction seeing that they wouldn''t laze around just because they got stronger. And so, just like that... we rested for the day. The three of us talked and played. The two tested their skills, and I tested mine too. My spirit magic output got stronger alongside them. We rested for the day. Because starting tomorrow, for a whole month straight... We plan to work our asses off and train diligently. ... ... ... ***** Before we even knew it, a month had already passed... and now, it''s time for us to go back to Zion Academy. Zephyrus, Pyro, and I are currently standing in front of the gate that will bring us back to the forest that we were in before we got here. This gate appeared behind the temple after defeating [The Hollowed]. "Are you guys ready?" -I can''t wait to leave this place. -Meep! I want to go back where everyone is! Meep! So after confirming that the two of them were okay now, and we already made sure we weren''t forgetting something or anything¡ª "Let''s go." Tap¡ª We stepped in the gate. ... ... And the next thing we knew... We''re back in the forest in the Alvah Dukedom. The trees were brown and black. Their leaves were green, yellow, and orange. The grass was yellow, the soil was poop-colored. And the sky... it was a beautiful light-blue with white clouds. "We''re back." I mumbled. -Finally. Zephyrus followed in a whisper. -Meep! I''m excited to go back home! Meep! Pyro added. The three of us admired the surroundings a bit more. But just as we were doing that¡ª "WHO ARE YOU GUYS?!!" We suddenly heard a loud voice behind us. And when we turned to look at its source... "TELL US YOUR NAME OR WE''LL ATTACK!!!" We saw a soldier wearing the Alvah Dukedom''s crest. And behind him were even more soldiers with the same uniform. About twenty of them... "Ugh... Really? As soon as we got out?" I grumbled while looking at them with a frown on my face. Chapter 219 - 219: 219 - The Meeting "TELL US YOUR NAME OR WE''LL ATTACK!!!" sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. One of the soldiers wearing the Alvah Dukedom''s crest exclaimed as the others took a stance behind him and held their weapons up. "Why? It''s not like I entered a restricted place, I''m just sightseeing in this forest." Raye responded with an indifferent look in his eyes. Then annoyed, the soldier before opened his mouth and shouted. "WE FELT A STRONG SURGE OF MANA EARLIER HERE AND SUDDENLY, YOU JUST APPEARED!!! ARE YOU A SPY?!!" "I''m not, and I can hear you just fine... Stop shouting, for fuck''s sake." Raye said. "I''m a student in Zion Academy." And then, he showed them the identification plaque of the academy. The soldiers looked at each other, whispering among themselves. "Why are you here?" The leader of the soldiers asked. And with a frown on his face, Raye responded. "Are you deaf? I said I was sightseeing. I want peace and quiet, and you guys ruined it." The soldiers became silent after that, but they frowned at the way Raye was answering. Meanwhile... ''Ugh, just go away...'' Raye grumbled in his head, he wants to get out there as soon as possible. But then¡ª "Doesn''t he look familiar?" One of the soldiers who was in the back mumbled that. And after him, the others followed... "Yeah, feels like I''ve seen him somewhere." "I''m sure I''ve seen that face before." ''Shit.'' Raye cursed internally. He wasn''t recognized by the soldiers immediately because his appearance changed a lot in a span of around two years. And white hair isn''t really that rare in this world. "I need to get out of here fast." Raye whispered to himself as Zephyrus and Pyro perched on his shoulders. They were getting ready to run away. If he gets recognized here now, he just knows things would be chaotic. Raye started circulating mana in his legs and feet, he was getting ready to run off... But just as he was about to kick off¡ª "He''s my second son. Have you all already forgotten what he looks like?" Raye suddenly heard a cold, dominating voice from the back of the soldiers! "...!" His eyes widened in shock. It''s his first time hearing this voice... But Raye just knew already who it was. "M-My liege...! Make way, everyone!" "Yes, sir!" The soldiers immediately moved at the command of their leader, and in an instant¡ªthey made way for the owner of the voice. And at the end of it¡ªRaye saw a handsome man with long, flowing white hair and piercing blue eyes like him, exuding an intimidating presence. It was Lucian Alvah¡ªThe patriarch of the Alvah family... And Raye''s biological father. "Long time no see, son." Lucian said that with a straight face. "..." And Raye just stared at him, frowning. ***** "..." An eerie silence enveloped the surroundings as Lucian and Raye stared at each other. "..." The soldiers couldn''t move because of the pressure coming out of Lucian, their master. Raye could feel it too, but he could handle it just fine. "I did receive the news that you''re here, but I did not expect to see you in this forest. What a coincidence." Lucian mumbled. "Did you follow me all the way here?" "Hmm? No, I received news that some people went missing here and the mana around here was unusually thick. I guessed it was a dungeon, so I''m searching for it to clear and close that thing." He explained casually. Then, looking at Raye up and down¡ª "But looks like I don''t need to do that anymore." He added. Raye frowned even deeper. He knew that Lucian was aware that he already cleared that so-called dungeon. Anyway, as he remained silent¡ª "You''ve changed a lot." Lucian suddenly spoke up and said that. "You got stronger, and it looks like you''re