?


    Inside the Colosseum''s Training room.


    punch


    punch


    kick


    kick


    In the heart of the Colosseum''s training room, a young elf with jet-ck hair, piercing green eyes, and a sculpted, muscr physique relentlessly practiced his martial arts skills on an immortal training dummy. His every movement was a dance of power and precision.


    Intruding into this intense practice session, a mysterious figure d in a ck suit strode into the room. The enigmatic visitor''s face remained obscured beneath a dark mask.


    "Hello, Perci," the man intoned, his voice resonating deeply from behind the mask.


    Perci, the dedicated young elf in the midst of his training, turned to regard the neer with a stern expression. "What do you want? If you''re here to sponsor me, you can leave. I''m not avable for sponsorship.


    If you are selling something, i am still not interested."


    The masked man''s voice retained its enigmatic edge as he replied, "No, I''m here to ask one thing of you: win the uing match against the Queen''s Candidate."


    Perci''s curiosity was piqued, and he asked, "What do you mean?"


    The masked man, undeterred, inquired, "Didn''t you understand what I just said?"


    Perci maintained his resolute stance, seeking more information. "I did, but who are you again?"


    "I am just an angel, who came here to offer you a gift. I''ll assist you in winning this match, but you must keep it a secret," the mysterious man revealed.


    Unmoved, Perci dered, "I don''t need your help. I will face my opponent fair and square, regardless of the oue. You can take your suspicious ass out of this room now."


    The masked man, however, yed his trump card. "Well, don''t you want the mary reward to aid your ailing mother? If you lose today''spetition, it could be the end of your mother''s journey."


    "How do you know about my mother?" Perci asked with a suspicious expression.


    "Come on Perci, it''s not a confidential information. Everyone knows about your mother." The suspicious man answered.


    Perci pondered this for a moment, his resolve wavering.


    "What do you want from me?" Perci finally asked as he approached the enigmatic man.


    "Nothing much. Just step into the arena and stand ready. Your opponent won''t even make it to the ring, and you''ll be dered the winner. It''s as simple as that," the man replied, his tone tempting.


    Perci couldn''t help but feel a sense of suspicion. "That sounds incredibly suspicious. You''re saying I''ll win without doing anything, right?"


    The masked man''s smile was hidden, but it was clear in his voice. "Indeed, I am. It''s one of the rule, if the opponent from the opposite side doesn''te to the arena under 10 minutes after the start of the match, then he/she will be disqualified from the match."


    Perci wasn''t ready to ept such an offer without questioning it further. "Why are you here telling me all this? You could have done it, and I would have won anyway. You''d have saved both of us time."


    The masked man, unfazed, exined, "I want you to remember that you''re winning today because of me. In the future, I''ll ask one favor of you, and you won''t be able to decline it. Sign this."


    He then summoned a mana contract that listed all of the terms, that the mysterious man has just stated.


    Perci hesitated, still not entirely convinced. "What if my opponent shows up?"


    "This mana contract will be disabled in that case. Don''t worry," the masked man assured him.


    Ultimately, tempted by the promise of victory, Perci reluctantly signed the contract with a drop of his blood. It shimmered briefly before the masked man sealed it.


    "Well done, Perci. Congrattions on bing this year''s Academic Exchange Event champion. We''ll meet again in the future," the masked man said before departing, leaving a contemtive Perci behind.


    Somewhere deep within a forest...


    Four carriages hurtled through the forest at breakneck speed. In the first carriage, Anon, Faith, Julia, and E were seated. Julia and E upied one seat, while Faith sat opposite to them. Anon reclined, wearing sunsses and using Faith''sp as his pillow, fast asleep.


    Though Faith was visibly embarrassed by the situation, she didn''t want to disturb Anon''s rest.


    E broke the silence with a curious question directed at Faith. "Soooo... does he always do that?"


    Faith, caught off guard, stammered a reply, "H-Huh...? N-No, this is his first time doing this."


    Julia chimed in, trying to alleviate the awkwardness. "He must be exhausted from his strenuous exercises. He was even practicing without using mana."


    Anon, seemingly sound asleep, suddenly spoke up, "I don''t get exhausted, Luv."


    "Huh...? You are awake ?" Faith asked with a confused expression.


    "Oh, I am wide awake from the moment we entered this carriage. I just pretended to be asleep so I could use your legs as a pillow." Anon replied with a smile.


    E offered apliment, perhaps in an attempt to get Anon''s attention. "These ck sses are so cool; they make you look handsome, and no one can tell if your eyes are open or closed."


    Anon didn''t let the matter slide. "Why are you here again?" he asked E.


    E, unfazed, replied respectfully, "Because I am also participating in today''s match."


    Anon raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Wow, they epted you as a participant? That''s surprising."


    "Why is it surprising ?" E asked.


    "I don''t know. Maybe because you have a very High level of attitude and you don''t talk tomoners because you are an upper royal." Anon replied.


    E, sensing the potential tension, apologized for her earlier behavior. "I apologize for my previous behavior. My father instilled these customs in me from childhood, and it''s not something I can change easily. I''m sorry for talking to you like that, Sir Jule."


    Anon continued, pressing her about her presence, "Why are you traveling in our carriage?"


    Faith intervened, urging Anon to be polite. "Mr. Jule, please don''t be rude. They are our guests."


    "Yeah, yeah, as if—" Anon began, but he stopped abruptly, sensing something amiss. His expression shifted from nonchnce to seriousness.


    Faith and Julia quickly picked up on Anon''s changed demeanor and reached for their swords.


    "What happened, Sir Jule?" Julia inquired, her voice tinged with worry.


    "Is something wrong?" Faith added, her hand firmly on her sword hilt.


    Anon spoke, his senses keen, "I smell... blood."


    The carriages screeched to a sudden halt, jolting everyone inside.