not being a spoiled brat anymore. Seems like expelling you from the family was the right choice¡ªit made you a decent human, or actually better than that." He followed. Raye didn''t say anything. While he does agree that the original Raye deserved what he got, he can''t support Lucian''s words now as he''s the one that suffered the consequences. Right now, he''s feeling neutral about Lucian and the whole Alvah Dukedom. "Well then, looks like I''m not needed here anymore. I''ll be taking my leave." Lucian then said that and turned his back against Raye. He too possessed no hatred or any kind of feeling toward the current Raye. "Take your time sightseeing, the Alvah Dukedom is a peaceful and beautiful territory. Goodbye." Lucian declared before starting to walk away. The soldiers glanced at Raye for a second, then they followed after their master. Raye stood still, just watching his biological father''s back. ''He''s not crazy yet...'' He mumbled in his mind. He doesn''t know what to say, he doesn''t know what to do. He thought to himself for a while... Then suddenly¡ª "Some of the elders are working with demons. They want to turn you against the people of the dukedom so they could take care of you and be the owner of this land with the support of the citizens and other family members." I opened my mouth declared that. Tap- "..." Lucian stopped in his tracks when he heard me. He turned around and looked at me. And with cold, indifferent eyes¡ª "Sullying any family member of the Alvah Dukedom deserves punishment. I suggest you stop making that kind of joke." SWOOOSH¡ª! He declared that as a strong, dominating aura came out from him and pressed on everyone in the area! "Urgh...!" "...!" The low-ranking soldiers froze on the spot as they had trouble breathing. Only their leader could move, but he didn''t dare to because of the tension. Though¡ª "..." Raye remained calm under the pressure. "..." Lucian frowned a little after seeing him like that. Then, in the next second¡ª W H O O O S H¡ª!!! A strong wave of mana burst out from Raye! And it clashed against Lucian''s! BOOM! A strong explosion occurred, then a shockwave was produced. And with that... Fwoosh~ Their mana auras canceled each other out. "Ugh?!" "Gah?!" The soldiers shielded their eyes with their arms from the flying debris. They were shocked¡ªthey couldn''t believe someone just tied with their master! And that someone was the bastard young master that they remembered from before! "..." The whole area went silent. Lucian looked at Raye indifferently again. He was surprised at what just happened too¡ªbut he wasn''t showing it on his face. And so, seeing that he''s now calm¡ª "I have proof." Raye declared that. "One of them tried to coerce me before into rebelling against you and taking the patriarch title for myself. They said that we''d do that after I graduate from Zion. I declined, of course." And then he added before Lucian could even say anything. After hearing that¡ª "..." Lucian''s brows twitched and a complicated expression appeared on his face. Chapter 220 - 220: 220 - Civilization "..." Silence once again engulfed the whole area. Neither Lucian nor Raye was speaking, and neither were the soldiers. Lucian stared at Raye long and hard. He studied his eyes and expression, and seeing that he was serious about what he just said... "I''ll look into it." He declared that. "They have the captain of the Alvah Knights in too." Then Raye followed up with that. "..." Lucian fell silent again. But this time, he nodded his head before opening his mouth. "Got it." And after saying that... Lucian turned around and started walking away. "I''ll give you a hefty reward if any of what you said is true." And with that, he left with his soldiers. "..." Leaving Raye blankly standing there with Zephyrus and Pyro. Then after seeing Lucian gone¡ª "Haaaaaa..." He let out a heavy sigh and scratched the back of his head. ***** (Raye''s POV) I don''t know why I just said all of that to Lucian. I just had the urge to... Wait, no¡ª I do know why I did it. The story is pretty fucked now. I can confidently say almost everything will change from now on. So I decided... I''ll just do whatever, even if it means messing up the story even more. And earlier, I had this feeling to stop Lucian from becoming a villain¡ªafter all, he''s actually a good patriarch for this town. I don''t want to let the Alvah Dukedom fall and watch many people suffer and die when I know I could''ve prevented that. So I figured, if Lucian knows that some of the elders are going to betray him¡ªhe would do something about it and he wouldn''t go crazy, he wouldn''t have to fight Leon. That''s what I''m wishing for to happen, at least. ''Lucian is smart, he''ll handle it after digging into it a bit and realizing that I was telling the truth.'' I shrugged. Anyway, how do I know all of this? Well, Lucian''s story was shown after you defeat him in the game as Leon. I lied about the part where one of the elders tried to make me start a rebellion though. That''s the best I could come up with to make my words a bit more believable. -Wow, that''s your father? He''s something, huh... -meep! He''s scary! Zephyrus and Pyro talked. Oh, and currently¡ªI''m on my way out of the forest with the two still resting on my shoulders. -If he''s that strong, then how come your talent isn''t like his? You would''ve already been much stronger than you are right now if that''s the case. Zephyrus said, confused and disappointed for me. "At least I have his looks, so let''s just leave it like that." I replied to him with a shrug as I continued walking. ***** Not long... Raye got out of the forest, and immediately after that¡ªhe headed to the town with Zephyrus and Pyro. It''s just a few minutes of walk... Then finally, after 10 whole months of training inside the dungeon rift or 25 days here in the outside world¡ª "We''re here, guys." They finally got back to civilization. -meep...! I''m excited to explore! -Same here. And after hearing the two say that¡ª Raye decided to search for a restaurant for the three of them to eat at. ... ... ... With Zephyrus and Pyro flying above the air, finding a place they could eat at was a breeze. The two of them guided Raye to where it was, and when they got there¡ª ''It''s an eastern shop.'' Or to be exact, a ramen shop. Raye likes ramen, so without further ado, the three of them entered the facility... Then they ordered kuro ramen for each of them. Their stomachs were already growling, too bad it would take a while for their order to be made. ... ... After about half an hour of waiting¡ªRaye, Zephyrus, and Pyro were now just staring blankly at the wall. They were starving like fuck, and they couldn''t muster up any more strength. Luckily for them though¡ª "Here''s your three orders of kuro ramen, Sir." Their orders were served just as they were about to crash out and throw tantrums! The three of them immediately took their own bowls of ramen, and without hesitation¡ª Slurp! They started eating. "Sho gooshd...!" -Mhnnm...! -meeep! goosh! They exclaimed as they took their first taste of it. It''s been a while since they ate something other than roasted monster meat. And so, the three of them enjoyed their time in the restaurant. Raye ordered teriyaki chicken and more as they were eating. ***** "Burp...!" -urrp...! -muuurp...! Raye, Zephyrus, and Pyro burped after finishing all the food they ordered. They ordered a lot, worth about 4 gold coins. Raye just handed the owner of the restaurant 5 gold coins and left. The owner, grateful, bowed to them repeatedly as they exited the facility. -Where are we heading now? Zephyrus asked, perched on Raye''s head. He was too full to fly. Meanwhile, Pyro was being carried by Raye in his arms like a baby... The little fire spirit was sleeping. "We''re going back to the inn we stayed at before. We''ll rest for the day, then early tomorrow morning... We''ll go back here to the marketplace to prepare for our travel. And by afternoon¡ªwe''ll leave this place." Raye explained to Zephyrus. ''As much as I want to stay here and sightsee... The academy will start in six days, I need to go back.'' He added in his head. Then, opening his mouth again... "I''ll be a tertiary now, huh." He muttered under his breath. Raye''s plan originally was to stay on the sidelines and graduate to have a comfortable life. His goal is still the same as before. The only difference is, right now... Raye is in the middle of all the messes that have happened so far along with the main characters. And also¡ªhe doesn''t care anymore when that happens. Anyway... Raye got to the inn they stayed at before with the two. He immediately rented a room for the night. They headed to the room assigned to them, and as soon as they got there¡ª Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "..." -... -... They laid down on the bed and fell asleep. Its their first time in a long while too that they''re not sleeping on a sleeping bag and that they have a proper room. Chapter 221 - 221: 221 - Message The next day... Raye, Zephyrus, and Pyro woke up early to prepare. They went back to the marketplace after eating breakfast in the inn. They bought food, new clothes, and other stuff they would need for their journey back. And after doing that, around 9 AM¡ª The three of them headed to the gate of the Alvah Dukedom to leave. "It''s been long since I saw the others... But for them, not even a month has passed yet." A smile rested on Raye''s face, he was excited to go back. -I wonder how they are doing. -I wanna see mama! Meep! Zephyrus and Pyro followed. Raye''s face twitched at what Pyro said, but he just ignored it. Before, he could just understand what Pyro wanted to convey and what he was feeling, but now that he can talk¡ªPyro can fully say what''s on his mind. ''I thought that he liked Jerusha because of her talent in spirit magic... I didn''t know he thinks of her as his mother.'' Raye''s face reddened a bit as he thought of that. Then, just as they were about to walk past the gate... "Hm?" He noticed the two soldiers guarding the place looking at him. ''Ugh... Looks like they''re here for me.'' The two soldiers were really staring hard at him. Raye started to wonder if Lucian thought he was lying about yesterday and ordered his capture. He clicked his tongue in annoyance, and as they walked closer to the gate¡ªRaye prepared to fight in the worst-case scenario. ''I won''t get caught here, I''m coming back to where the others are.'' He declared in his head with a serious look on his face. -... -... He signaled the situation to Pyro and Zephyrus too, telepathically, and the two of them were all ready to go too. Then, when they arrived at the gate, just as Raye expected¡ª "Stop... You''re young master Raye, right? You''ve changed a lot." The guards stopped and approached him. Raye clenched his hands into fists before answering. "What do you two want?" He glared at the two soldiers. The soldiers then looked at each other for a brief moment, they nodded their heads. And when they looked back at Raye¡ª ''Get ready, Zephyrus, Pyro!'' He exclaimed that in his head, ready to throw a punch! "The patriarch wants to give this to you. He said that we should wait here and approach someone with white hair that has two spirits with him." But then, contrary to what he expected¡ªthe soldiers handed him a fancy-looking red box instead of attacking. "Huh?" Raye tilted his head in confusion. Zephyrus and Pyro did the same. "What?" He asked, dumbfounded. Then opening his mouth again¡ª "The patriarch wants you to take this. The master said you''ll probably be on your journey back and ordered us to wait for you here and give this to you." One of the soldiers repeated. Raye took the box being handed to him, speechless. He was curious about what was inside. "Also... He has a message for you." The other guard added. "...?" Raye looked at them, and before he could even say anything¡ª "I confirmed your words. I''ll be taking care of them. It''ll take a while¡ªbut I''ll make it happen." The guard started relaying the message. Raye remained silent. And after a short pause... "Thank you... Come visit again whenever. We''ll treat you as a special guest of the family because of the help you provided." "I''m now revoking the punishment given to you to never set foot here again." They finished with that. "That''s the patriarch''s message, word for word." The soldier who relayed the message said. And after hearing that... "..." S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Raye became quiet. A complicated expression appeared on his face, his head became a mess. He didn''t know how to respond. But after a while... His head cleared up a little. A small smile appeared on his face. Then, opening his mouth again¡ª "Tell the patriarch to keep the territory peaceful and beautiful¡ªI want to show it to my friends." Raye declared that. ***** After giving his message to the soldiers... Raye left the dukedom with Zephyrus and Pyro. He stored the red box in his spatial storage without checking its contents. -Hmm... I don''t know if you have a good relationship with your father or not. Zephyrus mumbled, confused. The three of them were currently accompanying a merchant. Their destination is the same, after all¡ªThe Zion Academy. -meep... Is he a bad person...? Pyro then asked Raye, referring to Lucian. "..." Raye sat on the floor of the carriage they were in and rested his back against the wooden wall. He remained silent for a while, thinking. "Hmm, he''s a good leader and a decent human. And my relationship with him... I think it''s just neutral." Then he muttered that. He meant every word he just said. -You guys are weird... I guess you''re really blood related, huh. Zephyrus said with a shrug. Raye let out a small laugh at that. "You think so?" He asked, but he wasn''t really waiting for a response. Then, as they were about to continue their conversation... The three of them felt presences coming in their direction very fast. "It''s bandits." Raye concluded as he sat. He looked at the two who were in front of him, looking up at him. "You two handle it." He instructed with an awkward smile, he was feeling lazy. And the two¡ª -Hmm, sure. -meep! okiks! Well, they followed without complaint. S W O O S H¡ª Zephyrus and Pyro flew out of the carriage¡ªRaye remained inside, then while resting... He closed his eyes and relaxed his whole body. He wasn''t nervous at all even after knowing attackers were getting near. ''Those two can handle it, the ones coming are just a bunch of weaklings.'' Raye thought to himself. ... ... ... Zephyrus and Pyro quickly defeated the bandits even before they could cause a problem. There were about twenty of them. Even one of Zephyrus or Pyro could''ve done the job, really. The merchant was really grateful when they did that. This kind of situation happened a few more times during the travel. The two always took care of it... The other escorts couldn''t believe it. Raye didn''t do a single bit of fighting either. And just like that¡ª "We''re here." -meep! yey! -Oof, I''m sleepy... Raye, Zephyrus, and Pyro arrived at Zion Academy after 6 days of traveling. Chapter 222 - 222: 222 - Back to Zion [1] (Raye''s POV) "..." I stood silent in front of the Zion Academy''s gate. It''s wide open and nothing is stopping me from stepping inside. In fact, the merchant I escorted all the way here is already in with their whole group. -... -... Zephyrus and Pyro were just looking at the gate in total silence too. They''re perched on each of my shoulders. We''re excited to meet the others, but at the same time¡ªwe''re nervous. We want to show them how strong we''ve gotten and tell them stories about our time in the dungeon... But it''s been so long that we don''t know what we''ll say to them first. In fact... We don''t even know where to go first. "Should we head back to the cabin or to Kyle''s store?" I asked. -I don''t know... -meep.. me too... Zephyrus and Pyro replied. I nodded my head, understanding their indecisiveness. And so, I thought to myself for a moment, maybe for about a minute. Then... I decided. It''s actually the first thing that came into my mind earlier, but I asked Zephyrus and Pyro earlier for their opinions too. So opening my mouth. "Let''s head to Old Man Rey." I muttered that. ***** The two agreed with my suggestion, in fact¡ªthey too thought that we should head there first. Well, the three of us think of Old Man Rey as our guardian or something, so it''s not that surprising that we want to see him first after coming back. Anyway, so with that¡ª We entered the Zion Academy and headed to the hospital. It''s early in the morning, around 6 AM. We didn''t see that many people on our way. The streets are silent and peaceful. I saw some students, but I don''t know any of them. And just like that, after about half an hour of walking¡ª Zephyrus, Pyro, and I arrived in front of the hospital. ... ... ... Tap¡ª We entered the hospital without beating around the bush. I saw some staff and nurses as soon as we got in. And coincidentally¡ª "Huh?" Someone we''re familiar with was also there. We looked at them and they looked back at us, surprised. And opening my mouth¡ª "Hello mister, long time no see." I greeted them with an awkward smile on my face. "Yeah, it''s been a while, kid." Then Raphael greeted back. He was the healer old man that took care of me before and is now taking care of Old Man Rey. "We''re here to visit the old man." I declared. Pyro and Zephyrus nodded their heads at my words. "I figured. Follow me, I''ll accompany you guys there." I nodded my head in silence as a response, and without further ado¡ªRaphael started walking. I followed right behind him with Zephyrus and Pyro still on my shoulders. ***** We reached the room where Old Man Rey is not long after. Raphael stopped in front of the door and looked at me, signaling me to go in first. "..." I walked forward in silence. I grabbed the doorknob, and with slight nervousness¡ªI opened the door. Creak¡ª And inside, I saw Old Man Rey... Still peacefully sleeping. ''I guess not...'' I thought with a fake and forced smile on my face. For a second, I thought I would enter and see him up and awake. I imagined him there, greeting me¡ªand me, hugging him. But I guess that''s not going to happen. My heart ached a bit because of that. And opening my mouth¡ª "I''m back, old man." I mumbled that. -... -... Zephyrus and Pyro remained silent. But I can feel that they''re dejected too. "His condition is good now, but he''s still not showing any sign of waking up. Maybe that''s because of his age... I''ll try my best to get him to open his eyes again, but I can''t promise that he will." Then, Raphael said that. He''s trying to be gentle about it, but the news he just delivered to me wasn''t. Basically... He said that there''s a chance that Old Man Rey wouldn''t wake up anymore. Though despite hearing that¡ª "..." My expression didn''t change. Nor did Zephyrus'' or Pyro''s. After all, the three of us know... "He''ll wake up, don''t worry." I said to Raphael, looking back at him. He smiled at me, and after nodding his head¡ª "Then, that''s all... I''ll be leaving you guys here now." He excused himself. I just waved at him goodbye. ***** After Raphael left, I sat beside Old Man Rey''s bed and watched him. Zephyrus and Pyro flew off my shoulders and landed beside his head to take a look at him. We don''t know what to say. And even if we do... He probably wouldn''t be able to hear it. So for now¡ª ''I''ll just keep everything in... I''m going to tell you a lot of stories once you wake up, old man.'' I decided on that. Anyway, as the three of us were just silently resting beside Old Man Rey... Tap- tap- tap¡ª We heard footsteps approaching. Our heads turned toward the door, there was only one incoming. "Must be one of the guys." I mumbled with a slight smile on my face, I''m excited to see anyone of them right now. And just then... The door of the room opened. Creak¡ª "..." The one who entered saw me. I saw them too. "..." We stared at each other for a while, not saying anything. They looked shocked, and so was I. But after a few seconds, I regained my composure. And with a smile on my face¡ª "It''s been a while, Jerusha." I greeted her. And Jerusha¡ª "Haha, it''s been a while... Raye." She greeted back, a sweet smile rested on her face. She''s still as pretty as I remembered¡ªher hair, her eyes, her smile... They''re beautiful. ''I mean, duh... Not even a month had passed for her.'' I thought as a small laugh escaped my face. "..." An awkward atmosphere enveloped the room. I don''t know what to say. And the same could be said for Jerusha. She''s just standing there, looking at me with a smile on her face. S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. I was about to open my mouth to break the silence, but then¡ª -mama...! meep! Pyro beat me to it. "...?!" My eyes widened when I heard him, and my head immediately snapped in his direction. Pyro was there, standing with his small feet while his hands were up asking a hug from Jerusha. A wide smile was on his face. Chapter 223 - 223: 223 - Back to Zion [2] "Huh?" Jerusha muttered in surprise. She turned her head to where she heard the source of the voice... and her eyes landed on Pyro. Then Pyro, seeing Jerusha looking at him¡ª ¨Cmama...! He repeated himself. "Wahhhh, you can talk now!" Jerusha exclaimed happily with a smile on her face. But after processing what Pyro just said¡ª "Ah...!" Her whole body froze as she was about to go to him. She then slowly turned her head to Raye. And Raye¡ª "Haha... Well..." He had this awkward smile on his face, scratching his cheek. ¨C... Zephyrus was looking at the three of them, slightly squinting his eyes... -''What a mess.'' He thought that, shaking his head slowly. ... ... ***** (Raye''s POV) "Oh, so the two of them evolved, huh. Then Pyro was able to talk human language." Jerusha said after I told her the whole story of how Pyro was able to talk. "Yeah, that''s pretty much it." The two of us looked at Zephyrus and Pyro. Then, opening her mouth¡ª "You''ve become really cool, Zephyrus, wow!" S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Jerusha said that with a wide smile. -Heh, as you can see... Zephyrus boastfully responded as he puffed out his chest, flexing his new wings. Then, looking at Pyro next¡ª "And you''ve become much cuter and smarter!" Jerusha said that. I could tell she was having a cute aggression over him. I just smiled and watched them. The three of them played together. Well, Zephyrus was acting all high and mighty, but he was giving Jerusha a show by using elegant wind spells alongside Pyro. The two of them were giving us firework shows. It was beautiful. ... ... ... After about an hour of giving us a show and using mana¡ªZephyrus and Pyro got exhausted and slept. We haven''t slept since last night, and honestly, I''m exhausted too. "So, what happened while you were away?" Jerusha asked. We were sitting side by side, just beside Old Man Rey''s bed. "Hmm..." I thought to myself for a while, then, stealing a glance at her¡ª "Well..." I started telling Jerusha what I went through with Zephyrus and Pyro. Our travels, going to the Alvah Dukedom, getting into a rift dungeon, spending almost a year there and fighting crazy monsters, clearing it, the two evolving, me getting stronger, getting out and meeting my biological father... Then lastly, the fact that I just got here a few hours ago. ***** It took me more than an hour to tell her everything that had happened¡ªor the summary of it, at least. But Jerusha... she just listened intently. Her focus was on me, and you could tell she was really interested in my story. It made me smile seeing her like that, knowing that she really cares. "So for you three, more than ten months had already passed since you left...?" Jerusha asked, a shocked and worried expression on her face. "Yeah." I simply replied as I nodded my head. I even shrugged. "You guys have been through a lot." Fwip¡ª Jerusha hugged me as she said that. I was surprised¡ªmy eyes widened. But regaining my calm almost immediately¡ª "Haha, it''s nothing... Thanks for worrying, though." I hugged Jerusha back and patted her on the back, a smile resting on my face. We broke off the hug not long after. I saw Jerusha blushing a little when we did. Then, after that¡ª "..." An awkward silence engulfed us again. Jerusha just sat there, looking at the old man with a reddish face. I just stared at her from the side, admiring. She''s really beautiful. ''Hmm, now that I think about it... She''ll be graduating this year.'' Jerusha is in the 4th year. I''m currently a tertiary¡ª3rd year. This is probably the last year we''ll be going to the academy together. I mean, I can still see her after she graduates... but it wouldn''t be as frequent as before. And thinking about that¡ª "..." It made me a bit sad. I''m so used to Jerusha''s presence now that it''s hard to believe I thought of her as annoying before. That was so stupid of me. She was one of the first people who didn''t judge me based on the rumors because of the original Raye''s past actions¡ªalong with Kyle, Old Man Rey, and Devin. And honestly... it''s not far-fetched to say she''s one of the reasons why I''m still alive today. Jerusha taught me a lot, especially spirit magic. She helped me every time. And during the demon invasion¡ªshe saved me and everyone else. After that... that''s when I realized my feelings for her. Thump¡ª My heart started beating a bit faster just as I recalled our time together. Thump¡ªthump¡ªthump¡ª I became a bit restless as I stared at Jerusha. I want to spend more time with her, really. "Hmm? What is it?" She asked after noticing me staring at her for so long, tilting her head. "..." I didn''t answer immediately. She''s so cute looking at me like that. And impulsively, opening my mouth¡ª "Nothing, I just missed you." I said that. "Wha...?!" Jerusha was surprised, her face flushed red. I couldn''t blame her¡ªeven I became embarrassed and my face heated up. The thumping in my chest got faster out of nervousness. But then¡ª "Me too..." Jerusha mumbled that shyly. "Huh?" A stupid noise came out of my mouth in disbelief. "I missed you too." And Jerusha repeated herself, looking at me straight in the eyes. Her face was as red as a tomato now. "..." I was speechless. The pounding in my chest and my surroundings quieted. Everything slowed down for me and calmed. Jerusha turned her head away after that in embarrassment, her head hung low. And seeing her act like that¡ª ''God... I''m so uncool sometimes.'' I thought that to myself. "..." I looked down at the floor. "Jerusha." "Huh?" I called for her. I could sense her looking at me, but my eyes remained on the floor. I couldn''t look back at her. But with my lips slowly parting... "I like you." I confessed to her. "I like you a lot..." I followed, my voice quivered a bit as I said that. This feels a lot harder than fighting monsters. And Jerusha, after hearing my confession¡ª "HUH?!!" She was beyond shocked. Her whole body flinched, and after catching a glimpse of her¡ªI could see her face reddening even more. Chapter 224 - 224: 224 - Everything "HUH?!" Jerusha''s eyes widened at Raye''s confession. Her head violently snapped in his direction. Thump- thump- thump¡ª Her heart started beating loudly and her face heated up. If Jerusha was a cartoon¡ªsmoke would''ve already risen from her head with how hard she was feeling embarrassed. Then finally, in that moment¡ª "..." Raye faced her. "I''ve actually decided before to tell you how I feel after everything had calmed down. Once the chaos settled." "But I realized that... That was actually just me trying to run away." He declared while looking at her in the eyes. ''It''s too bold of me to assume that everything will go just like in the game story... That this world will have a happy ending.'' ''That I''ll survive till the end...'' He thought as heaviness filled his heart, then after that short pause¡ª "I don''t want to regret not being able to tell you how I feel..." Raye mumbled. "Jerusha..." He called for her. And with a straight face, cheeks blushing¡ª "I love you." Raye declared that! His voice shrunk at the end, his whole face turned red! But his eyes still remained on Jerusha. "..." Raye''s expression was resolute. "Wawawawawa..." Jerusha was panicking, she was confused. She didn''t know what to say and her head was spinning. "...!" But when she saw Raye''s eyes... She calmed down a little. "..." His eyes were serious, shining beautifully as they looked at her. Raye was waiting for her response. And knowing that, Jerusha opened her mouth... But just then¡ª Thud- She and Raye heard a noise coming from the door! Their heads immediately turned in the direction of the sound, and there... "?!!" "!!!" Their eyes widened as they saw Devin, Lycus, Kyle, Leon, Lena, Allen, and Sofia just standing by the door. The whole group was present. On the floor was a bag of roasted chicken dropped by Kyle in surprise. Everyone in the room had a shocked expression on their faces. That''s right... They heard Raye''s confession! Devin and the others were currently here to visit Old Man Rey too. They heard someone talking in the room earlier, but they just thought it was Jerusha, so they continued on their way just entered. And that''s when they got greeted by this scene! "Erm... Hehe, I guess we should leave for now, huh... Guys?" Lycus said as he looked at the others. "I-I agree!" Sofia followed up, backing him. "I forgot something back in my room." Lena said. "I think we forgot something back in the training ground too." "Yeah..." Leon and Allen mumbled, exchanging awkward glances. They were scratching their heads. "The shop... We need to do something, Devin." "Ah, right...! Erm... Umm... Yeah! Got it." Kyle and Devin were also panicking. They were talking and moving like robots. Every single one of them. "Erm, nice to see you again, Raye... Let''s talk a bit later." Lycus muttered awkwardly. The others waved their hands at Raye as they hid behind Lycus. "..." Raye was still speechless, in shock. Embarrassment was being felt all over his body. But still... He was happy to see the others. So as he put an awkward smile on his face¡ª "Sure, let''s all catch up later." Raye replied. Lycus and the others heard him. They just smiled and nodded their heads... And with that, they left. Giving Jerusha and Raye the privacy they needed. ***** "..." "..." An awkward silence engulfed the room when the others left. Jerusha and Raye still sat side by side. They were both looking down at the floor, embarrassed. But after a while, breaking that silence¡ª "wh...at...?" Jerusha mumbled something. It was so quiet that Raye barely heard it even with his superhuman hearing. (He was nervous too.) "Hmm?" Raye looked at Jerusha. His face was bright red, but he was acting all nonchalant. Jerusha then opened her mouth again, increasing the volume of her voice a bit¡ª "What did you even like about me?" She asked that, slightly glancing at Raye. Jerusha was all shy. And seeing her acting like that¡ª ''Cute.'' Raye thought of that. "What did I like about you, huh...?" He mumbled. Then with a slight smile on his face and looking back down at the floor¡ª "Everything." Raye simply answered that. "I like how kind you are." He added, and after that¡ªhe continued. "I like how positive you are." "I like your smile..." "Your beautiful violet eyes." "Your smooth purple hair." "The way you''re always ready to help me." "The way you persistently try to talk to me." "I like your presence, just you being there makes me calm... And when you''re away, it makes me sad." "I like your cooking... I could help you get better though." "I like how you''ve got a good relationship with Old Man Rey, Zephyrus, and Pyro." "I like that you''re acting like an actual professor when teaching me spirit magic." "I like that you''re always cheering for me..." "That you''re always supporting me..." Raye faced Jerusha, and after that pause¡ª "Jerusha, I like you." He followed with that. "Like, a lot." Raye mumbled. "..." Jerusha was speechless. Her eyes became teary as she heard Raye''s words. Her face was back to being a tomato now. Her heart was beating loudly in her chest. Raye could probably hear it already. But this time, instead of looking away¡ª "..." Jerusha stared back at Raye. The two of them looked at each other in the eyes. The silence around them wasn''t awkward anymore. And finally, opening her mouth¡ª "I like you a lot too." Jerusha confessed to Raye too. "..." Raye smiled, not saying anything. "Haha..." Then after letting out a small laugh¡ª "I know." Raye said that with a sweet smile on his face. ----- Outside the room, Lycus and the others were still there. S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. They just hid their presences with Lena''s magic. And of course¡ªthey heard everything. "...!" "...!" "...!!!" Devin, Sofia, and Lycus had their eyes widened as they looked at each other. Lena, Leon, and Allen were smiling ear to ear like teenagers reading romance manga. They couldn''t stop smiling and it was already hurting their jaws. Kyle was jumping around, cheering for Raye. Chapter 225 - 225: 225 - Stepping Up After the confession between Raye and Jerusha that happened in the hospital... Raye stood up. He had decided to go to the cabin and rest. He''ll leave Zephyrus and Pyro here with Jerusha to not wake them up. "I''ll see you later." He said as he looked at Jerusha. She was sitting beside Old Man Rey''s bed. "Yeah, I''ll stay here and wait for the others." She replied. "No need to wait, they''re still outside." Then Raye said that with a smile, looking at the door of the room. And at his words... "?!!" Jerusha suddenly felt some presences outside the room. And immediately after that¡ª "So you know, huh..." Lycus entered the room, embarrassed. Behind him were the others. Raye smiled at them, and with a shrug¡ª "Yeah, I realized it after calming myself down¡ªafter Jerusha confessed." He declared that. Jerusha''s face reddened as she avoided everyone''s gazes. "What...? How did you get through my magic?" Lena asked Raye with a confused look on her face. And looking at her¡ª "Hmm... I just got stronger." Raye answered with a casual wave of his hand. Lena was about to say something as she opened her mouth, but before she could even do so¡ª "Anyway, I''ll be going first, guys... I need to rest." Raye said that. Lena just shut her mouth and let it go. "Sorry for listening to your conversation, you two... We just got, erm... really curious and carried away." Lycus apologized in everyone''s stead. "It''s okay, you guys would''ve known what happened anyway after you accidentally walked in on me confessing earlier. At least now we don''t have to tell you the story." Raye just shrugged, then looking at Jerusha... "What about you?" "I''m fine with it as well. It''s not like I''ll keep it a secret from them... In fact, I probably would''ve told them about it in excitement when they got here." She said, blushing with her head down. Though, she''s looking at Raye with a sweet smile on her face. "..." Raye smiled back at her. And seeing them like that, Lycus and the others got uncomfortable watching and looked away, scratching their cheeks. Then after that¡ª "I''ll go now. Let''s catch up later, guys." Raye said that as he looked at the others with a smile. And after exchanging goodbyes and greetings with the others... he left the room and headed to the cabin. His steps were light and the smile on his face didn''t disappear. Raye''s heart was still beating really hard from the confession that happened earlier. And as he remembered that¡ª "Haha..." A small laugh escaped his mouth. "I''m glad I confessed." Raye mumbled on his way. ***** (Raye''s POV) Creak¡ª "..." I got to the cabin not long after. It was silent and empty. But still¡ª "This place is spotless." I can see no speck of dust. Looks like it was cleaned using magic. Everything is just as it was when I left with Zephyrus and Pyro. No, actually... it''s better. Tap- tap- tap¡ª I silently walked toward my room. "Should I continue fixing the cabin?" I muttered to myself. The cabin is already good and well. What I''m saying is if I should make upgrades to it. But after remembering Old Man Rey, I just trashed the idea aside. ''I''ll just do it once he wakes up.'' I thought to myself as I entered my room. Then after that, I laid down on my bed and drowsed off. I was so tired that I fell asleep immediately. I haven''t slept properly for the past week. As a matter of fact¡ªI only had one or two good nights of sleep over the past 10 months... or 30 days. I need this rest. "..." So with the adrenaline I was feeling from confessing gone, I fell into a slumber. ***** Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. I woke up hours later... It was already afternoon. The sun is preparing to set. "Haaaa..." I stood up with a yawn and started fixing myself. I fixed my bed, cooked, and ate something¡ªjust roasted boar meat. Then I went to the nearby river and took a bath. A proper bath after so long! And while I was in the river, I remembered that the academy will start again. In about a week... A frown appeared on my face. "The game story will shift now." I grumbled silently. In this part of the story, the war against demons will continue... As a matter of fact¡ª "With the invasion they did in the academy months ago, it already started." Soon, more demons will terrorize the empire. Their population will grow like crazy alongside demon worshippers. And because of that... the royal family will ask for assistance from Zion Academy and other academies as well. All the four prestigious academies will answer, as they were founded precisely to nurture students to fight off demons. And so with that¡ª "The [Hero Parties] will be made." Each of the academies will appoint their strongest student to make up their own team to set out and save cities from the demons. Leon was obviously chosen by Zion Academy in the game¡ªhe will then make his party and journey the world until he reaches the Demon King. But this time around¡ª "I''ll participate actively and try to be chosen as Zion''s representative." I mumbled with a calm look on my face. I''m not saying I''ll steal the role... But if Leon, the protagonist, lost the title of the strongest to me¡ª Then he''s not fit to fight the Demon King. He''ll just meet his doom later on, along with the party he will build. Something obviously went wrong if he''s weaker than me, and I''m sure it''ll be because of my existence as well. "That''s why I''ll take responsibility." I was passive before about the main story of the game. I let Leon do everything. That''s because I didn''t care about anything but my survival. But now... A lot of things will be destroyed if Leon loses. A lot of people I care about will be in danger if the demons win. I have people I want to protect... And if Leon can''t do it¡ª "Then I''ll do it myself." ----- In a week... An assessment duel will take place before the academy officially starts.